This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
'Grim Sleeper' Arrested at Least 15 Times in 40 Years but Never Sent to Prison
Lonnie Franklin, Jr., the alleged"Grim Sleeper" serial killer arrested this week and charged with 10 murders, managed to avoid being sent to state prison despite being arrested at least 15 times in the past four decades, according to the Daily News.
On the 57-year-old Franklin's rap sheet are crimes such as burglary, car theft, firearms possession and assaults. However, according to authorities, "his crimes never were considered serious enough to send him to state prison or to warrant his entry in the state's DNA database."
Overcrowding also kept Franklin out of prison, including when he allegedly killed one of his victims in July 2003. Records show that probation officers, as well as court and jail officials all recommended at various times that Franklin be imprisoned. Currently the police are working using DNA to determine if the "Grim Sleeper" can be connected to at least 30 other crimes in their database.
Related
- Map: Suspected 'Grim Sleeper' Serial Killer Lived Near Where Victims Were Left & Billboard Seeking his Arrest
- Capture of Suspected 'Grim Sleeper' Serial Killer 'Will Change the Way Policing is Done in the United States'
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
