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Cold Case Files: The Grim Sleeper airs on November 8, 9/8c on A&E, covering one of Los Angeles' most infamous murders. This episode will detail the crimes that the Grim Sleeper, Lonnie David Franklin Jr., committed. He killed several people in Los Angeles, and over the course of 20 years, Franklin's reign of terror was marked by long gaps between his crimes.
Franklin was accused of committing 10 murders and one attempted murder. He got his infamous name because there were 14 years between his killing sprees.
Lonnie David Franklin Jr. was found dead in his prison cell on March 28, 2020. There were no signs of trauma on his body, and the exact cause of his death remains undisclosed.
Franklin's death put an end to a life full of violence and running away. Lonnie Franklin was born on August 30, 1952, and lived a seemingly normal life in South Central Los Angeles. But behind this front, he caused a lot of fear in his community, mostly targeting Black women who worked as s*x workers.
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Disclaimer - This article deals with physical and s*xual violence. Reader discretion is advised.
Grim Sleeper: Early life and the dark beginnings
The Grim Sleeper had a criminal history that dates back to a time before he even went on a killing spree. Franklin took part in a gang r*pe in 1974 while he was stationed with the U.S. Army in Stuttgart, West Germany. After getting out of the military with a bad record, he went back to Los Angeles, where he would start his killing spree.
Sharon Alicia Dismuke was his first suspected victim on January 15, 1984, and thereby, the long and violent history started. In late 1988, he used a 9 mm pistol to kill Judith Simpson, Cynthia Walker, and Latanya Johnson.
Franklin's victims were primarily Black women who were frequently discovered abandoned in South Los Angeles, whether in alleys, dumpsters, or beneath mattresses. He used a .25-caliber pistol to shoot his victims, with some cases presenting evidence of s*xual assault.
Franklin managed to flee by frequently capturing photographs of his victims, some of whom are still unidentified.
The initial investigations: A failed start
During the 1980s, Franklin's killings were first linked to the Southside Slayer investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. At the time, people stated that the LAPD didn't care about the deaths of Black women and s*x workers.
Detectives at first thought that the killings were the work of more than one person, which caused confusion and slowed down their work.
As their investigations went on, they discovered that there were several serial killers working in the area at the same time, which made their job harder. Franklin kept killing people without getting caught, and by 1988, no one could trace him.
He didn't start killing again until 2002, which is how he got the name "Grim Sleeper." This long gap in his activity made it even harder to find links between his crimes.
The resumed investigation and breakthrough
In 2007, after the murder of 25-year-old Janecia Peters, DNA tests showed links to other murders. By this time, LAPD created the "800 Task Force." The case got more attention when investigative reporter Christine Pelisek wrote about it, and family DNA testing was the key to solving it.
Detectives used Franklin's son Christopher's DNA and DNA from Franklin himself that they got by working undercover and thus, Franklin was found responsible for the murders.
The arrest in 2010 revealed the full extent of his crimes. Police uncovered over 1,000 photographs and hundreds of hours of video at Franklin’s residence, suggesting that his victim count might be far higher than the confirmed 10 murders.
Enietra Washington: The survivor’s story
Enietra Washington was one of Franklin's most famous victims, but she lived through his attack in 1988. She later testified against him, telling the horrible story of how Franklin offered to give her a ride but then shot and beat her.
Her testimony was crucial in portraying Franklin's violence; she recounted awakening to discover her bloodied face lit by the flash of a Polaroid camera.
The more horrifying thing was Franklin often took pictures of his victims before, during, or after they died. This was done to keep proof of his crimes, which later proved to be very important in the investigation.
The trial for Franklin began in 2016. He was charged with 10 murders and Washington's attempted murder. At the end of the trial, he was found guilty on all charges and given the death penalty on June 6, 2016.
Franklin never admitted guilt, though, and his trial did not bring any closure to the families of possible unidentified victims.
Franklin passed away on March 28, 2020, in his cell at San Quentin State Prison. The exact cause of his death has not been made public. Though his death was reflected as a form of justice, it didn't answer questions about whether he was involved in other unsolved crimes.
The reign of terror of Grim Sleeper is a scary reflection of the darkness that lives behind closed doors. Franklin's death ended a painful part of Los Angeles's history, but it raised questions about systemic flaws, especially in the LAPD's initial handling.
Cold Case Files: The Grim Sleeper premieres on November 8 at 9 pm ET on A&E.
