LA murderer ‘Grim Sleeper’ now has 16 killings

By Lee Han-a

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) arrested serial killer Lonnie Franklin Jr., 59, in July 2010 for the slayings of 10 African-American victims. Now six new murders have been tied to him.

The suspect is nicknamed the ‘Grim Sleeper’ due to a 14-year hiatus from his murder crimes. A former LAPD garage attendant and garbage collector, Franklin is known to be a brutal killer, usually raping his victim then shooting or strangling her to death.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the killer is already charged with the murders of 10 women in the streets of Los Angeles. Of the six newly identified victims, two of them had bullet wounds made from the gun Franklin used in other killings and his DNA was found on the corpse of a third victim.

The voice of a 911 call to report the location of the fourth victim’s body was later matched to be that of the Grim Sleeper. The last two victims have not been found, yet their belongings were discovered in Franklin’s home.

About 180 photos of women were also found in his home and released to the public by the police, in hopes that the citizens could help identify them.

But the murderer will not be charged with the six new killings because this will probably delay his case. Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson declared this a wise decision in that it won’t give Franklin time to get out of his current charges.

The killer pleaded not guilty to his 10 murder charges and one count of attempted murder. His lawyer has expressed anger at the rapid public announcement of the new killings.