Convicted child-killer Antonio Rodriguez

Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said that the attack on Lonnie Franklin Jr. occurred Friday in an attorney waiting room.

Whitmore says inmate Antonio Rodriguez apparently recognized Franklin, broke free as he was being handcuffed by a deputy and punched Franklin a couple of times in the head. Whitmore says Franklin is OK.

The Los Angeles Times say Rodriguez had been convicted of sexually assaulting and killing a 5-year-old girl.

Franklin was arrested July 7 and charged with murdering 10 women over a 22-year period.
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source: The Associated Press

links:

The Signal Dot Com

Contra Costa Times

LA Times

Lonnie Franklin Jr.

LAWeekly’s Christine Pelisek reveals just how frustratingly close LAPD came to catching Grim Sleeper suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. In this fantasic new GS article. The story features pictures of Franklin as a youth (left) and demonstrates the stark differences between LAPD’s photofit sketch.

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I’m not entirely convinced by one statement from cold case detective Cliff Shepard that  “You couldn’t separate things, and there was no technology at the time.” Granted there was huge difficulty in trying to work out the killing patterns of three/four active serial killers in one small geographical area but there certainly was advanced technology that could/should have been utilised. Of course we do not know the huge amount of work that went on behind the scenes but it is hard to accept that the police got to within 3 doors of the alleged killer and never found anything. Moreover the church van lead was a clue begging to be followed but alas was handled incorrectly.

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The article contains new information that will help us in our assessment of the case as well as aiding our judgment on the type of person Franklin was. One thing that needs to be said; the police then and now have worked extraordinarily hard to solve this case. Despite accusations and reports that the case was mishandling, I suspect that the mistakes made were as infuriating and frustrating for the police to deal with as they were for the public.

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As has already been stated the police at the time were dealing with a particularly frenetic and crime ridden time in LA’s history. Dealing with one psychopathic serial killer is a huge task… Dealing with multiple/overlapping/competing serial killers is pretty unique and nigh-on impossible to comprehend. Ultimately what counts is that the LAPD  finally got a result that ensures  this killer will never again take another innocent life.

Click HERE

If was only after Franklin’s son 31 year old Christopher John Franklin was arrested and ordered to submit a DNA profile that the connection to Franklin was made.

It seems that Franklin’s ability to evade justice is more down to shear dumb luck than cunning. As details continue to emerge it is becoming evident that Franklin made very little effort to cover his tracks.
Questions abound. Was the gas tank used to cover one of his victims during the controversial ‘Blue Van’ sighting a clue to the murderer’s profession (mechanic)? Was the anonymous phone call made on that fateful night a witness or was it Grim himself aiming to throw the police off his scent?

There are dozens of puzzling questions about this case but in the next few months let’s hope some answers are forth coming.

What questions do you have? Post them below and we will create a FAQ section with answers as they arrive.

Mary Lowe

I am the older sister of Mary Lowe. Mary was killed on October 31st 1987 and I can still remember that night. Also, the next day when we learned of her death. I am so happy beyond what I can voice to know the police finally arrested this guy. It has been a long time but I am glad it has come to this point. We miss Mary very much and were deeply hurt for years because of her death. Especially, not having any answers or suspect in her murder. However, Mary nor any of the other victims deserved to die this way. I am sorry for the other families as well but happy and relieved that we all have an answer now.

Angela Lowe-Canter

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. 8th July 2010

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More soon…

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For the record thegrimsleeper.com suggested a wider coverage area because the abduction location of Alicia Alexander was beyond the mile radius Brown suggested.

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We will add more in the coming hours.

Read NEWS FLASH

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Thanks to 4BC for this post

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- The killer had an accent, according to the survivor, right? I wish we knew what kind of accent, but whether it is/was a Caribbean, African, or Latin American, or even a European (British) accent, what it does indicate is that he is almost certainly an immigrant, who thus did not grow up in South Central LA.

- The 1st and 2nd killings were almost exactly a year apart +2 days: August 10th, 1985, and August 12th, 1986. 3rd killing, only male victim ever, happens 2 days later? Execution style back of head, male obviously HAD to be killed, knew something/had seen something/suspected/was an accomplice. Also seems obvious GS knew him.

- Looking at the timeline, this guy is very habitual, in the 80s at least he HAD to kill, he was like clockwork for awhile after the 1986 two kill/two days spree, after Steele he takes almost exactly 6 months off before victim #4. Then almsot exactly 3 months off before #5, then 6 1/2 months off before victim #6, then almost exactly 3 months off before #7, then 9 months before #8, then only a little over 2 months before attempted #9 (survivor). Then 13 and 1/2 years before victim #9 (Princess), and the much more sporadic new millenium murders.

- Another thing that can be drawn from the timeline and habituality, is that, frighteningly, he probably has many other victims that have not been linked to his series. Especially, he probably had several kills during the “Sleep” of the 90s. I strongly believe he in fact fled the country after the survivor, almost certainly to the area of the world he originally came from (Caribbean, Africa), probably to his native country. Victims and series in developing countries would be less thoroughly investigated, less technology, less organized/expert police. So he fled because he was sure they were going to track him down if he stayed (wrong, he probably would have been fine given LAPD NEVER TOLD the media/public there was a very legit serial on the loose, and that he was blach man in his 30s driving a customized orange Ford Pinto!!!!!), and kept a low profile outside the US for over a decade, before returning to South Central, more in control, killing less often.

- I hate to say it, but it’s obvious, he is crafty as hell, how he has not been caught is frankly beyond me. I mean he had a goddamn serial-killer-mobile! That custom Pinto alone should have got him caught a LONG time ago. Someone who knew him would remember him having it, unless he kept it hidden and only brought it out on nights he was going to hunt. I find that somehow unlikely though. It also shows he had some money, even to customize the thing, but especially if he kept it hidden and therefore had to own another vehicle.

- If that Pinto was his regular vehicle, I am frankly baffled by the lack of leads. Again, someone would remember that thing. Is it possible that this case (possibly the most prolific active, uncaught serial killer in the US) recieves so little media attention that the people who know him, and would remember the car, aren’t aware of the case at all and thus have never connected the dots?

- More on the Pinto. That car is long gone, probably painted over by hand by GS and then scrapped. He almost certainly got rid of it very soon after the survivor in 88. The survivor is also almost certainly the reason for his 13 1/2 year break. More on that later.

- Pinto again. Let’s say that he in fact didn’t keep the Pinto hidden or in storage. It’s possible, and would have been somewhat clever, but it seems extravaggant, expensive, cumbersome and highly unnecessary to keep a car. Let’s assume instead that the Pinto was his regular car. People in South Central would remember that car, and they would surely be aware of the case by now and the significance of the car, and someone would have come forward. I would like to propose that he MAY have driven in from outside LA to commit the killings, and that possibly the only reason no one has come forward with memories from the 80s of an Orange Pinto with a white racing stripe, is that they are not aware of the case. I is massively underreported in the media.

- unfortunately for my “drove in from outside LA” theory is that, due to the proximity of the body-dumps to each other, common sense dictates that GS was a resident of the area where he was killing in the 80s, and probably still is. Or at least, WAS living in South Central again from 2002 to 2007 when the final 3 known victims occured. But again, one way or another, that Pinto was not a common sight in South Central, or GS would be identified by now.

- I will post more later.