One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership 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.
LAPD Zero In on Final 48 Potential Victims in Grim Sleeper Case
The "Final Forty-Eight" women photographed by Franklin (Via LAPD)
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.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
