Results tagged “serialkiller”

Richard Ramirez, better known as the Night Stalker, sits on death row for 13 murders in Southern California from two decades ago, but that number might change as police in San Francisco identified him as a suspect in a cold case murder today. DNA has connected him and a possible second and unknown suspect to the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in April 1984, two months before his first known murder in Los Angeles' Glassell Park neighborhood.

When the LA Weekly broke the news about the still-out-there "Grim Sleeper" serial killer, who would rape and murder victims in South LA, one detective had an idea. What if the matching DNA from the crime scenes was of a registered sex offender who had not yet been swabbed? Of the 1,500 local sex offenders that matched the Grim Sleeper's description, 92 of them did not have DNA on file. So police began collecting DNA samples and one of those samples matched a number of crimes, but not the Grim Sleepers, another one, possibly the Westside Rapist:

Margaret Prescod, a KPFK radio host and founder of the Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders, announced a new campaign last week to inform the community about the notorious Grim Sleeper, who has alluded police for over 20 years, killing at least 11 since 1985 and most recently in 2007. The Stop the Serial Murders Community Information Campaign will flyer the community with information about the murders in hopes that someone knows something or at least connects the dots and contacts police. "People don't know much about the murders," Prescod told the LA Weekly. "These murders have not been a priority of [Police Chief William] Bratton, the mayor and most of the media." Making it harder to spread the word, this campaign was announced as Michael Jackson's death took the world by storm. Christine Pelisek, who broke the serial killer's story, faithfully attended the press conference.

It's the highest reward ever set by the LA City Council--over a half million dollars--and today it was renewed. The long-standing mysterious "Grim Sleeper" serial killer has alluded police for over 20 years. It was only recently that police knew they were looking for the same man in a handful of cases.

A 72-year-old man suspected of raping and killing at least 30 women was arrested last month for the killing of one woman who was part of a serial spree that lasted around 15 years. John F. Thomas was matched to an old case via DNA after police began swabbing registered sex offenders. Thomas, who went to prison in 1978 for a rape in Pasadena, had two waves of rape-killings. The first was on the Westside before he was caught. After serving time, he moved to Chino and another wave began in Claremont. Through all this, Thomas was never connected or suspected by police, despite leaving 20 survivors. After he was arrested, more DNA results came in connecting him to four other deaths. Thomas would prey on older woman living alone. He would rape and strangle them and leave a pillow or blanket over their faces.

The notorious Bay Area killer (but in suspected in the LA Region, too) was allegedly named today. Earning him the worst father of the century award, Guy Ward Hendrickson, who lived in Orange County (however, reports do not indicate when), died in 1993 from cancer and took his daughter with him on his killings. That's all according the said daughter Deborah Perez who stepped forward today to preempt a soon-to-be announced theory from a Sacramento investigator. Whether she's delusional herself or not, that has yet to be seen but SFist has their own theories.

LA Weekly's Christine Pelisek, who broke the story about LA's very own serial killer, the "Grim Sleeper," got an amazing exclusive with Enietra Margette (fake name), the one person who survived his attacks that left 11 people dead over a 20-plus year span.

Admittedly a long shot by police, the LAPD today released the audio of an anonymous phone call tip about the fourth murder by the serial killer dubbed the "Grim Sleeper." Over a span of more than 20 years, the mysterious killer--connected by DNA--has taken the lives of at least 11 victims and injured one. The police are not sure if the phone call described below was purposefully misleading or not, but it's definitely an interesting look into what happend back in '87. From the LAPD:

Tomorrow night, South LA community members and the LAPD will be holding a vigil "to create community awareness to a series of 12 murders over a 22 year period that police believe were committed by a serial killer, to remember the victims and to disseminate information regarding these cases and the suspect(s)." The murders--all in the South LA region and mostly women--by the media-named "Grim Sleeper" occurred between 1985 and 2007 and are tied together by DNA testing. The LAPD is using four billboards to advertise their up to $500,000 reward to also create awareness and the vigil will be held at the location of one of those: southeast corner of Colden Avenue and Figueroa Street at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

Spotted at the intersection of 98th Street and Western Avenue, the LAPD today unveiled a billboard in hopes to spread the word about the "Grim Sleeper" serial killer who has hunted South LA streets since 1985 killing at least 11 people. Relatively few tips have come in about the killer since his existence came into the public view at the end of August.

All has been quiet for the past month in the media regarding LA's current, but long-lasting (since 1985), serial killer, the Grim Sleeper. But not for long as America's Most Wanted will air an episode tomorrow night with the Grim Sleeper as the "featured fugitive." He's killed at least 11 people since 1985 and most recently in 2007, but one who woman escaped will be interviewed on the program along with LAPD Chief William Bratton.

The "Grim Sleeper" has eluded the LAPD for 23 years killing at least 11 people and leaving one survivor all in the South LA area. But investigators believe at least six of the 30 unsolved murders they are looking into right now will turn out to be victims of the serial killer.

In a weekend editorial about Los Angeles' serial killer, the "Grim Sleeper," the LA Times said it was about time they came public with information.

     

In order to garner the public's attention, the LAPD released a poster today showing the twelve victims' faces of the serial killer dubbed the "Grim Sleeper." The man has eluded police for over 20 years, making him the "most enduring serial killer in California history and the longest-operating serial killer west of the Mississippi," as the LA Weekly put it in their story that broke this case open to the public.

After the LA Weekly printed their in-depth investigation of the Grim Sleeper, a serial killer named by the paper because he stopped killing for 13 years (but now is back), the LA City Council voted today to award $200,000 (KCAL says $500K) to anyone who supplies information leading to his arrest and conviction. "In a packed press conference not far from City Council chambers this morning, Councilman Bernard Parks called for the huge reward. He was joined by Porter and Mary Alexander, parents of 18-year-old victim Monique Alexander."

File this under things you need to read to get that warm fuzzy feeling: "For four years, police have known that a single madman is out there, a man whose audacity and sick good luck have made him the most enduring serial killer in California history and the longest-operating serial killer west of the Mississippi. In 1988, he stopped the slaughter for more than 13 years, then killed again in 2002 and 2003. L.A. Weekly has learned that he is actively murdering Angelenos again..."