‘Grim Sleeper’ serial killer to get death penalty

A serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper should be sentenced to death for murdering nine women and a teenage girl over more than two decades in south Los Angeles, a jury decided.

Wed, 08 Jun, 2016 - 01:00

Amanda Lee Myers

Lonnie Franklin Jr, 63, a former city rubbish collector and garage attendant for Los Angeles police, was convicted of 10 counts of first-degree murder for crimes dating back more than 30 years.

A prosecutor had asked jurors to show Franklin the same compassion he showed his victims and give him the “ultimate penalty”.

An emotional defence lawyer asked jurors to sentence him to life without parole.

The jury called for the death penalty on all 10 murder counts and the judge set formal sentencing for August 10.

Franklin said, “Yes, your honour,” in regards to the date but otherwise sat quietly and stared straight ahead the entire time.

As he walked into court, family members of the victims whispered: “Dead man walking.”

Most of the women were either fatally shot, choked — or both — and their partly clad or naked bodies were dumped in alleys and rubbish bins.

Police did not connect the crimes to a serial killer for years and victims’ family members complained the killings were not thoroughly investigated because the victims were poor and black, and some were prostitutes.

Franklin came under suspicion after a task force began re-examining the cold cases following the final killing in 2007 and DNA from his son showed similarities to genetic evidence found on some of the victims.

A detective posing as a worker at a pizza parlour later collected utensils from Franklin while he was attending a birthday party. Lab results connected him to the bodies.

The culprit had been dubbed the Grim Sleeper because of an apparent gap in killings between 1988 and 2002. Police once thought the killer may have been in prison.

Authorities, however, now say they do not think Franklin ever rested.