The 'Grim Sleeper' Exposed! 10 Horrifying Facts About L.A.'s Most Gruesome Killer

For almost 30 years, Lonnie Franklin Jr. unleashed terror over the city of Los Angeles. Known as the "Grim Sleeper," Franklin became one of the most infamous serial killers in the country, preying on young black women, some of whom were prostitutes or drug addicts, from 1985 to 2007. Though the former army private and sanitation worker was convicted in early May of murdering nine women and a 15-year-old girl, the memory of his horrific crimes still lingers!

Debra Jackson was the first known victim of the Grim Sleeper. She was a 29-year-old cocktail waitress who was shot three times in the chest. Jackson's fully clothed body was then dumped in an alley, authorities said. Franklin was convicted of her murder.

On April 17, 1974, a 17-year-old German girl identified only as Ingrid W. was offered a ride home by three U.S. army soldiers, one of whom was a 21-year-old Franklin. Franklin was stationed in the city of Stuttgart at the time. Ingrid W. was taken to a remote location where the three men held her at knifepoint and raped her. After she was dropped off, Ingrid managed to get Franklin's phone number, asking to see him again. He was later arrested and served less than one year in prison before being discharged in 1975.

After Franklin's 2010 arrest, investigators discovered more than 1,000 photos and hundreds of hours of video stored in the killer's house. The graphic evidence showed nude women in sexually explicit poses, with some appearing unconscious. 

Ayellah Marshall was 18 years old when she went missing in 2006. Though her body was never found, investigators discovered Marshall's High School ID card, a photograph of Marshall, and her driver's license inside a garage refrigerator at Franklin's home. The prosecutors called it Franklin's "trophy case." He was convicted of her murder.

Franklin, 63, earned the nickname the "Grim Sleeper" because police believed the killer had been inactive between 1988 and 2002. Investigators also allege that Franklin rarely slept.

Janecia Peters was found dead in 2007. The 25-year-old's naked body had been shot and covered with a garbage bag. She lay in the fetal position when she was found. Franklin was convicted of her murder.

The only alleged male victim of Franklin's was Thomas Steele, a 36-year-old who was found dead in an intersection of a gunshot wound in 1986. Prosecutors have not charged Franklin with Steele's death, but authorities believe there is a connection to Franklin. There are rumors that Steele was "a friend of another victim or discovered the killer's identity." 

Barbara Ware was 23 years old when she was found dead in 1987. Ware's body was spotted as it was being dumped from a van. The witness called 911 to report what he saw. The transcript said someone "threw her out ... the only thing that's hanging out of 'dis ... like he threw a gas tank on top of her and, uh ... and, uh only thing you can see out is her feet." Franklin was convicted of her murder.

Franklin was caught in July 2010, when an undercover police officer posing as a busboy at a restaurant waited for the killer to leave behind traces of food particles for DNA testing. The officer took used utensils and food and matched the saliva on the food items to semen and saliva found on 10 murder victims. Jurors have voted for the serial killer to get the death penalty.