LAPD Zero In on Final 48 Potential Victims in Grim Sleeper Case

The Los Angeles Police Department says they are focusing on the last batch of women depicted in photographs seized from the residence of Grim Sleeper serial killer, Lonnie Franklin Jr. Of the initial 180 females whose images were included in Franklin's extensive collection, a "Final Forty-Eight" are the last to be identified, and possibly counted among his victims, says the LAPD.

"Unfortunately, as the photo grouping continues to be reduced, the likelihood that the women were victimized by Lonnie Franklin increases," note authorities.

The LAPD put the images online in December 2010 in the hopes primarily that non-victims could be identified, and additionally so that other victims could be linked to one of L.A.'s most prolific contemporary alleged killers.

Now the police are working in the South Los Angeles community where Franklin resided his whole adult life to see if residents there can identify the "Final Forty-Eight" women. They have published a new flyer with those images. That flyer is available to the public for download via the LAPD's website.

In late October, the LAPD linked six more murders to Franklin, bringing his tally to an accused 16 killings from 1985 until 2007.