Page 5 - Aruba Today

U.S. NEWS A5
Wednesday 17 February

Graphic photos begin ‘Grim Sleeper’ trial in Los Angeles

Lonnie Franklin Jr. appears in Los Angeles Superior Court for til later in the trial. connected to more than
opening statements in his trial on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Los Last week, Amster told The a dozen crime scenes. An
Angeles. Franklin has pleaded not guilty to killing nine women Associated Press that “it’s officer posing as a busboy
and a 15-year-old girl between 1985 and 2007 in one of the not over until it’s over.” at a pizza parlor got DNA
city’s most notorious serial killer cases. The “Grim Sleeper” nick- “There’s more to it than samples from dishes and
name was coined because of an apparent 14-year gap in the people want to believe,” utensils Franklin had been
murders between 1988 and 2002. Amster said. “It’s up to the eating with at a birthday
prosecution to prove the party.
(Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool) case beyond a reasonable Family members of the
doubt.” Grim Sleeper victims and a
As many as 30 detec- survivor of the attacks have
tives investigated the Grim been frustrated by repeat-
Sleeper killings in the 1980s, ed delays in the case and
but they exhausted leads were eager for the open-
within a few years. ing statements.
A special squad of detec- The Grim Sleeper was
tives was assembled after among at least three serial
the most recent known killers who stalked Los An-
Grim Sleeper killing, the geles-area women during
June 2007 shooting of Jan- a crack cocaine epidemic
ecia Peters, 25, whose na- in the 1980s and 1990s.
ked body was found in the The attacks were dubbed
fetal position inside a trash the “Southside Slayer” kill-
bag. ings before authorities con-
Police arrested Franklin in cluded more than one at-
July 2010 after his DNA was tacker was involved.q

AMANDA LEE MYERS months.
Associated Press In opening statements to
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Their jurors Tuesday, Silverman
bodies were dumped in al- said Franklin took advan-
leys and garbage bins in tage of the crack cocaine
south Los Angeles, some epidemic in south Los An-
naked, some covered with geles, targeting women
mattresses and trash. Most “willing to sell their bodies
had been fatally shot in and their souls in order to
the chest after some type gratify their dependency
of sexual contact, others on this powerful drug.”
strangled. Autopsies showed all but
As prosecutor Beth Silver- one victim had cocaine
man showed photo after in their systems when they
photo of the 10 victims to were killed, and some had
a packed courtroom on turned to prostitution.
Tuesday, family members “This was the perfect op-
of the dead young women portunity for someone who
shook as they wept. Some preyed on women,” Silver-
covered their faces, others man said.
had to walk out. “Someone who knew the
It was an emotional begin- streets and the dark al-
ning to the long-awaited leys by heart, someone
“Grim Sleeper” trial, which who lived there and was
comes more than 30 years able to blend in, someone
since the first victim’s who knew where the drug-
death. addicted women and
Lonnie Franklin Jr. has perhaps prostitutes would
pleaded not guilty to killing congregate and who
nine women and a 15-year- knew how to lure potential
old girl between 1985 and victims into the darkness
2007 in one of the city’s and the isolation of a ve-
most notorious serial killer hicle through the promise
cases. The “Grim Sleeper” of crack.”
nickname was coined be- Silverman continued: “It
cause of an apparent 14- was the perfect place and
year gap in the murders time for a serial killer to
between 1988 and 2002. roam the streets of Los An-
Franklin, 63, has been geles, really without detec-
awaiting trial behind bars tion.”
for nearly six years since his Franklin’s attorney, Sey-
arrest in July 2010. The trial is mour Amster, won’t deliver
expected to last up to four his opening statements un-