Lonnie David Franklin Jr. was an American serial killer given the nickname ‘Grim Sleeper’, due to the long time gap between his killings. He was convicted of 10 murders during his spree, which lasted between 1988 and 2002 in Southern Los Angeles.
Let’s take a closer look at some facts about the Grim Sleeper and his vicious, heinous crimes.
1. He led a seemingly normal family life
Despite his disturbing serial killing, Franklin Jr. was a family man with a wife and two children. Details of his family tend to be kept out of the media, as they do not want to make appearances or discuss his crimes.
Franklin Jr. was married to a Belizean woman named Sylvia, and the two were together for 30 years. Sylvia supported her husband up until he was convicted in 2016, as she had no idea about his sinister second life. She and the rest of the family separated themselves from Franklin Jr. following his convictions.
2. He was dishonourably discharged
While serving in the United States Army, Franklin Jr. was dishonourably discharged in 1975. This came a year after he was convicted of raping a 17-year-old girl in Stuttgart, West Germany in 1974.
3. He targeted vulnerable women
The Grim Sleeper chose particularly vulnerable women as his targets. Most of his victims worked as prostitutes, came from poor communities or had problems with addiction. He also targeted black women.
His victims varied from teenagers to adults, with his youngest victim being just 15 years old. The 10 murders for which he was officially convicted for were of the following women:
- Debra Ronette Jackson: Age 29. Shot three times in 1985.
- Henrietta Wright: Age 35. Died of multiple gunshot wounds in 1986.
- Barbara Bethune Ware: Age 23. Found dead in 1987.
- Bernita Rochelle Sparks: Age 26. Shot and killed in 1987.
- Mary Katherine Lowe: Age 26. Shot and killed in 1987.
- Lachrica Jefferson: Age 22. Shot twice in 1988.
- Monique Alicia Alexander: Age 18. Found naked and shot to death in 1988.
- Princess Berthomieux: Age 15. Found naked, beaten, and strangled in 2002.
- Valerie McCorvey: Age 35. Found dead in 2003.
- Janecia Peters: Age 25. Found naked and fatally shot in 2007.
There was also Enietra Margette Washington, who was shot, sexually assaulted, and left for dead in 1988 at age 30. She survived her ordeal and her testimony proved instrumental in the prosecution's case during the trial.
4. Even more victims were uncovered during the trial
During the trial, other victims emerged. Prosecutors presented evidence linking these victims to the Grim Sleeper’s modus operandi. Once again, these victims were spread out across multiple years. The victims brought up in the trial were:
- Sharon Alicia Dismuke: Age 21. Found dead in 1984.
- Thomas Sylvester Steele: Age 36. The only male victim of the Grim Sleeper. Found dead in 1986. Although there was a lack of evidence to charge Franklin Jr, it is believed that he killed Thomas either because he knew of the murders or he was close to one of the victims.
- Inez Elizabeth Warren. Age 28. Found shot and unconscious in 1988. She died of her injuries in hospital. She wasn’t thought to be a victim of Franklin Jr until his arrest.
- Georgia Mae Thomas. Age 43. Found shot in 2000.
- Ayellah Gbo Dzata Marshall. Age 18. Disappeared from a medical facility in 2005. Her body was never found, but her student ID card was found in Franklin Jr’s garage.
- Rolenia Adele Morris. Age 31. Last seen in 2005. Her body was also not found, but explicit pictures and her driver’s license were found in Franklin Jr’s garage.
5. There could be more unconfirmed victims
There are also thought to be four more female victims that can’t be confirmed. Their families believe that they were victims of the Grim Sleeper because they all lived close to his home. Their murders were also in line with his usual modus operandi for victims, as they were sex workers involved with drugs.
6. He died in prison while on death row
The Grim Sleeper was found dead in his cell in San Quentin State Prison in March 2020 while sitting on death row. The results of his autopsy or his official cause of death have never been released to the public.
