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Photographs of 180 women who may have been murdered by 'Grim Sleeper' released in desperate search for more victims

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 05:59 EST, 17 December 2010

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Detectives today released 180 photographs of mystery women who could have fallen victim to a suspected serial killer tagged the ‘Grim Sleeper’.

The pictures of the women - many of them snapped in sexually explicit poses - were discovered in the Los Angeles home of 57-year-old Lonnie Franklin, who is accused of murdering ten female victims.

Police do not know the identities of the women in the photographs but are bracing themselves for a flood of calls from the public.

Last resort: The LAPD is hoping to determine if there are more victims of the so-called 'Grim Sleeper', releasing 180 photos found in the possession of suspect Lonnie David Franklin Jnr

Grim discovery: Police found the photos and hundreds of hours of filmed footage after arresting Franklin in July. They are appealing to the public to help identify the women

Frightening number: The pictures, many of them showing scantily clad women, stretch back decades. Detective Dennis Kilcoyne said: 'We do not know what we are going to learn'

Detective Dennis Kilcoyne said: ‘Now that we know who he is and what type of activity he is involved in with women, we are very concerned for everyone in these photographs.

‘We don’t know what we are going to learn.'

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck added: 'These people are not suspects. We don't even know if they are victims. We certainly do not believe that we are so lucky or good that we know all of the victims. We need the public's help.'

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Trial: Lonnie Franklin Jr, 57, is charged with the murder of 10 people and one attempted murder over a 22-year-period

He said that some of the pictures - all cropped to just show faces - are decades old and that some of the women will have aged.

Hundreds of hours of home videos were also discovered at Franklin’s South Los Angeles home following his arrest in July.

The pictures show 160 different women, with some shown more than once. Nearly all are black and range from their teens to their 60s. Some are smiling, others appear to be unconscious.

Franklin Jr allegedly committed his crimes over a 22-year period: These pictures show the 11 people he is accused of murdering as well as an unidentified victim who escaped

VICTIMS OF THE 'GRIM SLEEPER'

August 10, 1985: Debra Jackson - A 29-year-old cocktail waitress who went to take a bus home after visiting her friend's house. Her body was found three days later with three gunshot wounds to the chest.

August 12, 1986: Henrietta Wright - The 35-year-old was found dead in an alley near West Vernon Avenue. She was shot twice and wrapped in a blanket and covered in a mattress.

August 14, 1986: Thomas Steele - The only known male victim of the serial killer. The 36-year-old was found with a single gunshot wound to the head in the middle of a street intersection.

January 10, 1987: Barbara Ware - The 23-year-old had been shot once in the chest and her body had been dumped under a pile of rubbish.

April 15, 1987: Bernita Sparks - 26-year-old went out to the shops but never returned. Her body was found in a bin, covered in rubbish. She had been shot, strangled and beaten.

October 31, 1987: Mary Lowe - 26-year-old left home to go to a party, but never returned. Her body was found in an alley of Western Avenue.

January 30, 1988: Lachrica Jefferson - Officers found the 22-year-old's body with a napkin over the face with the word 'AIDS' written on it.

September 11, 1988: Alicia Alexander - Another victim killed while going to the shops. The 18-year-old's body was also found in an alley near Western Avenue.

December 21, 2001: Princess Berthomieux - The end of the 14-year hiatus. DNA on the 14-year-old's body matched those of previous killings.

July 11, 2003: Valerie McCorvey - 35-year-old had been strangled and sexually assaulted.

January 1, 2007: Janecia Peters - 25-year-old was shot in the back and her body was dumped in a rubbish bag.

They were among a stash of more than 1,000 photos of mostly nude or partly-clothed women.

Franklin has pleaded not guilty to the murders of ten women between 1985 and 1988 and from 2002 to 2007.

The 14-year pause in the alleged murders led to the ‘Grim Sleeper’ nickname.

Detectives said they are reopening up to 30 ‘cold cases’ they think could be linked to the retired motor mechanic.

Police have also received 75 calls from relatives and friends of missing women, who were afraid there could be more victims. But after months of trying to identify the women in the photos, detectives took the rare step of releasing them to the public in the hope that they will be recognised by their loved ones.

Officers asked a woman believed to be a survivor of the Grim Sleeper, Enietra Washington, as well as family members of other victims, to view the images before they were released.

They were also shown bracelets, rings, earrings, watches and necklaces - all allegedly discovered in Franklin Jr's home.

Franklin's arrest in July ended a 25-year investigation into the deaths of 11 people.

He was linked to the crime using a new forensic technique known as 'familial' DNA searching, when a sample taken from his son in an unrelated case was found to bear a close resemblance to DNA found on the victims.

Detectives then used a discarded cup with his DNA on it to make the link, according to officials.

The alleged killer was dubbed the 'Grim Sleeper' after a 14-year hiatus between the murders from 1988 and 2002.

The last killing came on January 1, 2007.

A law enforcement official said the gap coincides with a time when Franklin was on disability.

All of the victims were found outdoors, usually in alleyways. They were shot, strangled, or both, usually after some kind of sexual assault.

Ten of the victims were women and several were prostitutes. The only man killed - Thomas Steele - is believed to have been shot in the head in 1987 after discovering the killer's identity.

Ms Washington told police that a man, driving an orange-coloured Pinto, picked her up in November 1988.

She said he shot her in the chest, sexually assaulted her and then photographed her using a Polaroid camera, before pushing her out of the car.