1 00:00:06,970 --> 00:00:11,155 NARRATOR: In July 2010, detectives in Los Angeles, 2 00:00:11,230 --> 00:00:13,555 California had finally identified 3 00:00:13,630 --> 00:00:16,915 a sexual predator who had been murdering innocent women 4 00:00:16,990 --> 00:00:19,235 over a 25 year period. 5 00:00:19,310 --> 00:00:21,555 The serial killer had claimed at least 10 6 00:00:21,630 --> 00:00:24,435 victims before discarding their bodies 7 00:00:24,510 --> 00:00:27,035 in alleyways and dumpsters. 8 00:00:27,044 --> 00:00:29,922 To him, they are no more than garbage. 9 00:00:29,997 --> 00:00:31,675 They're utterly disposable. 10 00:00:31,750 --> 00:00:34,435 They're absolutely irrelevant. 11 00:00:34,510 --> 00:00:36,795 NARRATOR: An LAPD detective posing 12 00:00:36,870 --> 00:00:40,835 as a busboy at a pizzeria was about to collect the evidence 13 00:00:40,910 --> 00:00:44,835 that would finally lead to the capture of Lonnie Franklin Jr, 14 00:00:44,910 --> 00:00:48,395 the man the press had titled, "The Grim Sleeper." 15 00:00:48,470 --> 00:00:52,235 Media likes to report they got DNA from the pizza slice. 16 00:00:52,310 --> 00:00:55,595 And yes, they did get DNA from the pizza slice. 17 00:00:55,670 --> 00:00:59,082 But the main part of the DNA was obtained from the napkins 18 00:00:59,157 --> 00:01:01,122 he used to wipe his mouth. 19 00:01:01,197 --> 00:01:04,435 NARRATOR: Franklin murdered seven women in the 1980s. 20 00:01:04,510 --> 00:01:08,635 But when one of his victims survived, he suddenly stopped. 21 00:01:08,710 --> 00:01:13,002 It wasn't until 14 years later in 2002 22 00:01:13,077 --> 00:01:15,835 that Franklin began to kill again. 23 00:01:15,910 --> 00:01:18,195 He's back from the sleeping period 24 00:01:18,270 --> 00:01:21,155 and he's just as ruthless as he was before. 25 00:01:21,230 --> 00:01:22,915 And he's learned during that time, 26 00:01:22,990 --> 00:01:25,435 he's become more sadistic. 27 00:01:25,510 --> 00:01:28,555 We've got a serial murderer in Los Angeles. 28 00:01:28,630 --> 00:01:32,515 He's still active and we need to find him and stop him. 29 00:01:32,590 --> 00:01:35,755 NARRATOR: Lonnie Franklin Jr., the grim sleeper 30 00:01:35,830 --> 00:01:41,635 had awoken as one of the world's most evil killers. 31 00:01:41,710 --> 00:01:50,602 [music playing] 32 00:02:04,510 --> 00:02:07,915 When Lonnie Franklin Jr. was arrested and charged 33 00:02:07,990 --> 00:02:11,675 with the murder of 10 women in July 2010, 34 00:02:11,750 --> 00:02:16,002 it brought his three decade long murderous career to an end. 35 00:02:16,077 --> 00:02:18,515 The media had dubbed the sexual predator, 36 00:02:18,590 --> 00:02:21,755 "The Grim Sleeper" in relation to the 14 37 00:02:21,764 --> 00:02:23,842 years in which he lay dormant. 38 00:02:23,917 --> 00:02:26,755 Had he not begun killing again, Franklin 39 00:02:26,830 --> 00:02:28,475 may never have been caught. 40 00:02:28,550 --> 00:02:31,755 LAPD homicide detective, Cliff Shepard 41 00:02:31,764 --> 00:02:35,315 was part of the investigative team who finally bought 42 00:02:35,390 --> 00:02:38,315 Lonnie Franklin to justice. 43 00:02:38,390 --> 00:02:40,235 CLIFF SHEPARD: In November of 2001, 44 00:02:40,310 --> 00:02:43,115 Los Angeles Police Department started a cold case 45 00:02:43,190 --> 00:02:44,842 unit for unsolved murders. 46 00:02:44,917 --> 00:02:48,955 We had somewhere between 6,000 to 9,000 unsolved murders 47 00:02:49,030 --> 00:02:51,675 between 1960 and the present. 48 00:02:51,750 --> 00:02:54,475 NARRATOR: Using DNA analysis, the task force 49 00:02:54,550 --> 00:02:57,042 managed to link a small number of the murders 50 00:02:57,117 --> 00:02:59,235 to the same unknown perpetrator. 51 00:02:59,310 --> 00:03:04,002 Detective Paul Coulter joined the task force in 2007. 52 00:03:04,077 --> 00:03:06,355 PAUL COULTER: When you work old cases like that 53 00:03:06,430 --> 00:03:11,195 and you pull out one old murder to see what the detectives 54 00:03:11,270 --> 00:03:14,435 did back then is hard enough. 55 00:03:14,510 --> 00:03:19,035 We had 10 cases that we were trying to learn about. 56 00:03:19,110 --> 00:03:20,515 CLIFF SHEPARD: With that many unsolved murders, 57 00:03:20,590 --> 00:03:24,075 he thought we could use the technology from today 58 00:03:24,150 --> 00:03:26,082 and apply it to those unsolved murders, 59 00:03:26,157 --> 00:03:27,835 and solve some of them. 60 00:03:27,910 --> 00:03:29,635 And that's what we did. 61 00:03:29,710 --> 00:03:32,595 NARRATOR: DNA would be the downfall of Franklin who 62 00:03:32,604 --> 00:03:36,035 experts believe is responsible for many more murders 63 00:03:36,110 --> 00:03:37,915 than he was convicted of. 64 00:03:37,990 --> 00:03:41,555 CLIFF SHEPARD: Lonnie Franklin and evil? 65 00:03:41,630 --> 00:03:46,555 Can you go out and murder 15, 20 people and not be? 66 00:03:46,630 --> 00:03:48,755 It's obvious to me that he doesn't 67 00:03:48,830 --> 00:03:49,722 care about anybody else. 68 00:03:55,510 --> 00:03:57,315 NARRATOR: This killer's story begins 69 00:03:57,324 --> 00:03:59,835 in South Central Los Angeles. 70 00:03:59,910 --> 00:04:05,435 Lonnie Franklin Jr., was born on the 30th of August 1952. 71 00:04:05,444 --> 00:04:08,315 As a child, he often suffered with migraines 72 00:04:08,324 --> 00:04:10,522 and struggled academically. 73 00:04:10,597 --> 00:04:12,395 GEOFFREY WANSEL: He wasn't the brightest boy. 74 00:04:12,470 --> 00:04:15,915 For a long time, he could barely read or write. 75 00:04:15,990 --> 00:04:18,315 But he did have certain skills one of which 76 00:04:18,390 --> 00:04:21,835 developed about the age of seven when his doting father 77 00:04:21,910 --> 00:04:23,435 taught him to drive. 78 00:04:23,444 --> 00:04:29,115 It gave Franklin an absolute obsession with cars. 79 00:04:29,190 --> 00:04:31,355 He discovered he was good at fixing cars, 80 00:04:31,364 --> 00:04:32,915 he was good with his hands. 81 00:04:32,990 --> 00:04:38,082 And this was a skill that gave him an occupation, an identity, 82 00:04:38,157 --> 00:04:41,235 but it also brought along a kind of social skill 83 00:04:41,244 --> 00:04:43,635 and a kudos that had value. 84 00:04:43,710 --> 00:04:45,835 NARRATOR: As well as an accomplished mechanic, 85 00:04:45,910 --> 00:04:49,475 young Lonnie found he was popular with the opposite sex. 86 00:04:49,550 --> 00:04:50,715 ELIZABETH YARDLEY: One thing that 87 00:04:50,790 --> 00:04:52,482 came out for me was his charm. 88 00:04:52,557 --> 00:04:55,315 He really knew how to work at that. 89 00:04:55,390 --> 00:04:59,795 He knew how to make women feel special, he flirted with them. 90 00:04:59,870 --> 00:05:01,995 He really endeared himself to them, 91 00:05:02,070 --> 00:05:05,635 and that was a skill that would come in very useful to him. 92 00:05:05,710 --> 00:05:07,595 NARRATOR: But Franklin's charm couldn't 93 00:05:07,670 --> 00:05:09,035 keep him out of trouble. 94 00:05:09,110 --> 00:05:12,595 Aged just 16, he was taken into custody twice 95 00:05:12,670 --> 00:05:15,835 for grand theft auto, and the following year 96 00:05:15,910 --> 00:05:18,235 arrested for burglary. 97 00:05:18,310 --> 00:05:20,802 Now both these events must have greatly distressed 98 00:05:20,877 --> 00:05:22,915 his father, Lonnie senior. 99 00:05:22,990 --> 00:05:25,235 And so in an attempt to get his son back 100 00:05:25,310 --> 00:05:29,795 on the straight and narrow, he suggest he enlist in the army. 101 00:05:29,870 --> 00:05:33,475 NARRATOR: By spring 1974, 21-year-old Franklin 102 00:05:33,550 --> 00:05:35,995 was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany. 103 00:05:36,070 --> 00:05:38,555 The US army recruit worked as a cook 104 00:05:38,564 --> 00:05:41,115 but his appetite for women and crime 105 00:05:41,190 --> 00:05:44,435 would prove to be a recipe for disaster. 106 00:05:44,510 --> 00:05:48,275 GEOFFREY WANSEL: Late at night on April 16th 1974, 107 00:05:48,350 --> 00:05:53,515 he and two army buddies decide to commit rape. 108 00:05:53,590 --> 00:05:57,035 In the first attempt, they try and drag a young woman 109 00:05:57,110 --> 00:05:59,755 into their car but they fail. 110 00:05:59,830 --> 00:06:03,835 But an hour later, they do capture a 17-year-old 111 00:06:03,910 --> 00:06:05,875 and hold her at knife-point. 112 00:06:05,884 --> 00:06:10,835 Not surprisingly given Lonnie Franklin's obsession with cars, 113 00:06:10,910 --> 00:06:13,275 he's the driver. 114 00:06:13,350 --> 00:06:16,115 NARRATOR: The victim builds up a rapport with Franklin 115 00:06:16,190 --> 00:06:20,155 in an attempt to bring her attackers to justice. 116 00:06:20,230 --> 00:06:22,475 In the wake of all that horror, 117 00:06:22,550 --> 00:06:24,435 persuades them to drive her home. 118 00:06:24,510 --> 00:06:27,475 And what's more, she gives Franklin 119 00:06:27,550 --> 00:06:31,875 her telephone number in the hope that he contacts her. 120 00:06:31,950 --> 00:06:34,162 NARRATOR: Incredibly, the very next day 121 00:06:34,237 --> 00:06:35,755 Franklin called the woman. 122 00:06:35,830 --> 00:06:38,795 And when they arranged to meet, it was the police 123 00:06:38,870 --> 00:06:40,595 who were waiting for him. 124 00:06:40,670 --> 00:06:44,522 And indeed he was convicted of the kidnap, the rape, 125 00:06:44,597 --> 00:06:48,035 and the attempted kidnap, and sentenced to three years 126 00:06:48,110 --> 00:06:49,955 and four months in prison. 127 00:06:50,030 --> 00:06:53,435 But he didn't serve all that time in Germany. 128 00:06:53,510 --> 00:06:55,842 He was shipped back to the United States. 129 00:06:59,670 --> 00:07:04,235 NARRATOR: After being discharged from the army in May 1976, 130 00:07:04,244 --> 00:07:07,602 the 23-year-old headed back to Los Angeles. 131 00:07:07,677 --> 00:07:10,555 It was a chance for Franklin to start anew. 132 00:07:10,630 --> 00:07:14,595 And he soon built up the persona of a friendly neighborhood 133 00:07:14,670 --> 00:07:16,435 family man. 134 00:07:16,510 --> 00:07:20,315 So you had if you like, a conventional family, a father, 135 00:07:20,324 --> 00:07:22,235 mother, daughter, son. 136 00:07:22,244 --> 00:07:26,835 In many ways, extremely conventional even ordinary, 137 00:07:26,910 --> 00:07:30,882 except Franklin was most unordinary. 138 00:07:30,957 --> 00:07:32,182 He couldn't settle. 139 00:07:32,257 --> 00:07:35,035 He got all sorts of different jobs 140 00:07:35,110 --> 00:07:38,235 until eventually because of his love of cars, 141 00:07:38,310 --> 00:07:42,395 he became a garage attendant for the LAPD. 142 00:07:42,470 --> 00:07:44,915 NARRATOR: But Franklin didn't last long working 143 00:07:44,990 --> 00:07:46,642 on the right side of the law. 144 00:07:46,717 --> 00:07:52,755 In 1982, age 30, he began a new job, one which would eventually 145 00:07:52,830 --> 00:07:55,035 help in his life of crime. 146 00:07:55,110 --> 00:07:57,075 CLIFF SHEPARD: He left the police department 147 00:07:57,150 --> 00:07:59,395 still working for the city and went 148 00:07:59,404 --> 00:08:01,635 to the sanitation department. 149 00:08:01,710 --> 00:08:03,115 GEOFFREY WANSEL: He was a garbage man. 150 00:08:03,190 --> 00:08:05,835 He collected trash from his local area. 151 00:08:05,910 --> 00:08:07,675 It was pretty rundown. 152 00:08:07,750 --> 00:08:10,635 But it gave him an extraordinary knowledge 153 00:08:10,710 --> 00:08:15,235 of the Los Angeles alleyways and the area he lived. 154 00:08:15,310 --> 00:08:20,035 He was intimately familiar with every inch of it. 155 00:08:20,110 --> 00:08:22,715 NARRATOR: By 1992, the 40-year-old 156 00:08:22,724 --> 00:08:25,875 had stopped work because of an injury to his arm 157 00:08:25,950 --> 00:08:28,595 and was claiming disability benefits. 158 00:08:28,604 --> 00:08:32,635 Living on West 81st Street with his wife and two children, 159 00:08:32,710 --> 00:08:37,235 Lonnie Franklin was leading a seemingly normal existence. 160 00:08:37,244 --> 00:08:40,595 His life appeared far removed from the deadly streets 161 00:08:40,670 --> 00:08:46,635 of 1980s Los Angeles. 162 00:08:46,710 --> 00:08:48,715 PAUL COULTER: The crime rate in the city of LA 163 00:08:48,790 --> 00:08:50,675 at that time was high. 164 00:08:50,750 --> 00:08:55,035 We would run 800 to 1,100 murders in the city of LA 165 00:08:55,110 --> 00:08:56,468 a year. 166 00:08:56,544 --> 00:08:58,242 CLIFF SHEPARD: We didn't have that many detectives. 167 00:08:58,317 --> 00:09:01,835 Citywide we have maybe 135 homicide detectives, 168 00:09:01,910 --> 00:09:04,122 so we're overwhelmed. 169 00:09:04,197 --> 00:09:06,835 NARRATOR: The city was rife with drugs and gangs. 170 00:09:06,910 --> 00:09:10,315 It was a dangerous place to live if you were vulnerable. 171 00:09:10,390 --> 00:09:12,235 CLIFF SHEPARD: The major problem was cocaine. 172 00:09:12,310 --> 00:09:14,435 Rock cocaine was rampant. 173 00:09:14,510 --> 00:09:16,195 Kids learned that they could make money standing 174 00:09:16,270 --> 00:09:19,635 on the streets selling cocaine, and didn't have 175 00:09:19,710 --> 00:09:21,195 to go to school and work hard. 176 00:09:21,270 --> 00:09:23,835 With that, that also brought the violence. 177 00:09:23,910 --> 00:09:25,715 A lot of people became drug addicts. 178 00:09:25,790 --> 00:09:29,235 Many women became drug addicts, and they were susceptible then 179 00:09:29,310 --> 00:09:30,362 to being murdered. 180 00:09:34,550 --> 00:09:38,562 NARRATOR: One of the hundreds of killings recorded in 1985 181 00:09:38,637 --> 00:09:41,402 was that of 29-year-old cocktail waitress, 182 00:09:41,477 --> 00:09:44,635 Debra Jackson who'd been visiting a friend 183 00:09:44,710 --> 00:09:46,835 on an early August evening. 184 00:09:46,910 --> 00:09:48,035 CLIFF SHEPARD: Debra Jackson was last 185 00:09:48,110 --> 00:09:49,995 seen walking away from the house, 186 00:09:50,070 --> 00:09:53,035 entering a bus on Imperial highway 187 00:09:53,110 --> 00:09:55,595 and to unknown location. 188 00:09:55,670 --> 00:09:59,962 Her body is found a few days later around Gage in Vermont 189 00:10:00,037 --> 00:10:03,162 in an alley underneath some debris. 190 00:10:03,237 --> 00:10:05,275 NARRATOR: Evidence collected at the scene 191 00:10:05,284 --> 00:10:08,915 suggested there was a sexual motive in Debra's death. 192 00:10:08,990 --> 00:10:12,755 It was also clear that the 29-year-old had been murdered. 193 00:10:12,830 --> 00:10:18,035 An autopsy confirmed she'd been shot in the chest 3 times. 194 00:10:18,110 --> 00:10:19,835 Looking at the trajectory of the bullets, 195 00:10:19,844 --> 00:10:21,435 they were shot downwards. 196 00:10:21,444 --> 00:10:23,635 So the killer is above the victim. 197 00:10:23,710 --> 00:10:28,962 He sees himself as superior and she is subservience. 198 00:10:29,037 --> 00:10:31,515 There was no ID on the victim either. 199 00:10:31,590 --> 00:10:33,635 So he's depersonalized this victim. 200 00:10:33,710 --> 00:10:39,475 The only identity he wants her to have is as his victim. 201 00:10:39,550 --> 00:10:43,842 So that's quite chilling about this case. 202 00:10:43,917 --> 00:10:46,635 NARRATOR: In January 1987, police 203 00:10:46,710 --> 00:10:50,835 were alerted to the discovery of yet another body on the streets 204 00:10:50,910 --> 00:10:52,282 of South Central LA. 205 00:11:16,164 --> 00:11:20,635 Just like Debra Jackson, 23-year-old Barbara Ware had 206 00:11:20,710 --> 00:11:23,115 been shot through the chest. 207 00:11:23,190 --> 00:11:26,595 By November 1988, detectives had found a total 208 00:11:26,670 --> 00:11:28,915 of seven women who'd been the victim 209 00:11:28,990 --> 00:11:31,275 of a sexually motivated murder. 210 00:11:31,350 --> 00:11:34,595 All of them discarded in a similar way. 211 00:11:34,670 --> 00:11:36,435 CLIFF SHEPARD: When they started coming up with bullets 212 00:11:36,510 --> 00:11:39,402 of the same caliber and type, and typing them, 213 00:11:39,477 --> 00:11:41,762 they started comparing them and finding out 214 00:11:41,837 --> 00:11:43,635 that bullets from this murder also 215 00:11:43,710 --> 00:11:45,915 were fired from the same gun in this murder. 216 00:11:45,990 --> 00:11:48,235 And by the second or third murder, 217 00:11:48,310 --> 00:11:51,122 they were aware that we had somebody out there, 218 00:11:51,197 --> 00:11:54,075 apparently a serial murderer was killing these girls. 219 00:11:54,150 --> 00:11:56,475 NARRATOR: Somewhere on the streets of Los Angeles 220 00:11:56,550 --> 00:11:59,275 was a sexual predator who'd already taken 221 00:11:59,350 --> 00:12:02,555 the lives of seven young women. 222 00:12:02,564 --> 00:12:06,035 On the 19th of November 1988, the killer 223 00:12:06,110 --> 00:12:09,195 went hunting for a potential eighth victim, 224 00:12:09,270 --> 00:12:14,355 a 30-year-old mother of two named Enietra Washington. 225 00:12:14,364 --> 00:12:15,875 CLIFF SHEPARD: From her recollection, 226 00:12:15,950 --> 00:12:19,635 she was near I believe it was Normandie 227 00:12:19,710 --> 00:12:22,035 when a man approached her and drove 228 00:12:22,110 --> 00:12:25,035 up in a Pinto, an orange Pinto. 229 00:12:25,110 --> 00:12:26,362 She remembers the car. 230 00:12:26,437 --> 00:12:28,115 She said it was very nice, very clean, 231 00:12:28,190 --> 00:12:30,875 and the guy started talking to her 232 00:12:30,884 --> 00:12:34,035 and asking her if she needed a ride. 233 00:12:34,110 --> 00:12:36,795 At first she said no, don't bother me, 234 00:12:36,870 --> 00:12:39,042 and the guy continued. 235 00:12:39,117 --> 00:12:42,275 He persisted, finally got her to return 236 00:12:42,350 --> 00:12:46,075 and she was, OK, he seems to be safe enough. 237 00:12:46,150 --> 00:12:47,795 She gets in the vehicle. 238 00:12:47,870 --> 00:12:49,395 PAUL COULTER: And as she's riding, 239 00:12:49,404 --> 00:12:53,675 he pulls down 81st Street and pulls over to the curb, 240 00:12:53,750 --> 00:12:56,675 and tells her, hey, I have to go get you some money. 241 00:12:56,750 --> 00:13:00,035 NARRATOR: The mysterious driver disappeared into a house. 242 00:13:00,110 --> 00:13:02,675 When he returned, the journey continued. 243 00:13:02,750 --> 00:13:06,075 But the stranger wasn't planning on letting Enietra Washington 244 00:13:06,150 --> 00:13:09,635 reach her final destination. 245 00:13:09,644 --> 00:13:13,035 CLIFF SHEPARD: He pulls up his hand and she hears a gunshot, 246 00:13:13,110 --> 00:13:15,755 and then feels pain to her chest. 247 00:13:15,830 --> 00:13:20,802 She never saw the gun, she saw the flash, and she realizes, 248 00:13:20,877 --> 00:13:23,475 he shot me. 249 00:13:23,484 --> 00:13:26,235 She's in and out of consciousness. 250 00:13:26,244 --> 00:13:29,675 She request him to take her to a hospital. 251 00:13:29,750 --> 00:13:31,795 He drives around, he parks. 252 00:13:31,870 --> 00:13:36,642 She believes he had a camera with him like a Polaroid, 253 00:13:36,717 --> 00:13:38,995 and took a picture of her. 254 00:13:39,070 --> 00:13:41,835 And probably sexually assaulted her. 255 00:13:41,910 --> 00:13:43,635 NARRATOR: Unlike his other victims, 256 00:13:43,644 --> 00:13:48,162 the killer didn't take Enietra to a dumpster or a back alley. 257 00:13:48,237 --> 00:13:50,995 He actually shoves her out of the car as if she's now 258 00:13:51,070 --> 00:13:52,202 she's dead. 259 00:13:52,277 --> 00:13:55,035 It's another exercise of garbage disposal, 260 00:13:55,110 --> 00:13:56,635 throw her out of the car. 261 00:13:56,710 --> 00:13:58,955 You just dump her. 262 00:13:58,964 --> 00:14:01,235 NARRATOR: But Enietra wasn't dead. 263 00:14:01,310 --> 00:14:04,002 Clinging to life, she managed to clamber to the home 264 00:14:04,077 --> 00:14:06,402 of a friend who lived nearby. 265 00:14:06,477 --> 00:14:09,835 She was rushed to the Harbor UCLA Medical Center 266 00:14:09,910 --> 00:14:12,075 in Torrance. 267 00:14:12,150 --> 00:14:13,575 PAUL COULTER: Her description of what 268 00:14:13,650 --> 00:14:16,635 happened was like the framework of what happened 269 00:14:16,710 --> 00:14:18,595 to all these other victims. 270 00:14:18,670 --> 00:14:21,395 All of these other victims are all shot 271 00:14:21,404 --> 00:14:23,602 in the left side of the chest. 272 00:14:23,677 --> 00:14:27,035 The trajectories are all left to right, 273 00:14:27,110 --> 00:14:29,155 they're all front to back. 274 00:14:29,230 --> 00:14:33,395 They are all slightly downward just like Enietra 275 00:14:33,470 --> 00:14:36,235 gave you the blueprint of what happened 276 00:14:36,310 --> 00:14:38,275 to these other young ladies. 277 00:14:38,350 --> 00:14:42,395 NARRATOR: Remarkably, surgeons manage to save Enietra's life. 278 00:14:42,470 --> 00:14:45,555 She'd lost 20% of the blood in her body. 279 00:14:45,630 --> 00:14:48,195 The bullet that was removed from Enietra 280 00:14:48,204 --> 00:14:51,075 was the same caliber as the other seven victims 281 00:14:51,150 --> 00:14:52,315 of the killer. 282 00:14:52,390 --> 00:14:53,802 CLIFF SHEPARD: Enietra should have died. 283 00:14:53,877 --> 00:14:55,955 How she survived, I don't know. 284 00:14:56,030 --> 00:14:58,075 God was looking out for her. 285 00:14:58,150 --> 00:15:01,635 She actually gave the police a remarkably accurate 286 00:15:01,710 --> 00:15:03,675 description of the man. 287 00:15:03,750 --> 00:15:08,355 But it was generic, a black man in his 30s, average height. 288 00:15:08,430 --> 00:15:10,915 It could have fitted lots and lots of people 289 00:15:10,990 --> 00:15:14,075 in South Central Los Angeles. 290 00:15:14,150 --> 00:15:16,762 NARRATOR: News of Enietra survival 291 00:15:16,837 --> 00:15:18,842 stop the killer in his tracks. 292 00:15:20,517 --> 00:15:21,955 ELIZABETH YARDLEY: I think it would have 293 00:15:22,030 --> 00:15:24,075 been quite a shock when he realized 294 00:15:24,150 --> 00:15:26,515 that she'd survived the attack. 295 00:15:26,590 --> 00:15:30,602 He has a victim who is alive, who has spent time with him. 296 00:15:30,677 --> 00:15:33,355 She would have notice things about his demeanor, 297 00:15:33,430 --> 00:15:35,315 his personality, his vehicle. 298 00:15:35,390 --> 00:15:37,595 She could potentially identify him. 299 00:15:37,604 --> 00:15:40,275 So this I think has shaken him up quite a lot, 300 00:15:40,350 --> 00:15:45,995 and that is when he decides he's going to lay low for a while. 301 00:15:46,070 --> 00:15:48,195 GEOFFREY WANSEL: He stops killing. 302 00:15:48,204 --> 00:15:50,755 He fades back into the community. 303 00:15:50,830 --> 00:15:54,795 Back to being a good neighbor, back to being a father, 304 00:15:54,870 --> 00:15:56,955 back to being a husband. 305 00:15:56,964 --> 00:15:59,795 He's hiding in plain sight. 306 00:15:59,870 --> 00:16:01,675 He's gone. 307 00:16:01,750 --> 00:16:04,555 NARRATOR: The police hadn't found the perpetrator. 308 00:16:04,630 --> 00:16:06,715 He'd seemingly got away with seven 309 00:16:06,790 --> 00:16:11,122 murders, and the attempted killing of Enietra Washington. 310 00:16:15,750 --> 00:16:20,635 13 years later in late 2001, a 15-year-old girl 311 00:16:20,710 --> 00:16:23,115 named Princess Berthomieux went missing 312 00:16:23,190 --> 00:16:25,475 in South Central Los Angeles. 313 00:16:25,550 --> 00:16:28,555 After a horrific start to life, Princess 314 00:16:28,630 --> 00:16:32,275 had grown up in foster care with Samara Herard. 315 00:16:32,350 --> 00:16:33,762 I am Princess' sister. 316 00:16:33,837 --> 00:16:37,315 I don't like to say foster sister, I like to say sister. 317 00:16:37,390 --> 00:16:39,195 Princess became a part of our family 318 00:16:39,270 --> 00:16:41,435 when she was entered into the foster system. 319 00:16:41,510 --> 00:16:44,835 In fact, she was one of LA's worst cases 320 00:16:44,910 --> 00:16:46,635 of child abuse at that time. 321 00:16:46,710 --> 00:16:50,635 She had been horribly, horribly just brutalized 322 00:16:50,710 --> 00:16:52,315 in the worst ways possible. 323 00:16:52,390 --> 00:16:55,355 She had spent months in the hospital recuperating. 324 00:16:55,430 --> 00:16:58,515 She was about 2 and 1/2 when she came into our home, 325 00:16:58,590 --> 00:17:00,715 and she had just-- 326 00:17:00,724 --> 00:17:05,235 she had to learn how to talk and walk and everything. 327 00:17:05,244 --> 00:17:08,675 She was just so badly neglected, and so badly mistreated. 328 00:17:08,750 --> 00:17:11,315 NARRATOR: After the death of Samara's mother, 329 00:17:11,390 --> 00:17:15,395 10-year-old Princess had to move on from an affluent foster home 330 00:17:15,470 --> 00:17:17,435 in Claremont, California. 331 00:17:17,444 --> 00:17:19,515 She was separated from her sister, 332 00:17:19,590 --> 00:17:22,555 and re homed in South Central LA. 333 00:17:22,630 --> 00:17:24,515 SAMARA HERARD: There was nothing we could do about it. 334 00:17:24,590 --> 00:17:28,155 So we tried to make it a good situation. 335 00:17:28,230 --> 00:17:31,315 We told her we're here for you, and she went to-- 336 00:17:31,390 --> 00:17:33,915 they put her in LA, I guess the only home that was available 337 00:17:33,990 --> 00:17:36,555 or whatever the case was. 338 00:17:36,630 --> 00:17:38,315 NARRATOR: Despite their separation, 339 00:17:38,390 --> 00:17:40,435 the two girls kept in touch. 340 00:17:40,510 --> 00:17:44,315 Princess had a troubled time and tried unsuccessfully 341 00:17:44,390 --> 00:17:46,635 to run away from her new home. 342 00:17:46,710 --> 00:17:50,395 Samara feared for her younger sister's well being. 343 00:17:50,470 --> 00:17:52,115 I told her, I said listen, just 344 00:17:52,124 --> 00:17:53,635 keep your head on straight. 345 00:17:53,710 --> 00:17:55,435 Do what you need to do. 346 00:17:55,510 --> 00:17:56,595 Be focused. 347 00:17:56,670 --> 00:17:58,755 Just be a smart girl. 348 00:17:58,764 --> 00:18:01,042 When you turn 18, you can do whatever you want. 349 00:18:01,117 --> 00:18:03,075 You'll always have a place with me. 350 00:18:03,150 --> 00:18:06,475 Just keep your head on straight, please. 351 00:18:06,550 --> 00:18:08,195 Don't start doing anything crazy. 352 00:18:08,270 --> 00:18:11,075 She's like, OK, OK. 353 00:18:11,150 --> 00:18:13,795 It was probably around late October or November 354 00:18:13,870 --> 00:18:15,062 when I spoke to her last. 355 00:18:15,137 --> 00:18:17,155 She ran away again in December. 356 00:18:17,230 --> 00:18:18,442 And they found her body in March. 357 00:18:21,044 --> 00:18:23,362 NARRATOR: The life of 15-year-old Princess 358 00:18:23,437 --> 00:18:27,275 Berthomieux had been cut tragically short. 359 00:18:27,350 --> 00:18:31,235 Sometimes runaways get lucky and find a life. 360 00:18:31,310 --> 00:18:33,162 But at this point in Los Angeles, 361 00:18:33,237 --> 00:18:37,235 they are more than likely to run into men who do not have 362 00:18:37,310 --> 00:18:39,235 their best interests at heart. 363 00:18:39,310 --> 00:18:41,642 And this is certainly the case with Princess. 364 00:18:44,830 --> 00:18:46,435 SAMARA HERARD: (CRYING) This is a little girl who 365 00:18:46,510 --> 00:18:51,275 used to give my sons piggyback rides 366 00:18:51,350 --> 00:18:53,715 and ride them on the floor. 367 00:18:53,790 --> 00:18:54,995 They'd be like again and again. 368 00:18:55,070 --> 00:18:56,075 OK, OK. 369 00:18:56,150 --> 00:19:00,875 And she was-- she was a good girl. 370 00:19:00,950 --> 00:19:02,242 Oh, I'm so sorry. 371 00:19:02,317 --> 00:19:05,595 And she didn't deserve that. 372 00:19:05,670 --> 00:19:08,035 She didn't deserve it. 373 00:19:08,110 --> 00:19:11,275 She deserved so much more. 374 00:19:11,350 --> 00:19:14,635 NARRATOR: Over a year after the discovery of the 15 year old's 375 00:19:14,710 --> 00:19:20,355 body, DNA found on another murder victim in July 2003 376 00:19:20,430 --> 00:19:23,555 would be linked to the death of Princess. 377 00:19:23,630 --> 00:19:26,115 Valerie McCorvey was found in the roadway 378 00:19:26,190 --> 00:19:28,595 adjacent to an alley near a school. 379 00:19:28,670 --> 00:19:32,275 She was found by a crossing guard early in the morning. 380 00:19:32,350 --> 00:19:34,962 Again, she is found fully clothed 381 00:19:35,037 --> 00:19:37,242 with her breasts exposed. 382 00:19:37,317 --> 00:19:40,395 And her cause of death was ligature strangulation, 383 00:19:40,470 --> 00:19:43,995 and it appeared she was just dumped there in the roadway. 384 00:19:44,004 --> 00:19:46,835 NARRATOR: Unlike their 1980s counterparts, 385 00:19:46,910 --> 00:19:49,235 investigators were able to utilize 386 00:19:49,310 --> 00:19:53,355 modern technology when examining evidence from the past. 387 00:19:53,364 --> 00:19:56,635 And the murder of 35-year-old, Valerie McCorvey 388 00:19:56,710 --> 00:19:59,755 led to a shocking revelation for detectives 389 00:19:59,830 --> 00:20:03,515 on the LAPD's cold case team. 390 00:20:03,524 --> 00:20:05,195 CLIFF SHEPARD: DNA had tied Valerie 391 00:20:05,270 --> 00:20:08,435 McCorvey's murder with the other murders from the mid '80s. 392 00:20:08,444 --> 00:20:11,315 That made us aware that the murderer was still out there, 393 00:20:11,390 --> 00:20:13,675 and we had no clue who he was, or where 394 00:20:13,750 --> 00:20:15,595 to find him or anything else. 395 00:20:15,670 --> 00:20:19,635 NARRATOR: After a 14 year hiatus, the killer was back. 396 00:20:19,644 --> 00:20:23,835 The murders of Valerie McCorvey and Princess Berthomieux 397 00:20:23,910 --> 00:20:26,235 took his tally of victims to nine. 398 00:20:26,310 --> 00:20:28,635 So what happened to Princess was 399 00:20:28,710 --> 00:20:32,035 she had apparently been picked up by him, 400 00:20:32,110 --> 00:20:33,635 I don't like to say his name. 401 00:20:33,710 --> 00:20:38,435 He had had sex with her, and then he had strangled her. 402 00:20:38,510 --> 00:20:41,235 NARRATOR: The killer had a new method of murder. 403 00:20:41,310 --> 00:20:44,475 After shooting all of his victims in the 1980s, 404 00:20:44,550 --> 00:20:48,435 he'd moved on to taking life with his own bare hands. 405 00:20:48,444 --> 00:20:51,915 It changed with Princess Berthomieux where it becomes 406 00:20:51,990 --> 00:20:54,635 more intimate, strangulation. 407 00:20:54,710 --> 00:20:56,835 That's a manual strangulation. 408 00:20:56,910 --> 00:20:58,635 Her body is found nude. 409 00:20:58,710 --> 00:21:00,915 So to us it tells us, OK, this isn't 410 00:21:00,924 --> 00:21:04,595 somebody that was in a car, this is something more intimate. 411 00:21:04,604 --> 00:21:08,075 NARRATOR: When the story broke that the LAPD were hunting 412 00:21:08,150 --> 00:21:11,162 for a sexual predator who'd taken a 14 year 413 00:21:11,237 --> 00:21:15,515 break between murders, he was given the macabre moniker 414 00:21:15,590 --> 00:21:17,555 of the grim sleeper. 415 00:21:17,630 --> 00:21:22,275 By the end of 2006, cold case Detective Cliff Shepard 416 00:21:22,350 --> 00:21:25,122 had been desperately trying to identify the killer 417 00:21:25,197 --> 00:21:26,955 for over three years. 418 00:21:27,030 --> 00:21:29,435 A new year would bring new information 419 00:21:29,510 --> 00:21:32,395 but it all started with yet another murder. 420 00:21:32,470 --> 00:21:38,522 January the 1st of 2007, a woman by the name of Janecia 421 00:21:38,597 --> 00:21:43,002 Peters was found murdered in the alley near the location 422 00:21:43,077 --> 00:21:45,715 where Bernita Sparks was found murdered 423 00:21:45,790 --> 00:21:47,802 almost 20 years earlier. 424 00:21:47,877 --> 00:21:50,195 But we weren't notified until April 425 00:21:50,270 --> 00:21:53,155 that there was a DNA match from her murder 426 00:21:53,230 --> 00:21:55,055 to our other murders. 427 00:21:55,130 --> 00:21:58,635 NARRATOR: Janecia Peters had been shot in the lower back 428 00:21:58,710 --> 00:22:00,555 and placed into a trash bag. 429 00:22:00,630 --> 00:22:05,235 She'd become victim number 10 of the grim sleeper. 430 00:22:05,310 --> 00:22:10,722 22 years after the death of Debra Jackson in August 1985, 431 00:22:10,797 --> 00:22:15,995 the police were still no closer to catching the elusive killer. 432 00:22:16,070 --> 00:22:17,568 ELIZABETH YARDLEY: He's just as ruthless 433 00:22:17,444 --> 00:22:20,875 as he was before but he's older and he's wiser now. 434 00:22:20,950 --> 00:22:22,835 And if we look at the way he's killing, 435 00:22:22,910 --> 00:22:24,835 he's much more sadistic. 436 00:22:24,910 --> 00:22:28,435 CLIFF SHEPARD: We've got a serial murderer in Los Angeles. 437 00:22:28,510 --> 00:22:29,755 He's still active. 438 00:22:29,830 --> 00:22:31,235 We don't have a clue who he is. 439 00:22:31,310 --> 00:22:34,235 We have a vague description, and we 440 00:22:34,244 --> 00:22:36,155 need to find him and stop him. 441 00:22:36,164 --> 00:22:37,955 NARRATOR: Investigators had little 442 00:22:38,030 --> 00:22:40,955 to work with apart from a police sketch given 443 00:22:40,964 --> 00:22:43,995 to them by survivor Enietra Washington 444 00:22:44,004 --> 00:22:46,282 over two decades earlier. 445 00:22:46,357 --> 00:22:50,235 But the recording of a 911 call from 1987 446 00:22:50,310 --> 00:22:54,515 convinced them they already knew what the killer sounded like. 447 00:22:54,590 --> 00:22:58,115 The call was made just after the murder of his third victim, 448 00:22:58,190 --> 00:23:08,162 Barbara Ware in January 1987. 449 00:23:08,164 --> 00:23:15,675 Barbara Ware in January 1987. 450 00:23:15,750 --> 00:23:18,755 CLIFF SHEPARD: We pulled the 911 tape at that time, 451 00:23:18,830 --> 00:23:22,875 and the caller is talking to a 911 dispatcher. 452 00:23:22,950 --> 00:23:27,555 And he says, there was a blue and white van in the alley. 453 00:23:27,630 --> 00:23:33,635 A man pulled a body out of it and put some debris on her. 454 00:23:33,710 --> 00:23:36,555 And he provided the license plate of the van. 455 00:23:36,630 --> 00:23:40,275 When asked for the description of the driver, 456 00:23:40,350 --> 00:23:41,762 he says I didn't see him. 457 00:23:53,470 --> 00:23:56,802 If a person saw what he claims that he saw, 458 00:23:56,877 --> 00:23:58,995 he'd have to be right there. 459 00:23:59,070 --> 00:24:00,075 That didn't make sense. 460 00:24:00,150 --> 00:24:01,835 So is this the murderer? 461 00:24:01,910 --> 00:24:05,635 I mean, all we have is a voice so we didn't have a location 462 00:24:05,710 --> 00:24:07,635 for where the call was placed. 463 00:24:07,710 --> 00:24:10,235 At that time payphones were still around. 464 00:24:10,244 --> 00:24:12,035 I think the closest payphone that we 465 00:24:12,110 --> 00:24:13,642 found was about a block away. 466 00:24:24,524 --> 00:24:25,875 He's like an arsonist. 467 00:24:25,950 --> 00:24:29,235 He kills these ladies or dumps them. 468 00:24:29,310 --> 00:24:32,595 He calls the 911 and then he sits back, 469 00:24:32,670 --> 00:24:37,155 and he just watches the police activity or the response 470 00:24:37,230 --> 00:24:41,002 to the scene and the chaos that he just created. 471 00:24:41,077 --> 00:24:42,682 And he's probably learning police 472 00:24:42,757 --> 00:24:44,635 procedures by doing that. 473 00:24:44,710 --> 00:24:47,275 GEOFFREY WANSEL: It's the act of the man with the most 474 00:24:47,350 --> 00:24:49,602 extraordinary vanity. 475 00:24:49,677 --> 00:24:53,595 You've just taken the life of an entirely innocent young woman 476 00:24:53,670 --> 00:24:56,275 for your own sexual gratification, 477 00:24:56,350 --> 00:25:00,162 and then you have the brass neck to call the police 478 00:25:00,237 --> 00:25:02,162 and tell them where the body is. 479 00:25:07,550 --> 00:25:10,075 NARRATOR: Over 30 years later, the killer 480 00:25:10,084 --> 00:25:11,635 had murdered 10 women. 481 00:25:11,710 --> 00:25:16,475 And despite placing an unprecedented $500,000 reward 482 00:25:16,550 --> 00:25:21,395 on his head, investigators were no closer to apprehending him. 483 00:25:21,470 --> 00:25:25,035 But police scientists had a new ace up their sleeves, 484 00:25:25,110 --> 00:25:28,195 which they hoped would identify the grim sleeper 485 00:25:28,270 --> 00:25:29,922 once and for all. 486 00:25:29,997 --> 00:25:32,795 Familial DNA is a really useful tool that's 487 00:25:32,804 --> 00:25:34,475 developed in recent years. 488 00:25:34,550 --> 00:25:38,562 So the police can run a profile through their databases. 489 00:25:38,637 --> 00:25:42,122 And it doesn't necessarily have to exactly match with somebody 490 00:25:42,197 --> 00:25:44,322 in there, it could be that someone 491 00:25:44,397 --> 00:25:47,122 in that is a family member of the person 492 00:25:47,197 --> 00:25:48,715 that they're trying to get a hold of. 493 00:25:48,790 --> 00:25:51,475 And that connection can be made that way. 494 00:25:51,550 --> 00:25:53,435 NARRATOR: Investigators began to search 495 00:25:53,510 --> 00:25:58,075 the database of convicted felons for a male relative match. 496 00:25:58,150 --> 00:26:01,795 PAUL COULTER: All males have a Y chromosome. 497 00:26:01,870 --> 00:26:07,035 I have the male profile from my father, from my grandfather, 498 00:26:07,110 --> 00:26:08,122 all the way back. 499 00:26:08,197 --> 00:26:11,235 My brothers have the same profile. 500 00:26:11,310 --> 00:26:15,995 So they separate this Y chromosome, the male chromosome 501 00:26:16,004 --> 00:26:20,315 from the suspect DNA profile. 502 00:26:20,390 --> 00:26:24,275 NARRATOR: In July 2010, detectives finally got 503 00:26:24,350 --> 00:26:27,522 a familial DNA match with a man named Christopher 504 00:26:27,597 --> 00:26:31,275 Franklin, who'd been arrested in 2009 505 00:26:31,284 --> 00:26:33,595 on a weapons possession charge. 506 00:26:33,670 --> 00:26:37,435 He pled guilty to a felony, the gun charge, 507 00:26:37,510 --> 00:26:40,315 therefore making him a convicted felon. 508 00:26:40,390 --> 00:26:43,755 And he had to be swabbed, and his sample 509 00:26:43,830 --> 00:26:48,235 got uploaded into the convicted felon database. 510 00:26:48,310 --> 00:26:51,435 NARRATOR: It was a startling breakthrough in the case. 511 00:26:51,510 --> 00:26:55,235 The DNA match proved that a male relative of Christopher's 512 00:26:55,310 --> 00:26:57,995 was the notorious grim sleeper. 513 00:26:58,070 --> 00:27:02,755 Detective soon homed in on his father, Lonnie Franklin Jr. who 514 00:27:02,830 --> 00:27:05,475 lived on West 81st Street, the road 515 00:27:05,550 --> 00:27:07,755 that Enietra Washington had mentioned 516 00:27:07,830 --> 00:27:10,715 in her statement 22 years ago. 517 00:27:10,790 --> 00:27:14,475 CLIFF SHEPARD: When we looked at his father's address, it's him. 518 00:27:14,550 --> 00:27:17,395 His father lived right there on 81st Street. 519 00:27:17,470 --> 00:27:20,595 Enietra Washington told us she was taken to 81st Street, 520 00:27:20,670 --> 00:27:22,995 the guy got out of the car to get something. 521 00:27:23,070 --> 00:27:25,515 He went to his house where most of the victims 522 00:27:25,590 --> 00:27:28,002 are found up and down the Western. 523 00:27:28,077 --> 00:27:30,875 This guy that lives right there, he's probably 524 00:27:30,950 --> 00:27:32,702 going to be our murderer. 525 00:27:32,777 --> 00:27:36,435 GEOFFREY WANSEL: If you put pins in a map, anybody would say, 526 00:27:36,510 --> 00:27:40,555 look at that footprint, he must live there, 527 00:27:40,630 --> 00:27:44,595 and he must know all the alleyways and trash 528 00:27:44,604 --> 00:27:47,115 dumpsters extremely well. 529 00:27:47,124 --> 00:27:51,235 Of course he did, he knew them intimately. 530 00:27:51,310 --> 00:27:54,795 NARRATOR: Former garbage man, Lonnie Franklin had been living 531 00:27:54,804 --> 00:27:57,435 a double life for 25 years. 532 00:27:57,444 --> 00:28:00,395 The 57-year-old was responsible for the murder 533 00:28:00,470 --> 00:28:02,555 of at least 10 young women. 534 00:28:02,564 --> 00:28:05,635 But on the surface he was a friendly neighbor 535 00:28:05,710 --> 00:28:07,275 and a family man. 536 00:28:07,350 --> 00:28:08,802 He was known in the neighborhood 537 00:28:08,877 --> 00:28:10,315 as really being a nice guy. 538 00:28:10,390 --> 00:28:12,955 If you had a problem with your car, bring your car to him 539 00:28:13,030 --> 00:28:14,515 and he'd work on it. 540 00:28:14,590 --> 00:28:18,035 ELIZABETH YARDLEY: Franklin is quite a nice approachable guy 541 00:28:18,110 --> 00:28:19,689 on the outside. 542 00:28:19,764 --> 00:28:21,282 He's somebody that doesn't appear to stand out. 543 00:28:21,357 --> 00:28:23,435 He doesn't draw attention to himself. 544 00:28:23,510 --> 00:28:25,915 And that's very important if you're a serial killer, 545 00:28:25,990 --> 00:28:27,675 you need to be a comedian. 546 00:28:27,750 --> 00:28:29,122 You need to blend in. 547 00:28:29,197 --> 00:28:31,155 NARRATOR: Franklin's former profession 548 00:28:31,164 --> 00:28:34,322 had given him an insight into some of the more 549 00:28:34,397 --> 00:28:37,475 hidden areas of Los Angeles. 550 00:28:37,550 --> 00:28:39,395 ELIZABETH YARDLEY: Working for the sanitation department, 551 00:28:39,470 --> 00:28:42,755 Franklin really did get to know areas of the city 552 00:28:42,830 --> 00:28:44,715 that people didn't know about. 553 00:28:44,790 --> 00:28:48,235 He knew how busy or quiet particular areas are 554 00:28:48,310 --> 00:28:50,515 when the trash was collected. 555 00:28:50,590 --> 00:28:54,275 He got to know the patterns and the rhythms of the city. 556 00:28:54,350 --> 00:28:57,275 And he was able to use this for his advantage, 557 00:28:57,284 --> 00:28:58,835 it would buy him time. 558 00:28:58,910 --> 00:29:02,562 He would also have known where particular refuse trucks would 559 00:29:02,637 --> 00:29:05,915 go in terms of the areas of landfill sites, 560 00:29:05,924 --> 00:29:09,435 how deep some of the waste would be buried. 561 00:29:09,510 --> 00:29:11,915 All of this knowledge is very, very useful 562 00:29:11,990 --> 00:29:13,282 for the disposal of bodies. 563 00:29:18,230 --> 00:29:20,115 NARRATOR: Detectives immediately place 564 00:29:20,190 --> 00:29:22,435 Franklin under surveillance. 565 00:29:22,510 --> 00:29:24,955 CLIFF SHEPARD: He was seen getting into his car 566 00:29:25,030 --> 00:29:27,475 and driving up and down Western one night, 567 00:29:27,550 --> 00:29:30,675 which presented a problem to us because he 568 00:29:30,750 --> 00:29:32,629 was talking to women. 569 00:29:32,204 --> 00:29:35,035 And the surveillance team said, what do you want us to do? 570 00:29:35,110 --> 00:29:37,595 We can't let him take another woman into a car 571 00:29:37,604 --> 00:29:39,042 and drive off with her. 572 00:29:39,117 --> 00:29:42,402 Fortunately, a patrol vehicle drove past 573 00:29:42,477 --> 00:29:44,835 and shined their light on them and told them to move on, 574 00:29:44,844 --> 00:29:46,068 and they did. 575 00:29:46,144 --> 00:29:48,235 So he didn't get a victim that night. 576 00:29:48,310 --> 00:29:50,442 But with that, it put us in a bigger panic 577 00:29:50,517 --> 00:29:54,235 is that we can't have him murder somebody right under our nose. 578 00:29:54,310 --> 00:29:57,835 NARRATOR: Detectives needed to secretly recover a DNA sample 579 00:29:57,910 --> 00:29:59,922 from Franklin so they could prove 580 00:29:59,997 --> 00:30:02,035 he was undoubtedly the killer. 581 00:30:02,110 --> 00:30:05,035 When the 57-year-old went to a pizza restaurant 582 00:30:05,110 --> 00:30:08,242 on the 5th of July 2010, the police 583 00:30:08,317 --> 00:30:10,275 pounced on the opportunity. 584 00:30:10,350 --> 00:30:11,722 CLIFF SHEPARD: One of the surveillance 585 00:30:11,797 --> 00:30:15,355 team members acted as if he was working at that store. 586 00:30:15,364 --> 00:30:18,995 He cleaned up the plate and some of the discarded pizza, 587 00:30:19,070 --> 00:30:20,235 brought it back with him, separated 588 00:30:20,310 --> 00:30:21,835 from all the other items. 589 00:30:21,910 --> 00:30:23,275 Took it to our lab. 590 00:30:23,350 --> 00:30:26,955 We had it analyzed, and it took about three days. 591 00:30:27,030 --> 00:30:28,802 And the media likes to report they 592 00:30:28,877 --> 00:30:31,035 got DNA from the pizza slice. 593 00:30:31,110 --> 00:30:34,515 And yes, they did get DNA from the pizza slice. 594 00:30:34,524 --> 00:30:38,315 But the main part of the DNA was obtained from the napkins 595 00:30:38,390 --> 00:30:40,355 he used to wipe his mouth. 596 00:30:40,364 --> 00:30:42,435 CLIFF SHEPARD: But with that, we had him. 597 00:30:42,510 --> 00:30:45,435 The DNA matched perfectly, and that's what we needed. 598 00:30:45,510 --> 00:30:49,162 Now we know, Lonnie Franklin is our man. 599 00:30:51,790 --> 00:30:55,835 NARRATOR: After decades spent terrorizing South Central LA, 600 00:30:55,910 --> 00:31:00,802 the grim sleeper was about to get an unexpected wake up call. 601 00:31:00,877 --> 00:31:02,282 CLIFF SHEPARD: He had been murdering 602 00:31:02,357 --> 00:31:06,035 women for about 20 years and had gotten away with it. 603 00:31:06,110 --> 00:31:08,235 He's placing the phone calls to the police 604 00:31:08,310 --> 00:31:10,115 and then laughing about it. 605 00:31:10,190 --> 00:31:11,668 I think the whole time he's taunting 606 00:31:11,744 --> 00:31:16,282 us knowing that-- he believes he was smarter than we are. 607 00:31:16,357 --> 00:31:19,875 So he's out just another day in Los Angeles, 608 00:31:19,950 --> 00:31:24,235 and he was watering his lawn when police approached him. 609 00:31:24,310 --> 00:31:27,802 PAUL COULTER: We went over, we introduced ourselves to him. 610 00:31:27,877 --> 00:31:30,555 Said we have a warrant for your arrest. 611 00:31:30,630 --> 00:31:33,282 He was very calm, OK. 612 00:31:33,357 --> 00:31:36,115 So these detectives are going to take you downtown, 613 00:31:36,190 --> 00:31:38,362 we'll meet with you and tell you what's 614 00:31:38,437 --> 00:31:40,635 going on in a little bit. 615 00:31:40,710 --> 00:31:44,202 NARRATOR: Lonnie Franklin Jr., the grim sleeper 616 00:31:44,277 --> 00:31:46,915 was finally in police custody. 617 00:31:46,990 --> 00:31:49,915 A great deal of relief to vindicate 618 00:31:49,990 --> 00:31:51,875 us that we were doing our job. 619 00:31:51,950 --> 00:31:55,315 We were trying very hard but we were not being successful. 620 00:31:55,390 --> 00:31:59,395 Had it not been for the advent of the technology of the DNA, 621 00:31:59,470 --> 00:32:02,635 I don't know if we'd ever have caught this guy. 622 00:32:02,710 --> 00:32:06,202 NARRATOR: DNA linked Franklin to the bodies of the women. 623 00:32:06,277 --> 00:32:08,802 But detectives needed to directly 624 00:32:08,877 --> 00:32:11,635 link him to their deaths. 625 00:32:11,710 --> 00:32:14,755 Investigators knew they had to prove beyond doubt 626 00:32:14,830 --> 00:32:17,835 that Franklin was responsible for the murders 627 00:32:17,910 --> 00:32:19,435 so they could put the grim sleeper 628 00:32:19,510 --> 00:32:22,475 case to bed once and for all. 629 00:32:22,484 --> 00:32:27,235 Now began the hunt for clues at his West 81st Street home. 630 00:32:27,310 --> 00:32:29,075 PAUL COULTER: I don't know if it was one of the biggest 631 00:32:29,150 --> 00:32:31,555 searches in LAPD history. 632 00:32:31,630 --> 00:32:36,235 It certainly was in my career, one of the biggest searches 633 00:32:36,310 --> 00:32:38,315 I had ever been involved in. 634 00:32:38,390 --> 00:32:40,595 It lasted over three days. 635 00:32:40,670 --> 00:32:43,802 ELIZABETH YARDLEY: Franklin's garage had over 800 items 636 00:32:43,877 --> 00:32:45,248 of evidence in it. 637 00:32:45,324 --> 00:32:47,675 The police had to erect a tent on his front lawn 638 00:32:47,750 --> 00:32:49,428 to sort through all of it. 639 00:32:49,504 --> 00:32:54,755 There were cameras, phones, photographs, cash, underwear. 640 00:32:54,764 --> 00:32:58,195 This was a real challenge for the investigation to record 641 00:32:58,270 --> 00:33:00,795 and documents all of this evidence. 642 00:33:00,804 --> 00:33:03,995 NARRATOR: Investigators were searching for a specific piece 643 00:33:04,070 --> 00:33:08,235 of evidence that a woman who survived being shot by Franklin 644 00:33:08,310 --> 00:33:11,195 in 1988 had told them about. 645 00:33:11,204 --> 00:33:13,315 PAUL COULTER: Enietra Washington said 646 00:33:13,390 --> 00:33:16,475 that the suspect or Franklin in this case, 647 00:33:16,550 --> 00:33:21,875 after sexually assaulting her took Polaroid photos of her. 648 00:33:21,950 --> 00:33:23,315 And we thought, who is going to take 649 00:33:23,390 --> 00:33:25,995 a Polaroid photograph of somebody they just 650 00:33:26,070 --> 00:33:28,355 sexually assaulted and shot? 651 00:33:28,430 --> 00:33:30,435 One of the photos that was recovered 652 00:33:30,510 --> 00:33:34,035 was a Polaroid photo of Enietra Washington 653 00:33:34,110 --> 00:33:35,482 after she had been shot. 654 00:33:38,110 --> 00:33:40,275 This was really significant because this 655 00:33:40,350 --> 00:33:43,835 was a piece of evidence that Franklin had been with her. 656 00:33:43,910 --> 00:33:45,995 In a mini fridge in the garage, was 657 00:33:46,070 --> 00:33:49,035 a photograph of Janecia Peters smiling with one 658 00:33:49,110 --> 00:33:50,515 of her breasts exposed. 659 00:33:50,590 --> 00:33:53,795 So this links the suspect to the victim. 660 00:33:53,870 --> 00:33:57,235 And Franklin took these pictures for his own gratification 661 00:33:57,310 --> 00:33:59,355 to relive the things that he'd done. 662 00:33:59,430 --> 00:34:00,835 But they would come back to haunt him, 663 00:34:00,844 --> 00:34:05,235 and they'd be really vital in securing his conviction. 664 00:34:05,310 --> 00:34:07,315 NARRATOR: The search of Franklin's garage 665 00:34:07,324 --> 00:34:11,355 unearthed hundreds of other Polaroid pictures of women. 666 00:34:11,430 --> 00:34:13,595 We don't have a clue where they are. 667 00:34:13,604 --> 00:34:15,835 We've never recovered their bodies, 668 00:34:15,910 --> 00:34:19,075 they've never reappeared and contacted their family. 669 00:34:19,150 --> 00:34:20,802 I'm certain they're murder victims 670 00:34:20,877 --> 00:34:22,402 but what did he do with them? 671 00:34:25,797 --> 00:34:27,522 NARRATOR: As the search continued, 672 00:34:27,597 --> 00:34:30,835 Lonnie Franklin was in police custody. 673 00:34:30,910 --> 00:34:33,235 Detective Paul Coulter was tasked 674 00:34:33,310 --> 00:34:37,035 with interviewing the 57-year-old former garbage man. 675 00:34:37,110 --> 00:34:38,635 When you're doing your interview, 676 00:34:38,710 --> 00:34:42,635 even though you know this guy is a monster, 677 00:34:42,710 --> 00:34:45,035 you still have to do that professional demeanor 678 00:34:45,044 --> 00:34:46,235 with them. 679 00:34:46,244 --> 00:34:48,675 You can't let your emotions take you. 680 00:34:48,750 --> 00:34:52,242 NARRATOR: But Lonnie Franklin refused to admit to anything. 681 00:35:11,804 --> 00:35:13,555 He denied knowing. 682 00:35:13,630 --> 00:35:17,435 As I took each 8 by 10 photograph put in front of him, 683 00:35:17,444 --> 00:35:21,035 he denied knowing any of those victims. 684 00:35:21,110 --> 00:35:25,362 I say, OK, your DNA on this one, it's a coincidence. 685 00:35:25,437 --> 00:35:27,595 This one, mhm, I don't know. 686 00:35:27,670 --> 00:35:31,202 But then as you go on, he just denied knowing all of them. 687 00:35:47,190 --> 00:35:48,675 ELIZABETH YARDLEY: I don't know these women. 688 00:35:48,750 --> 00:35:49,962 I've never seen them before. 689 00:35:50,037 --> 00:35:52,035 It was just a flat right denial. 690 00:35:52,110 --> 00:35:54,402 And this was a very well rehearsed line for him. 691 00:35:54,477 --> 00:35:56,275 This was the type of thing that he'd 692 00:35:56,350 --> 00:35:58,395 used with police in the past. 693 00:35:58,470 --> 00:35:59,862 So this must have been incredibly 694 00:35:59,804 --> 00:36:03,362 frustrating for anybody investigating these crimes. 695 00:36:03,437 --> 00:36:05,915 NARRATOR: Despite his unwillingness to confess, 696 00:36:05,990 --> 00:36:09,275 in July 2010, Lonnie Franklin Jr. 697 00:36:09,350 --> 00:36:11,515 was charged with the murder of 10 women, 698 00:36:11,590 --> 00:36:14,515 and the attempted murder of Enietra Washington. 699 00:36:14,590 --> 00:36:17,635 After numerous lengthy delays, the trial finally 700 00:36:17,710 --> 00:36:21,835 began in February 2016 at the Clara Shortridge 701 00:36:21,910 --> 00:36:23,715 Foltz Criminal Justice Center. 702 00:36:23,790 --> 00:36:27,195 Franklin pleaded not guilty on all counts. 703 00:36:27,270 --> 00:36:30,875 Samara Herard, the sister of 15-year-old victim, Princess 704 00:36:30,950 --> 00:36:33,035 Berthomieux was in attendance. 705 00:36:33,110 --> 00:36:36,075 SAMARA HERARD: I was going to be there for her because somebody 706 00:36:36,150 --> 00:36:37,142 had to be there for her. 707 00:36:37,217 --> 00:36:38,482 No one else was there for her. 708 00:36:38,557 --> 00:36:40,555 But I wanted them to know she had value, 709 00:36:40,630 --> 00:36:44,235 and she was a beautiful spirit and a beautiful child 710 00:36:44,310 --> 00:36:45,642 who did not deserve it. 711 00:36:49,510 --> 00:36:51,308 NARRATOR: The prosecution was armed 712 00:36:51,384 --> 00:36:54,435 with a wealth of evidence, including ballistic data, 713 00:36:54,444 --> 00:36:58,435 and Franklin's DNA recovered from the bodies in the bin bags 714 00:36:58,510 --> 00:37:01,595 that proved beyond doubt that he was the killer. 715 00:37:01,670 --> 00:37:03,955 The strongest evidence in the trial to me 716 00:37:04,030 --> 00:37:07,555 is that Polaroid photo of Enietra Washington 717 00:37:07,630 --> 00:37:10,355 that we found in that garage, there's 718 00:37:10,430 --> 00:37:12,395 no way to explain that away. 719 00:37:12,470 --> 00:37:17,835 The photos of Janecia Peters that we found in that garage 720 00:37:17,910 --> 00:37:20,595 is pretty powerful stuff. 721 00:37:20,670 --> 00:37:23,835 NARRATOR: The prosecution called over 40 witnesses 722 00:37:23,910 --> 00:37:25,755 during the three month trial. 723 00:37:25,830 --> 00:37:30,755 The evidence against the 63-year-old was overwhelming. 724 00:37:30,830 --> 00:37:34,635 In May 2016, the jury found Lonnie 725 00:37:34,710 --> 00:37:36,755 Franklin guilty on all counts. 726 00:37:36,830 --> 00:37:39,835 At the sentencing hearing the following August, 727 00:37:39,910 --> 00:37:41,922 the victim's family members were given 728 00:37:41,997 --> 00:37:44,315 the opportunity to confront Franklin 729 00:37:44,390 --> 00:37:47,035 face to face in the courtroom. 730 00:37:47,110 --> 00:37:49,875 And indeed each and every one of them 731 00:37:49,950 --> 00:37:52,395 tells Franklin what they think of him. 732 00:37:52,470 --> 00:37:58,235 One calls him truly a piece of evil, and that's who he is. 733 00:37:58,310 --> 00:37:59,755 He didn't look remorseful. 734 00:37:59,830 --> 00:38:03,635 He looked like I'm being inconvenienced by all of you. 735 00:38:03,710 --> 00:38:08,195 And I just I was like he is so full of the devil. 736 00:38:08,270 --> 00:38:10,555 He is so messed up right now. 737 00:38:10,630 --> 00:38:13,602 He doesn't even understand the gravity of what he's done. 738 00:38:13,677 --> 00:38:17,715 The people you're scowling at, you've destroyed their lives. 739 00:38:17,724 --> 00:38:22,395 You've hurt them in ways that can't be explained 740 00:38:22,470 --> 00:38:27,395 in the depths of their core, and you're looking at us like, 741 00:38:27,470 --> 00:38:28,928 what? 742 00:38:29,004 --> 00:38:32,035 NARRATOR: In an act of defiance, Enietra Washington 743 00:38:32,110 --> 00:38:33,595 also spoke out. 744 00:38:33,670 --> 00:38:36,635 The woman who'd survive being shot by Lonnie Franklin 745 00:38:36,710 --> 00:38:40,075 Jr. almost 30 years previously, finally 746 00:38:40,150 --> 00:38:42,402 got to face her attacker once more. 747 00:38:42,477 --> 00:38:45,715 But this time, she held all the power. 748 00:38:45,790 --> 00:38:47,475 ELIZABETH YARDLEY: When Enietra intruder Washington 749 00:38:47,550 --> 00:38:48,802 took to the stand, this must have 750 00:38:48,877 --> 00:38:50,502 been really traumatic for her. 751 00:38:50,577 --> 00:38:53,435 This was an event that was likely to have had an impact 752 00:38:53,444 --> 00:38:56,802 on how she went about her daily life, her relationships 753 00:38:56,877 --> 00:38:58,595 with men, what she thought of men. 754 00:38:58,670 --> 00:39:01,595 How much she trusted other people. 755 00:39:01,670 --> 00:39:04,795 So to take the stand and to directly confront Franklin 756 00:39:04,870 --> 00:39:09,595 and to say, I know it's you, you harassed me, you assaulted me, 757 00:39:09,670 --> 00:39:12,475 really was an incredibly brave thing to do. 758 00:39:12,484 --> 00:39:15,195 So this wasn't just about presenting evidence, 759 00:39:15,270 --> 00:39:17,115 this was about actually showing him up 760 00:39:17,190 --> 00:39:20,435 for the misogynist that he was. 761 00:39:20,510 --> 00:39:23,435 NARRATOR: After damning testimonies from all the people 762 00:39:23,510 --> 00:39:26,875 affected by the murders of Lonnie Franklin Jr., 763 00:39:26,950 --> 00:39:31,995 it was time to put the memory of the grim sleeper to rest. 764 00:39:32,070 --> 00:39:36,955 Finally in August 2016, Judge Kathleen Kennedy 765 00:39:37,030 --> 00:39:40,275 pronounces 10 death sentences. 766 00:39:40,350 --> 00:39:44,155 She remarks to Franklin, there can be no justification 767 00:39:44,230 --> 00:39:46,482 for what you've done because what you've done 768 00:39:46,557 --> 00:39:51,202 is not justifiable under the laws of God or the laws of man. 769 00:39:51,277 --> 00:39:53,322 That is an admirable judgment. 770 00:39:55,844 --> 00:39:57,468 Justice is a weird name. 771 00:39:57,544 --> 00:40:01,395 I mean, maybe to some family members, it gives them closure, 772 00:40:01,470 --> 00:40:02,628 I don't know. 773 00:40:02,704 --> 00:40:04,875 It's not going to bring their loved ones back. 774 00:40:04,950 --> 00:40:07,955 So as far as justice to the family 775 00:40:08,030 --> 00:40:09,282 members, that's probably something 776 00:40:09,357 --> 00:40:10,802 you would have to ask them. 777 00:40:13,990 --> 00:40:15,502 SAMARA HERARD: It's still hard. 778 00:40:15,577 --> 00:40:18,795 You know they say closure, yeah, closure in some aspects, 779 00:40:18,870 --> 00:40:23,035 instances of saying, OK, they've apprehended her killer. 780 00:40:23,110 --> 00:40:26,435 He is paying the penalty of his actions, great, 781 00:40:26,510 --> 00:40:29,435 but I'm not going to get her back. 782 00:40:29,510 --> 00:40:33,875 Every August on her birthday, I've got to remember 783 00:40:33,884 --> 00:40:37,355 that she won't be there. 784 00:40:37,430 --> 00:40:41,995 I'll never see her get married, graduate from high school, 785 00:40:42,070 --> 00:40:45,315 college, live her life. 786 00:40:45,390 --> 00:40:47,435 All taken away from her. 787 00:40:47,510 --> 00:40:53,315 And it's just, there's nothing I can do about it. 788 00:40:53,390 --> 00:40:56,675 The only one to blame for her death was him, period. 789 00:40:56,750 --> 00:40:59,835 He's the only one who literally held her life in his hands 790 00:40:59,910 --> 00:41:01,595 and decided to end it. 791 00:41:01,670 --> 00:41:07,075 He's the only one who is to blame in this whole situation. 792 00:41:07,150 --> 00:41:09,155 NARRATOR: Lonnie Franklin Jr. was 793 00:41:09,230 --> 00:41:11,595 on death row in San Quentin Prison 794 00:41:11,670 --> 00:41:13,675 for just 3 and 1/2 years. 795 00:41:13,750 --> 00:41:17,355 The 67-year-old killer was found dead in his cell 796 00:41:17,430 --> 00:41:20,635 on the 28th of March 2020. 797 00:41:20,710 --> 00:41:24,435 He took any further secrets with him to the grave. 798 00:41:24,510 --> 00:41:28,635 For the LAPD to think that, oh, we've identified every case 799 00:41:28,710 --> 00:41:31,635 that Franklin was involved in, would 800 00:41:31,710 --> 00:41:33,555 be pretty arrogant on our part. 801 00:41:33,630 --> 00:41:37,275 There's probably cases we know nothing about. 802 00:41:37,350 --> 00:41:39,522 He worked for the sanitation department. 803 00:41:39,597 --> 00:41:42,155 He knew the routes, he knew where the dumpsters 804 00:41:42,230 --> 00:41:44,075 were that would be picked up. 805 00:41:44,150 --> 00:41:46,475 On a search of his residence, we found 806 00:41:46,550 --> 00:41:51,035 photos, IDs of young ladies that we have no idea. 807 00:41:51,044 --> 00:41:53,675 They are off the face of the Earth, 808 00:41:53,750 --> 00:41:57,995 and their families have not heard from them. 809 00:41:58,070 --> 00:42:01,955 And I'm sure there's other ones. 810 00:42:02,030 --> 00:42:03,275 NARRATOR: Although it's likely he 811 00:42:03,284 --> 00:42:06,202 was responsible for many more deaths, 812 00:42:06,277 --> 00:42:10,035 Franklin was at least brought to justice for 10 murders. 813 00:42:10,110 --> 00:42:14,275 Had the grim sleeper not awoken in 2002, 814 00:42:14,350 --> 00:42:16,235 he may never have been caught. 815 00:42:16,310 --> 00:42:19,275 There has to be a chance that if he hadn't gone back 816 00:42:19,350 --> 00:42:24,435 to killing again after that hiatus of almost 14 years, 817 00:42:24,510 --> 00:42:27,715 he might never have come to justice at all. 818 00:42:27,790 --> 00:42:32,235 He would simply have disappeared off the radar, a serial killer 819 00:42:32,310 --> 00:42:33,362 who got away with it. 820 00:42:37,310 --> 00:42:40,315 NARRATOR: Franklin, was a serial sexual predator 821 00:42:40,390 --> 00:42:43,795 who killed for his own selfish gratification. 822 00:42:43,870 --> 00:42:45,675 He preyed on vulnerable women who 823 00:42:45,750 --> 00:42:48,235 he thought were as disposable as the trash he 824 00:42:48,310 --> 00:42:52,115 threw into dumpsters across South Central LA. 825 00:42:52,190 --> 00:42:54,755 There is some poetic justice in the fact, 826 00:42:54,830 --> 00:42:58,115 it was the DNA recovered from his own trash napkin 827 00:42:58,190 --> 00:43:00,195 that led to the downfall of Lonnie 828 00:43:00,270 --> 00:43:04,835 Franklin Jr., one of the world's most evil killers. 829 00:43:04,910 --> 00:43:07,082 [music playing]