Time Lines

This is a continually updated time line of events concerning The Grim Sleeper investigation.


31 Responses to “Time Lines”

  • 1 The Grim Sleeper Time line | The Grim Sleeper - Investigation Says:
    December 23rd, 2008 at: 12:07 am

    [...] Time Lines [...]

  • 2 Dave Says:
    February 26th, 2009 at: 3:04 am

    I would like to say your probably looking for a older man who was married for a long time (10-12 yrs) which the marriage went downhill to make this man the “Serial Killer” to have a brust outrage of killings… Your looking for a man who keeps to himself very lonely person, takes in prositues because there easy to heel in…

  • 3 david l. nordan Says:
    February 26th, 2009 at: 5:21 pm

    i think you need to check on all people coming into the country on, or
    a couple of weeks prior to last victims death. also a person how could have been in seminary or training for a position in the church.
    also i would check all military databases for d.n.a. matches.
    will try to keep up with this.

  • 4 Angela Says:
    March 3rd, 2009 at: 5:51 am

    What did all of these women and man have in common? Was there a certain area or a specific location? What about vacation homes in the area? Check with the local utility company to see if anyone comes and goes, meaning, turns their service one and off around the times of the murders.

  • 5 Angela Says:
    March 3rd, 2009 at: 6:03 am

    Could he have been in jail for that 13 years? Could he have been on a Mission trip overseas? A highly religious man that probably thinks that he is doing God’s will……. Is he the type to try to preach to the women before he get’s them? Could someone have seen a man preaching so to speak? Did any of the stores nearby have security camera’s that may have caught him in view? Was he hospitalized for 13 years? Check mental institutions. This is just horrifying that he is back.

  • 6 B Says:
    March 3rd, 2009 at: 5:38 pm

    What needs to be known in order to find this man’s identity is:
    Where was he during the 1990s?

    He was on a good murder spree during the mid-to-late 1980s. Then he drops off the map for all of the 90s. Where was he? He could have been in jail. He could have moved to another area and continued to murder. He could have found some other outlet for whatever rage caused him to murder. Perhaps he got married and that “settled him down” but the marriage broke up in the early 2000s.

    Were there murders of a similar MO somewhere else during the 90s? How are we sure that the 21st century murders are attributed to the same killer from the 80s? If it’s through DNA, I don’t see why he hasn’t been identified. If not that, why are they tied to this particluar killer? Only one of the newer victims was shot. That was the preferred method for the killings in the 80s.

    Did he strangle because of the authorities knowing about his gun? Did he get a new gun? That could perhaps explain why he shot Janecia (the lastest on the list).

  • 7 Marie Says:
    March 8th, 2009 at: 1:12 am

    The Police could set up some Undercover Cops posing as Prostitues along the areas this “Grim Sleeper” is known to look for his victims.The Cops can watch their Bait and any weirdo that tries to pick them up, will be taken in for Soliciting the “Prostitute”. Hopefully the Operation would be a success and the Police catch this wacko within a couple of nights of the Sting.

  • 8 Stacey Says:
    March 18th, 2009 at: 3:48 am

    It’s known that the killer has a thing for Black people mostly in Southern LA. However considering there was a gap in the whole process and when coming back the killer switched the MO from gun shot to strangulation could it be speculated that the killer now is in fact another person? What if the gap was a training period for the old Grim to train the new one? I don’t know, just a thought. Either it’s another person or the killer either spent that time in jail/ill or was really close to getting caught and decided to stop for awhile.

  • 9 Marilyn Says:
    April 1st, 2009 at: 7:32 pm

    I believe this man did attend a church in the area of the killings back in the late 1980’s. I believe he then met someone there and probably married or settled down for awhile. He might have even moved out of town with his wife or girlfriend. Might need to go to churches and see if there is any clues there. The marriage or relationship might have ended and now he moved back to the neighborhood. Either with a relative or a very longtime friend. Another possibility is he has children in the area and comes back every few years for a visit. I do believe he has a low profile job. Maybe a mechanic or supply.

  • 10 Wes Says:
    April 1st, 2009 at: 8:45 pm

    I wanted to bring up a point about the blue, and white Van that matches the description of the anonymous caller. How did they not push into looking more into that church? That van WAS used because how did the caller identify the exact same description/license plate matching the van!. Even if it’s not the grim sleeper, a murder took place, and someone need’s to be arrested for the murder of that woman. Church members said the van had only been used for church activity, ok so what time was it used? Where was it taken? Who was driving? Is there a log book of who checked it out? All these questions should of been asked to the church members who attend that church. It needs to be pressed again, maybe a search warrant needs to be issued to get some answers answered. Barbara ware, was murdered clearly, she needs justice done even if the Grim Sleeper did not kill her. Another question I thought 911 could locate where a call was made from! what about the anonymous caller? does records show where his call was made from? Even if he can’t identified, the man clearly saw that van and gave a plate number to the van by that church.

  • 11 Gary Says:
    April 4th, 2009 at: 9:41 pm

    Wes in Comment # 10:

    I just watched an interesting documentary series called “Forensic Science.”

    For a moment, I actually wondered if the killer in the show might be GS but the time frame was wrong. The killer in the show was convicted and imprisoned in 2002.

    The reason I wondered, though, was because the killer in the show was finally captured & convicted because witnesses observed him abduct a woman while driving a vehicle used by a church and it had the word “Hope” on the side.

    It turned out that, yes, the Church did allow him to be hired as a DRIVER (he was not a practicing Christian) despite his criminal history. He had been arrested & tried nearly a dozen times but always managed to escape conviction. He also was a suspect in ten murders.

    I agree with you Wes…. each member of that Church should have been interviewed and their names added to the list of people close to the investigation. As it is, it seems that the police only spoke to a few of the members. Their church van wasn’t monitored very closely, apparently. Or, like OJ Simpson, the members might have felt the police were harassing them & decided not to mention the driver’s name.

  • 12 Gary Says:
    April 4th, 2009 at: 9:44 pm

    Marilyn in Comment # 9: I hadn’t thought of that possibility…. but you are correct.

    The killer may have a relative in the area and originally lived there, moved away, and then returns to visit a son/daughter/brother every few years.

    Again, my feeling is that he has been killing EVERY YEAR at some location unless he was in lock up somewhere. His absence merely meant that he was somewhere else…. killing somewhere else.

  • 13 Gary Says:
    April 4th, 2009 at: 9:47 pm

    Comment # 8 Stacey: I think the police have already confirmed the killer has been ONE suspect due to the DNA as well as the gun used.

    BUT… as to why he decided to kill without the gun & strangle…. perhaps….. as Marilyn said in comment # 9 that the killer is visiting the area now & then these days. The killer may have decided to leave his gun behind for some reason… but then decided to kill….. and didn’t have his gun with him.

  • 14 Jay Says:
    April 4th, 2009 at: 11:16 pm

    Gary in comments #11,12,13: I think you should become the leading detective!!!!!

  • 15 ray Says:
    April 5th, 2009 at: 3:51 pm

    This case was bungled in the 80s by LAPD.
    1. Killer is black from modest means.
    2. Killer of medium to slight build, tending toward the latter, but otherwise physically sound. His victims are all thin and he is repulsed by fat or large framed women.
    3. Close to his momma. Has functional literacy, non obtrusive. As a child killer would NOT have displayed hood qualities. His repressed childhood made him more of a passive, yet keen, observer of hood behavior.
    4. Stays clean- no felonies, minimal use of or abstains from drugs alcohol.
    5. His momma was affiliated with that church. She was well recognized within this church.
    6. Killer strangles due to lack of ammo, or his special has become inoperable.
    7. Pinto registered to a woman in a 4 mile (likely 1.5 mi)radius of that church.
    8. Killer went to a public school south to southwest of that church, and probably graduated high school. Or the school was near the church and his residence was S by SW. Likely to be the former. Graduated ~75-82. He will never ever kill outside of this radius, dont bother linking other outside crimes.
    9. Resumption of killing may be due to death of his mother. He had a relationship that failed, moved back to mother, mother died.
    10. He may,or may not kill again tuff to say. His killing is sexual in its root cause. As such he will become more and more selective as he ages. He must feel he is capable of overpowering his victim, otherwise he wont try. Loud abrasive gangstergirl vernacular will insulate potential victims from this killer. Younger girls, older skinny crackwhores look out tho! Targets must have or have had some semblance of beauty in his estimation. These reasons are why his attempts will be rare. He is watching though.
    11. Tend not to think the 911 caller is the killer. There are a couple of inconsis-cies. He claims to have seen the body drop in an alley? Saw victim was female, and eyed the plate. Yet this is a locale killer is using for a drop. Would have to see location to eliminate caller. Dont think the van is red herring.
    12. A fair amount of evidence from 80s is still witheld or was tanked by the PD. They couldnt botch an investigation this bad could they?
    13. There is no way #5 and #7 could both be incorrect. stationary, documents, funeral records- something from that stinkhole church. Who payed the utilities on that church? Talk to offspring…anything.

  • 16 ray Says:
    April 5th, 2009 at: 5:27 pm

    Killer age 54 +/- 2

  • 17 Gary Says:
    April 5th, 2009 at: 5:58 pm

    Ray in Comment # 16:

    You said, ” This case was bungled in the 80s by LAPD. ”

    Thats an EASY accusation to make, Ray, but not as easy to explain. Tell us why?

    You also said, ” A fair amount of evidence from 80s is still witheld …..”

    That is standard investigative procedure in all law enforcement to keep non-law enforcement types from interfering in the investigation.

  • 18 ray Says:
    April 5th, 2009 at: 8:28 pm

    This guy aint that good. He was lucky and the early investigation was a slop job.

    #1. Killer likely knew his 1st victim. She was not dressed as a “lady of the night”. She was not in cocktail waitress attire so he did not pick her up at her work. Based on how he disposed of the body he probably shot her in his own residence. Knowing her lifestyle he imagined he he was going to be her benefactor/rescuer. She was not dressed for a romantic occasion and may have been with him to get high etc-nothing more. This woman being who she was had probably heard a million different come ons. She spurned him, he got violent punching her in the face 2x and then he finished her with the cheap piece. He may have planned the get-together but did not intend to kill her. Killer wrapped her in plastic and then dumped her. No sex. He gets more careless w/ later dumpings. Killer will be her exact age +/- 2 years. Where did she go to school?
    #2 I get the sense that the police have little follow up leads when it comes to the church congregation. Parishoner records etc. The engine block to the van was warm. Where come from? Alibi? Witnesses? Now that more careful, or caring, investigators are looking at the case, they are finding these church related records difficult to obtain. He who had access to the van would be a possible suspect-for lack of any better lead. Proper interogation could have substantiated or refuted the van as the dump vehicle. What was the eventual fate of this van? Were hair samples matching the corpse ever found in van? There is no way a corpse is dragged outta that van w/o leaving hair follicles behind. YES or NO was her hair found in the vehicle?
    #3 What gives with the crumpled note? Was this just dumped in a police file by an investigator? Was it written by a cop, or left in the van? It was written by a lefty. Killer may also be left handed based on entrance wound on the only male victim. Poorly documented piece of evidence.
    #4 If killer tries again he is going to get caught.

  • 19 Larry Says:
    April 6th, 2009 at: 11:37 am

    Could it be that Steele was Wrights’ pimp.
    He saw her get in a vehicle with the killer.
    The killer didn’t know killed her.
    Steele confronts him at that Church.
    The killers denies it and tells him lets go talk about it somewhere else.
    They go for a walk and pulls out his gun and pops him in the back of the head when no traffic is around.

    He leaves that church and settles back later around Manchester and Western church.
    Leaves the area after the survivor. Waited for the Statue of Limitations to run out on the survivor case then came back or some other reason. Got back in the same Church and started again.

    After reading more and more. I think he is using the Church to be ambiguous in the area.

  • 20 gary Says:
    April 7th, 2009 at: 2:33 am

    Ray in Comment # 19: You repeated yourself AGAIN without explaining your accusation. You said, “He was lucky and the early investigation was a slop job”.

    Explain your accusation that the investigation was a “slop job.” That is the second time you’ve said that without providing supporting FACT.

  • 21 gary Says:
    April 7th, 2009 at: 2:37 am

    Larry in comment # 19: Apparently Steele did have an arrest record and for PIMPING. That said, it would be possible that Steele had just tried to take charge of some potential female victim that night, with her consent likely, and when the GS attempted to pick her up, Steele was killed.

    If we had Steele’s arrest record and timeline, that would probably point to more. We can only guess here now. As was posted here elsewhere, Steele was supposedly in L.A. to “visit” his sister. But where did the sister live and how close was it to the killers turf? Steele might have been far away from his “visit” with his sister.

  • 22 Elly Says:
    April 7th, 2009 at: 3:55 am

    Gary, you seem to know a lot. Is there anything you wish to confess to all of us on here? Perhaps if you know where the GS is? or who it is?

  • 23 Jay Says:
    April 7th, 2009 at: 4:56 am

    Last known killing is New Years day eve/day. I have previously said G.S. likes to party and find a ‘date’. He gets drunk/high and when feeling ‘dogged’ by these women becomes violent.

  • 24 Michelle Says:
    April 7th, 2009 at: 6:51 am

    Reference to Gary’s comment: Steele was killed 2 days after the female was murdered so Steele was not killed while GS was picking up the female but killed only days after. GS killed Steele because Steele either witnessed GS picking up the female, stashing the female or Steele was the female’s new pimp. Steele might have been in town expanding his territory a territory that GS only wants for himself. I don’t think they were working the together-GS and Steele. What ever it is I pray the next female he TRIES to kill will give him a kick in the buttocks and KUNG FU him from LA to NYC!

  • 25 Teal McMillan Says:
    April 9th, 2009 at: 2:28 pm

    Could the Grim Sleeper be reading these posts? Maybe he is one of the commenters. It wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility. Makes one think.

  • 26 pdr Says:
    April 27th, 2009 at: 4:17 am

    is it just me or are others having a conniption trying to use this timerime? it’s ’sticky’ and impossible to use. i would rather see the details listed out in an easier to read fashion.

  • 27 pdr Says:
    April 27th, 2009 at: 4:41 am

    #19 Larry: That is what I think happened to Thomas Steele. He may even have been there and given Henrietta the nod to go with GS in the rust/red/orange Ford Pinto. After GS kills her, he realizes he has a problem on his hands. A witness in the form of Mr. Steele. I don’t know how he met up with him later, but if Steele knew enough about GS to be able to look him up and ask questions, that may well be (and probably is) why his life came to an end at 71st and Halldale. After killing Steele, GS strikes again five months later and kills Barbara Ware. At that time, he is using a church (located at 6075 Normandie) van, not the Ford Pinto.

  • 28 pdr Says:
    April 27th, 2009 at: 4:48 am

    #19 Larry - What church at Western and Manchester are you talking about? I only see gas stations and other smaller storefronts. No sign of a church anywhere.

  • 29 Kate Says:
    September 19th, 2009 at: 4:45 pm

    Woman Beaten, Sexually Assaulted In Hawthorne
    Suspect Arrested After Neighbors Hear Screaming, Call Police
    HAWTHORNE, Calif. (CBS) ?

    [Click to zoom.] Click to enlarge
    1 of 1
    Gary Labon, 46, of Hawthorne, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and sexual assault. Police believe the suspect may have committed similar crimes in the Hawthorne area. (File)

    CBS

    #1- This Suspect father is an actor.
    #2-This suspect was in jail in pennsyvania for sexual assault.
    ##3-age is about right
    #4-My Thoughts suspect could be The Grim Sleeper

    Close

    numSlides of totalImages
    Police say a woman remains hospitalized in extremely critical condition after she was beaten into unconsciousness and sexually assaulted on a Hawthorne street.

    Neighbors heard the victim screaming at about 3 a.m. Friday and called authorities, who arrested 46-year-old Gary Labon, Hawthorne police Lt. Michael Ishii said.

    Labon was booked for attempted murder and sexual assault. He is being held on $1 million bail.

    The woman, described as being in her 50s, was hospitalized in extremely critical condition and has not been identified.

    She may have been collecting recyclable cans at the time of the assault, which occurred about 3 a.m. in the 12900 block of Jefferson Avenue, Ishii said.

    “Officers received a call from an alert neighbor who heard a female screaming outside,” Ishii said in a statement. “When the officers arrived, they noticed a female lying on the sidewalk with the suspect on top of her.”

    “The suspect attempted to run away, but was immediately apprehended by the pursuing officers,” Ishii said. “The officers had to use a Taser to overcome the suspect, (who was) actively resisting arrest.”

    The woman was unconscious and had been beaten so severely that officers could barely recognize her face, Ishii said.

    Police withheld the suspect’s booking photo from release “due to the ongoing investigation and the possibility he may be responsible for similar crimes.”

    #1-Suspect is about the right age
    #2 Suspect was in prison in Pennsyvania for sexual Assault
    #3I think Suspect should be a suspect in TGS case
    #4

  • 30 P.I. Kay Says:
    February 26th, 2010 at: 11:01 pm

    February 26th, 2010 and the Grim Sleeper still hasn’t been caught. I think that the LAPD should start briefing the public. Obviously keeping the public in the dark for the past 20+ years hasn’t done anything for their case. So they might as well seek out the publics help. Maybe if they did that in the 1980s when the GS was most active the case could’ve have been solved by now. Why is it that the sketch composite wasn’t released then? I’m sure he could’ve have been identified by someone. Why didn’t they further investigate the church congregation? That 911 call was placed around midnight and the caller stated that the dumping of the body happened 30 minutes prior to his call. So, who was driving the van? Had to be someone the congregation was familiar with. I think that because of that the GS slipped through their fingers. If they would have kept the church and it’s members at arms length they could’ve showed them the composite and someone would have recognized him. They had to know him, no one just takes a church van. Here we are 20 some odd years later and the church is no longer there, members can’t be found and we have a 20 year-old sketch composite that no one recognizes.

    At this point the GS could be anybody. The BTK Strangler was a boy scout leader, a deacon and a married man with children. The GS doesn’t necessarily have to be someone who keeps to himself. He could’ve been the deacon at the Cosmopolitan Church (the church the van belonged to), he could’ve been the drummer, choir director, who knows. His mom could’ve been an a very involved member who brought him. I really hope this guy is caught in my lifetime. It seems as if he’s going to have to strike again and mess up or either confess on his death bed in order to get caught. I’ve lived in that area and driven down those streets and walked past those alleys. It’s very scary to know that I have lived amongst a serial killer and could’ve have come across him at anytime.

    I agree with other posts that say after he let the surviving victim go he decided to calm down for awhile. I highly doubt that he got rid of his gun or ever will because that’s like asking to get caught. He killed his latest victim with that same gun in 2007. I haven’t read any recent updates about him so I suspect the trail is cold again. I just wish the case would have been handled better in the 1st place.

  • 31 WTF Says:
    February 27th, 2010 at: 12:57 am

    Could the site administrator clear something up? Some users have commented that the GS “let the surviving victim go”. As far as I understand he did NOT just “let her go” but pushed her out of the car after he raped her and shot her. He clearly assumed she was dead. As described in the March 2009 :.A. Weekly article on the survivor Enietra it was a miracle that she survived: she got up, went to a friend’s house and was taken to the hospital where the doctors removed the bullet from her chest. Superwoman!?

    If there was no news story and no police sketch published at the time (late 1988) the GS most likely never knew that she survived. He didn’t take a break after 1988 because he got worried about being caught because the drawing was (as far as I understand) not published.

    Or do I have it all wrong??? Guess I have to go back and read the stories again - so many facts to keep track o!

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