The notorious “Grim Sleeper” trial began today in Los Angeles with a statement from L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman, more than three decades after the discovery of the alleged serial killer’s first victim.
In her opening statement, Silverman said that the evidence in this case will tell a story of a serial killer who stalked streets of South Los Angeles, at a time when the neighborhood was marked by the lethal epidemic of crack cocaine.
Lonnie Franklin Jr. is accused of killing 10 women between 1985 and 2007, Silverman said. The women, all between the ages of 15 and 35, were strangled or shot and left in alleyways near Franklin’s home in south L.A., The Associated Press said. Sexual contact was also usually involved, according to The AP.
The “Grim Sleeper” nickname came about because of an apparent 14-year gap in the murders between 1988 and 2002. Franklin, 63, was arrested in July 2010 after his DNA was connected to some crime scenes. He has pleaded not guilty to ten counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, The AP said.
Lonnie Franklin Jr. has pleaded not guilty to ten counts of murder.
Source: Trial Begins for Alleged ‘Grim Sleeper’ Serial Killer Lonnie Franklin Jr. – ABC News