The Grim Sleeper Investigation

Until his April 2 arrest, John Floyd Thomas Jr was a Los Angeles insurance adjuster. Police now call him the “Southland Strangler” — named for the geographical section of Los Angeles County where they suspect he killed at least 30 women and raped many more. Thomas is also in the frame for a spate of crimes police say were committed by the “Westside Rapist”.

On first glance this suspect doesn’t fit the profile of the Grim Sleeper. Reports suggest he targets much older females who live alone and are white. This is a direct opposite of the Grim Sleeper’s known victims - young and black. However there are some striking similarities that are worth mentioning.

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Many of Thomas’ victims were strangled and beaten and at least one victim was killed in a location other than her home which suggests Thomas’ MO is markedly varied. The LA times is quoted as saying “On the 17 who were killed, he placed pillows or blankets over their faces.” This is also a signature of the Grim Sleeper  who is known to have placed items over the faces of some of his victims.

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Perhaps one of the most startling similarities is the time span and ‘gaps’ that separate Thomas’ crimes.  The first wave of slayings took place in  Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. There followed a decade of  ‘Sleep?’  until 1983 when Thomas was released from prison. He committed rape and murder over the next 6 years until 1989. The Los Angeles Times in its article goes on “…the last in this cycle of killings occurred [until] 1989. [Police] are not sure why the perpetrator stopped. That year, Thomas took a job in the state workers’ compensation agency in Glendale.” Coincidentally 1989 was also the year that the Grim Sleeper ceased killing for another decade! Did the Grim Sleeper get himself a job settling insurance claims?

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Also coincidentally, Thomas’ apartment near South La Brea Ave & Rodio Road is  located only 3 miles west of the Grim Sleeper murder locations (was Pat Brown a few miles off?). To the north is Thomas’ high school (Manual Arts Senior) and between these two points Grim Sleeper’s victim’s 2 and 8 were found.

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His Mugshots are also interesting. He certainly looks younger than his 72 years (bottom right shot). In his earlier mugshots he looks preppy and neat with a passing resemblance to the actor Samuel Jackson.

Los Angeles police Chief Beck said “His victims were selected to make it more difficult to get information from them. He picked on the most vulnerable prey in society.” Authorities are looking into at least 25 other killings they suspect might be linked to Thomas. Could they also be considering Thomas as the Grim Sleeper?

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It is not beyond the realms of credibility to make some solid links between the crimes attributed to Thomas and those of the Grim Sleeper. Of course Thomas’ alleged victims were elderly white women but those are just the ones that police have reported. If what they say is true and Thomas is found to be LA’s biggest Serial killer then within the list of victims may contain the names of Deborah Jackson, Mary Lowe, Thomas Steele, etc. etc…

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Further reading:

LATimes

CNN

Murcury News

LAPD News Release (with location map)

N.B. Regarding the map (see LAPD link above) is it too much to believe that TWO Serial Killers have been operating in the exact same location over a 20 year period, independent of each other? Both now elderly, both prone to cover their victims faces, both black…? Put it another way, what are the odds of finding TWO black serial killers, both over the age of 50, and both using markedly similar MOs living, working and operating within 3 miles of each other - without the other knowing? We ask again what are the odds?