Grim Never Sleeps
December 12, 2014 3:21 PM Subscribe
The Grim Sleeper is the name given to a serial killer by the reporter who exposed his existence in 2008. He stalked South Central Los Angeles for 25 years. A new documentary questions the complacency of the police who knew there was a serial killer but didn't warn the community.
When DNA taken from a pizza crust matched the suspect to the crime, the police raided his house. They found photos of 180 unidentified women pinned to his wall. Although Lonnie Franklin, Jr., was arrested for the crimes in 2010, his trial has managed to repeatedly delayed. (site with many more links)
When DNA taken from a pizza crust matched the suspect to the crime, the police raided his house. They found photos of 180 unidentified women pinned to his wall. Although Lonnie Franklin, Jr., was arrested for the crimes in 2010, his trial has managed to repeatedly delayed. (site with many more links)
At some point in the 80's or possibly 90's I went to an author appearance by Walter Mosley. Somehow the discussion got onto the topic of serial killers being mostly white men. Mosley responded that there probably were many black serial killers that were undetected. He was right. There were several serial killers operating in Los Angeles at that time that avoided detection because nobody gave a shit about their victims.
You can put part of the blame for Franklin's long run of victims on the LAPD. If you do that, as much as it galls me to write it, you also have to give them credit for starting to put resources into catching this guy in 2007 under Bratton. The police were doing their job when they ignored all those victims, which is not protecting or serving like it says in the LAPD's motto but enacting America's real opinion of the worth of black people's lives. So I was happy when I read about Franklin's capture, not because it meant the LAPD was an organization pursuing justice and equity but because it meant that under pressure they had taken a small step in that direction and of course also because they took this guy off the streets.
posted by rdr at 5:01 PM on December 12, 2014 [15 favorites]
You can put part of the blame for Franklin's long run of victims on the LAPD. If you do that, as much as it galls me to write it, you also have to give them credit for starting to put resources into catching this guy in 2007 under Bratton. The police were doing their job when they ignored all those victims, which is not protecting or serving like it says in the LAPD's motto but enacting America's real opinion of the worth of black people's lives. So I was happy when I read about Franklin's capture, not because it meant the LAPD was an organization pursuing justice and equity but because it meant that under pressure they had taken a small step in that direction and of course also because they took this guy off the streets.
posted by rdr at 5:01 PM on December 12, 2014 [15 favorites]
If I thought there was a chance I'd be executed, you can be damn sure I'd stall that trial as long as possible, no matter if I was guilty or innocent. It's just another way in which the threat of state sanctioned death screws up the system.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:07 PM on December 12, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:07 PM on December 12, 2014 [7 favorites]
Interesting. Usually long breaks are assumed to represent prison spells. In this case, it looks like he laid low after letting the victim escape, and that his strategy pretty much worked. Of course, he may have just killed people who haven't been found yet.
posted by msalt at 5:36 PM on December 12, 2014
posted by msalt at 5:36 PM on December 12, 2014
I do think this is a fascinating case, and I can't wait to see the documentary (but will have to). It has an 88 on Metacritic. This compares to 89 for the top score by a wide release film (Birdman).
There's no question that this case was overlooked, until one of those classical newspaper reporter/give-the-serial-killer-a-catchy-name moments. That is pretty depressing in its own right.
Oh, and in answer to the above, there is good evidence he was active in the "sleeping" years.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 6:12 PM on December 12, 2014
There's no question that this case was overlooked, until one of those classical newspaper reporter/give-the-serial-killer-a-catchy-name moments. That is pretty depressing in its own right.
Oh, and in answer to the above, there is good evidence he was active in the "sleeping" years.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 6:12 PM on December 12, 2014
If I thought there was a chance I'd be executed, you can be damn sure I'd stall that trial as long as possible, no matter if I was guilty or innocent.
California has executed just 13 men since the death penalty was reenacted in 1978, so the chance you speak of is practically zero.
posted by sideshow at 6:54 PM on December 12, 2014
California has executed just 13 men since the death penalty was reenacted in 1978, so the chance you speak of is practically zero.
posted by sideshow at 6:54 PM on December 12, 2014
I don't think how people react to jail is very standard, at least in America. Cracked had an article with a death row inmate who finally got a retrial once DNA testing (15 years after learning about this new scientific process being used legally) once he asked to die.
posted by halifix at 6:57 PM on December 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by halifix at 6:57 PM on December 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
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posted by 724A at 4:34 PM on December 12, 2014