Tales of the Grim Sleeper (2014) Movie Script

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Lonnie Franklin lived on 81st Street in Western Avenue

in South Central, Los Angeles,

the poor part of town

with the worst schools,

the worst hospitals,

and no jobs.

Everyone knew Lonnie.

He was a good neighbor.

Someone to turn to for help,

whether it was to buy

a washing machine or TV,

borrow some money,

or buy you a meal.

Lonnie lived in this street,

fixed people'’s cars

in front of his house,

and always had time

for a chat.

Lonnie was so much

a part of the community

that when the Google car

went past.

Lonnie was found chatting to a neighbor as he always did by the front gate.

[CHOPPER WHIRRING]

Then on the July 7th, 2010,

police raided Lonnie'’s house

and arrested him.

Lonnie Franklin is charged

with ten counts of murder,

and one case

of attempted murder.

His murders stretch from 1985 until his arrest in 2010.

He'’s also a suspect in

multiple other murders.

It is thought

Lonnie might have killed

more than 100 women

over a 25-year period.

I wondered

how this was possible.

[CHILDREN LAUGHING]

Hi.Hi.

So, you saw him in the night

before he was arrested?

Yeah, I'’ve seen him

the night before.

We was talking,

and he asked me

what was I doin'’,

and I told him

I was gonna go clubbing.

Well, I got in about 3:00,

woke up about 7:00,

and the whole street

was blocked off.

[SIRENS WAILING]

Couldn'’t go nowhere,

couldn'’t do nothing.

Just...

Street just closed off.

I mean, he was a nice guy.

Just never thought

I'’d put anything

past him like that.

Don'’t make no sense.

[CHILDREN CHATTERING]

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

This neighborhood

of suburban houses

with lawns

and gardens is deceptive.

Look closer, and there are

bars on the windows.

And the highest

homicide rate in the city.

Most visitors coming to LA

will fly directly over

Lonnie Franklin'’s house,

which is just below

the main LAX flight path.

Lonnie Franklin

grew up in this house.

His parents lived here

before him,

and his son Christopher

lives here now.

Everyone on the street

knew Lonnie.

These women

knew him for years.

So you were dating Lonnie?

Yeah. I dated him

a couple of times,

more than once.

Oh, yeah?Yeah.

What was he like

to date?

It was like...

Well, more so,

when I dated him,

he was quiet, low-key,

kinda acted funny though

at certain times.

Like what?

How did he act funny?

J... Jibbity. I mean...Jibbity?

Looking around, acting like

somebody looking for you.

What you done there?

Uh-huh.You know.

Hey, come on, now.

That made me nervous.

I can'’t do that one.

BROOMFIELD: Hi.

I'’m Donna.Hi, Donna.

Do I need to

state my whole name?

I had just came

from a party

and, uh, he pulled me

over to the side...MAN: Peckerwood!

And he was talking to me

and then, uh...MAN: Goddamn peckerwood!

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Someone called me "Peckerwood" from across the street.

I thought "peckerwood"

was an endearing term,

but later learned

it'’s a white supremacist

prison gang.

Get your ass out of

the goddamn country!

Peckerwood.

You goddamn peckerwood!

Get your ass out of here!

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] The men in the street didn'’t like me talking to the women.

It was three of Lonnie'’s

best friends shouting.

Steve, Gary, and Richard,

who wanted to stick up

for their buddy,

who they think is innocent.

Media'’s exact words

when he was first arrested

for this crime

was, "They found

the Grim Sleeper."

MAN: Mm-hmm.

He'’s been accused of it.That'’s what

they want to believe.

"We have found

the Grim Sleeper."

That'’s... Even if

he has a jury trial,

everybody is saying,

"That'’s him."

"He did it."MAN: But it

might not be him.

BROOMFIELD: So did you

three all use to hang out

together with Lonnie?

Occasionally. At least

once a week, we'’d be

standing here all together.

Because we'’re neighbors.All together.

We'’d be one group.

All together.

At least once a week.

I ran with Lonnie.

We'’d cop in a car

and we'’d go and do our thing.

I ran with him too.Myself too.

I ran with him too.

Lonnie, he'’s a good guy.

What do you want to know?

And this is a close-knit block.This is a close block.

Very lose-knit.

Very close.

Everybody in this block

has been here for...Generations.

Forty, 35 years up here.Generations. Yeah.

Everybody just here now.

Me, 46 years.

Go ahead, man.

If you come

in this neighborhood,

just like this, you know,

Lonnie would be with us.

If you come

in this neighborhood,

and then if a person

wanted to try to

start a dope house

or something like that,

it'’s not happening.

He was shutted down.And he was right here with us.

BROOMFIELD:

So you didn'’t

suspect anything.

Never...

Do you know what?

When they picked him up

down the street right there,

do you know what

I thought it was?

For stealing cars.Bingo.

That'’s what everybody

thought it was.

Because that was

what he was known for.

Stealing cars.

That'’s what got him

in the back,

not because he was

such a convict.

He was such a good car thief,

that'’s why the hell

he'’s got all this stuff

upon him now.

My opinion of that is,

I'’ve been knowing Lonnie

and his business a long time,

I'’ve never, never

seen him steal a car.

He didn'’t steal cars.

Let me correct it there.

He did not steal cars.

He dealt in stolen cars,

but he did not steal cars.

I'’ve never seen him

steal one neither.

Okay, let me rephrase myself.

He dealt with a shitload

of goddamn cars.

[LAUGHS]

He dealt with a shitload

of goddamn cars.

It'’s hard for me to believe

because Lonnie,

the way that he would

raise his kids,

his grandkids.

Man, he had his son,

his son learned to drive

at the age of nine years old.

You know what I mean?

Taught him how to drive well,

how to do mechanics,

how to ride a motorcycle,

with his grandkids.

And for a man to have

a value of life like that,

how can you just take lives

and Lonnie had a conscience.

And carry on

a normal life

like he did?

A person that does

a thing like that...Normal life...

It'’s hard to believe it.

I'’ll go to my grave

believing that he didn'’t.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Lonnie appeared quite relaxed,

carrying

a Nora Roberts romance.

JUDGE: All right. This is

the matter of the people

versus Lonnie Franklin.

Gentlemen, take

your places, please,

from yesterday.

Pass it to the court.

MAN: Yes, Your Honor. We'’re

still engaging preparations...

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

The case is still

in pre-trial phase.

Lonnie is pleading not guilty to ten counts of murder,

and one count of

attempted murder.

Ten other murder cases

are pending.

Photos of 180 missing women

found at Lonnie'’s house

have also been circulated.

BROOMFIELD: And do you think

there is a good chance of

his innocence being proved?

Again, as far as to examine

all of the evidence

to determine if he'’s

culpable of a crime or not.

Obviously, we are going to

put on any reasonable

defense we have

to show that he'’s not

responsible for these actions.

And are you making

progress in that?

We'’re looking at everything.

BROOMFIELD:

Can I see her picture?

This is Janecia.

This is my baby girl.

Right here.

The love of my life.

I don'’t think the pain

of losing a child

ever really goes away.

It'’s like, it's just there.

No matter what you do,

how well you'’re doing,

it'’s just there,

sitting right there,

like, Janecia'’s not here.

So... And she has a son,

and I'’ve got to deal

with the son'’s pain.

And I have to tell him

sometimes like, I miss her

every single day too.

We both miss her,

but we have to learn...

We have to learn to...

go on. And that'’s

what we learned.

That you have to put

one foot in front of

the other and get up

and keep going.

That'’s the only way

we'’re gonna survive it.

That'’s right.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

This is Margaret Prescod,

founder of Black Coalition

Fighting Back Serial Murders

who are critical of the police handling of the case.

Margaret Prescod

first started leafleting

the neighborhood in 1985,

25 years before

Lonnie was arrested.

He'’s been killing women all

for now the past three years.

I mean, just

on the Memorial Day,

they found her daughter

in the Sixty-Eighth Street

Elementary School,

she was the 17th victim.

REPORTER: All of

the women were found

strangled or stabbed,

their bodies dumped.

In January,

a task force was formed

to track down their slayer.

A month later, this group,

the Black Coalition

Fighting Back Serial Murders

was organized.

Before the arrest was made

of Lonnie Franklin,

we were actually out

in his neighborhood. We were

leafleting around there.

And the interesting thing

about it is that

it was shocking

how many people who lived

in the neighborhood knew nothing

about any serial murderer.

They just didn'’t know.

How is this possible?

There is very few communities

outside of a black

or brown community

in the city of Los Angeles

that that could have happened.

Where you have that

number of women.

If you have

these people killed,

and people who live

practically around the corner

don'’t know anything

about it,

that'’s unconscionable.

I'’m telling you, back in

the 1980s, we had a count

of 90 women.

Only 18 of them were

on the books. What happened

to the rest of '’em?

Are some of them

in these photos?

Or if they are not

in these photos,

where are they?

I think many more women

were killed, and the police

admitted at the time,

or the police

are admitting today.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] The police have no idea how many women were murdered.

It could be hundreds.

Lonnie worked here

for many years

driving a garbage truck.

Police say many victims

could be buried in landfill.

Did you ever know this guy

called the "Grim Sleeper"?

I didn'’t know him.

You didn'’t know him?

You guys are too late.

The guys that knew him

have probably gone home.

BROOMFIELD: We'’re doing

this film about

this so-called "Grim Sleeper."

Okay.Lonnie Franklin.

Did you ever know him?

No, but I heard that

he used to work here.

He used to work here.That'’s what I heard.

Yeah. Said he

used to work here,

and I don'’t know

where he went after that,

but he was like a loader

before they used to have

the rear loaders.

Right. And he was a loader and...

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Lonnie Franklin, if indeed

he is the Grim Sleeper,

was called that by journalists

because it was originally

thought there was a 14-year

hiatus in the killings.

Now it'’s thought

he most likely

carried on killing,

but the bodies

had never been found.

PRESCOD: This was

also the period that

crack cocaine was running,

you know, in South LA.

Every time people talk to me

about South LA,

and they talk to me

about the murders,

I'’m always very,

very concerned that

the context has to be

a community that has survived,

has survived against all odds.

[CROWD CHEERING]

People who moved... Black people who moved from the south coming to California,

a lot of them, you know,

wound up in South LA.

And that was the time that

there was some industry,

auto and other industry,

so people were actually

able to earn a living.

I mean, they had

some kind of income.

That industry, you know,

dried up at the same time

the factories and the jobs

fled from South LA.

So you had a whole

population of people

newly... I mean, it was never

an affluent community,

but, where are you

gonna get an income from?

At the same time,

there was an epidemic

of crack cocaine

coming in to

South Los Angeles.

[COUGHING]

Because of

the crack cocaine epidemic,

because of the poverty levels,

because the so-called riots

had happened,

that people felt,

"Well, who cares

about this community?"

They don'’t have

high-paid lobbyists,

you know what I mean?

There'’s nobody advocating

on their behalf.

So LAPD and the city officials

felt that they could

get away with it.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

In the '’80s,

crack dealers employed

more people in South Central

than AT&T, IBM,

and Xerox combined.

After leaving sanitation,

Lonnie worked as a mechanic

in this police station.

I called the leading detective

to try and get the police side of the Grim Sleeper story.

[PHONE RINGING]

But the LAPD

refused to comment.

[WOMAN SINGING]

♪ I saw you baby

♪ Fell in love so fast

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Pam met Lonnie on the streets

and agreed to

show us his world.

♪ Anyone could tell

Crack comes with whores

and excitement and drama.

It ain'’t just about

getting high,

it'’s excitement,

it'’s how you're out here

looking like

Hobo motherfuckin'’ Kelly,

and motherfuckers

pick you up, and you know,

you'’re feeling good,

and twisting and turning,

you know what I'’m saying?

You think you'’re all that,

and motherfucker, you know,

oops, this is a serial killer.

You know what I'’m saying?

So you know what I mean?

So, you don'’t... It's about

the excitement, the chase.

It'’s about the chase.

The chase and the thrill.

"I'’mma get this motherfucker,"

'’cause that's what I said.

"Oh, this looks like

a super good one."

You know what I'’m sayin'?

And the shenanigans began.

[FUNK MUSIC PLAYING]

Well, I usually get what'’s

hoeing right around there,

on West Street

and 41st and 42nd,

up and down that way

by the Mustang, Snooty Fox

and the Comfort Inn motel.

He would pick me up

around there.

You know, he'’d be

driving around in his van.

The last time I felt

something was wrong

'’cause he was like,

"Bitch, you know what?"

And I said, "Bitch"?

He was like, "You don'’t

never want to do what

I really want you to do."

I said I'’m not

a motherfucking dog.

"Bitch, now,

"You don'’t own me.

I'’m not a motherfucking dog.

"What the fuck?

I'’m not going to bark."

You know, and then

he was like... When he said

"I'’m gonna drop you off,"

I said,"You ain'’t

gonna drop me off.

"I'’mma leave right now.

I can make it from here."

[DOG BARKING]

BROOMFIELD: Are you sure

he'’s okay to pet?

Jesus. Are you sure?

Blow! Blow! Blow!

Hey, you can'’t let him

get up on you...

This is my ex-husband.

He left. We were together

four years. He wanted to go

separate ways.

That'’s my son.

That'’s my mama.

She died in 2010.

That'’s my granddaughter,

and that'’s me,

and that'’s my mom.

And those are me.

Where is your husband?He'’s at home.

He lives in Long Beach.

There you go.

See him? There you go. Yeah.

It'’s cold out here

by myself.

And it'’s all right.

I live alone.

You know, for a girl... Yeah.You live alone?

Four years sober.

I'’ve come to the light.

Four years sober?Four years sober.

And I have my own self.

This is me.

You know. I don'’t drink.What were you on before?

Drugs. Crack. I used to

smoke crack ever since

I met Lonnie.

That'’s how I know

all these girls

that you wanna know.

I know these girls

because I was

out there hoeing.

Let'’s go.Let'’s go.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Pam says she knows

some of the 180 missing

unidentified women.

The pictures were released

by the LAPD

and found at

Lonnie Franklin'’s home.

Many of the women are homeless so we looked on the street.

[Pam] She was a young girl.

May she knows...

Hey, can I ask you a question?

I'’m just curious...

I'’m doing a research

about the Grim Sleeper.

Do you know anything

about the Grim Sleeper?

I'’ve seen him actually

driving around.

I'’ve seen him actually

talking to one girl.

When though?This is like a while back.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

The victims ranged in age

from 14 to 36.

All had been shot

with a .25 caliber pistol

or strangled.

Hi, did you know

about the Grim Sleeper?

Were you out here at home

when the Grim Sleeper

was out here?

The what?When the Grim Sleeper...

When the killer, the man

was out here killing the women?

Were you out here then?

All right,

you have a good day

and be safe.

Huh?You have a good day

and be safe.

All right. How old are you?

You know me?

Wasn'’t we at that

train station together?

What train station?

I mean a bus station.What bus station?

See, there are lots of

bus stations down here.Yeah.

How old are you?Twenty.

Twenty?

Have a good day.

You know, because half

of these bitches got pimps,

you know what I'’m sayin'?

I don'’t like pimps

so, you know,

I disrespect pimps.

You know. I don'’t like pimps.

I have no respect for any man

who puts a woman out here

and makes her sell her pussy.

He ain'’t selling his dick

out here with her.

That'’s wrong.

[LAUGHS] Yeah, put your

skirt on and come out here

and work with her.

That'’s wrong.

But you know,

some people like it,

some people with it.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Less than 50 percent

of this community

graduates from high school.

This is not just

a story about Lonnie,

but about a people in

one of the world'’s

most prosperous cities

who have been left behind.

Pull up right there.

BROOMFIELD: Your mom

used to hang out with him?

Mm-hmm. They used to

drink and stuff.

PAM: See?Smoke. [LAUGHS]

BROOMFIELD: Did you smoke?Huh?

Did you smoke?

PAM: Crack.Oh, no. I don'’t smoke.

My mom is a drug addict.

So, yeah.

But yeah, he used to

hand out with my mom,

stuff like that.

They smoked,

they used to drink together.

I didn'’t know him

in a negative way.

BROOMFIELD: At his house?Mm-hmm.

Right next door. 81st,

Corner of Western.

BROOMFIELD: 81st. Cool.

Uh, I was about 19.

PAM: How old are you now?I'’m 29.

Twenty-nine? You look good.

You don'’t look 29.Thank you.

I have a baby too. Yeah.You don'’t look 29.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

I was surprised

that we still hadn'’t heard

any terrible stories

about Lonnie.

Everyone we met

seemed to like him.

I got a call from Gary, one of Lonnie'’s close friends

who I had met on the stoop,

saying he had

something to tell me.

How is it going?Everything'’s going good.

They going good?Yeah. Come on.

Thank you.

All right.

How'’s it going?All right.

BROOMFIELD: So what

did you want to tell me?

Okay, like...

Like I said, I always,

first of all, you know,

my head... you know,

my heart, and I take

my hat off to the victims,

you know,

the victims'’ families,

you know,

because it'’s truly a tragedy.

Okay, now, as for Lonnie,

I don'’t believe

that Lonnie did it.

But after the fact,

there'’s a lot of things that

I'’ve been thinking about,

you know, and the media is

kinda creating doubt within me.

Like the .25 automatic

that they say that he shot

the surviving victims with,

I would see him

with a .25 automatic,

standing in his front yard.

He showed it to me.

Where would he keep it?

He would keep it

in his top pocket.Where? Just...

In his top pocket.

Just like right here.

BROOMFIELD: So you saw the .25.GARY: I saw it.

He showed it to me.

Okay, and...

A lot of things, you know,

has come up, where...

I saw handcuffs

fall out of Lonnie'’s car.

I went talked to him,

and then...

I joked with him and I said,

"Hey, man, what are you,

the police or something?"

You know, and he

laughed it off,

you know, but...

It'’s like he was

letting me see these things,

a lot of things,

you know.

Like, maybe he wanted me...

It was a $250,000 reward,

and maybe he was

feeling guilty or something,

I don'’t know. That's

where I'’m looking at it now.

And maybe he wanted me

to get the reward.

I went in his house,

he showed me pictures

where he had...

a picture of a girl

that he took

inside the house.

I'’m like,"Lonnie,

this is inside your house.

"What are you..."What was she doing?

He took naked pictures

of her, you know.

And I'’m like, "Whoa,

where was your old lady?"

And he just gave his laugh.

[IMITATES LAUGHTER]

You know, and all.

Do you think Lonnie almost

wanted to get caught?

I mean, you know,

that'’s the way that it,

to me, if he did do it,

Why would you show somebody

something like this?

$250,000 reward

and all this.

Man, you got the gun

and that'’s, you know...

the gun that'’s supposed

to have been used.

Man, you just showed me this.

You blatantly showed me.

Why do you think people

didn'’t tell the police

anything about Lonnie before?

Who knew?

What do you mean,

tell the police? Who knew?

Well, he was heavily into

women and pornography...

Oh, you'’re telling me,

after he got caught?No. Before.

So what he was into women?

A lot of people

are into women.

What do you do?

Go to the police and say,

"Hey, this man into women"?

No one have anything.

Women coming up dead.

We knew that.

They arrested a police officer

for the murders at one time.

But a lot of people said

Lonnie was weird.

Lonnie... he was weird

in his own way. He was weird.

But he was Lonnie.

If you know him,

you'’d know him.

He was weird.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Richard also asked to meet up.

BROOMFIELD: There were

some other things you

wanted to tell me?

Yes. I got permission

from... How should I say?

I got permission from

Lonnie'’s... Mrs. Franklin,

to tell you about

an incident that occurred

when I was with Lonnie.

We were driving around...

We were supposedly

scouting for a car.

We were driving down Figueroa,

he sees this girl,

he sort of flips.

So we passed her like

maybe ten to 15 feet.

Passed her, he pulled over.

He got out and ran back

there where she was,

they were having words,

and all of a sudden,

she tried to go away,

and he grabbed her,

put her arm behind and...

grabbed a handful of hair

and was pulling her to the car.

And all the time,

I'’m looking back,

looking at this.

What was she doing?

She was hollering and

saying,"Let me go! Let me go!

"Help me! Let me go!"

And I said, "Man,

what the hell is you doing?

Dude, what are you doing?"

And he looked,

I guess he caught his senses,

he collected himself

real quick, he let her go,

and before he can...

after he let her go,

before he can just

walk plainly to the car,

the police came

out of everywhere.

Yeah.

We were both arrested.

They never charged me with

nothing, they never told me

why I was being arrested,

they just arrested us.

Did they take your prints

or anything?

That'’s the strange thing

about it.

They didn'’t even book us.

They didn'’t even fingerprint us

or nothing.

They just put us in a cell.

Just kept us there for hours.

Wouldn'’t talk to us

or anything.

Then all of a sudden,

the guy came and said,

"You'’re free to go."

But see, they had

split Lonnie and I up.

They took him out

of the cell with me,

and put him in another cell

for like three hours prior to

them releasing us.

And they didn'’t

charge him with anything?

No. He left with us.

His wife picked us up.

And no fingerprints,

no DNA?

No fingerprints,

no tests, no nothing.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Before Lonnie Franklin'’s arrest,

many people in the community believed the police themselves were involved.

A police officer, Ricky Ross was arrested for the murders,

but released

for lack of evidence.

However, the suspicions still exists in the community.

WOMAN: State your name

and spell it out, please.

My name is Lonnie Franklin.

L-O-N-N-I-E,

F-R-A-N-K-L-I-N.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Lonnie had 15 previous

felony convictions,

yet he never had

his DNA taken.

WOMAN: How many times

have you been convicted of

receiving stolen property, sir?

Uh, probably around

four, five times.

How about GTA?

Grand Theft Vehicle

or Auto?

Around five times.

Five times.

How about battery?

Battery?

Two. Two times.

How about assault with

force likely to produce

great bodily injury?

Have you also

been convicted of that?

Mm...

It'’s a possibility, yes.How many times?

Once.

How about false

imprisonment, sir?

False imprisonment?Mm-hmm.

Once.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Lonnie has now been in custody

without bail for

the last four years,

but he has still not

come to trial.

[SOBBING]

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

This is Diana Ware,

stepmother of Barbara Ware,

ne of the Grim Sleeper'’s

first victims.

She'’s come to

every court date

since Lonnie Franklin'’s arrest four years ago.

Yes, I have, and it'’s

important because

when Mr. Franklin comes

in to the courtroom,

he can see us.

And when he looks

in that audience,

I want him to see me

to know that

every time he'’s there,

I am there.

Because the people that

he murdered had family

that loved them

and supported them,

and they want to

see justice done.

That'’s why I am there

every time that he is in court.

[SOLEMN MUSIC PLAYING]

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Barbara Ware, age 23,

was murdered on

January the 10th, 1987

with a .25 mm gunshot wound

to the chest.

Police knew, in 1987,

from ballistics,

that the same .25 mm pistol

was used in

two previous murders,

and that they had

a serial killer

on their hands.

But they didn'’t release this information to the public

until August 2008,

22 years later.

BROOMFIELD: Why didn'’t

the police tell you

it was a serial killer?

I really don'’t know.

I was really shocked.

Uh, I was home

when I heard the news

and it came on TV,

so I was really shocked

to hear that.

But...But I guess the police

knew from 1988

that there was

a serial killer.

I really don'’t know

anything about that.

I didn'’t think it was

that long, but,

I don'’t know.

I really don'’t know.

And when was it

that you found out?

I found out in 2008.

2008.Yes.

Yes. I found out...

I heard it on television.

So...But the police didn'’t

contact you first?

No. You know.

[CALLER READING]

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

This 911 call

reporting the murder,

which many think

is the voice of the killer,

also wasn'’t released

for 22 years.

[CALLER READING]

911 OPERATOR:

What'’s your name?

[CALLER READING]

CALLER: Okay, then, bye-bye.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Acknowledgment of

the serial killer

and the 911 call

were only made public after

the murder of Janecia Peters.

I feel bad for

all of the victims,

but I still always feel like

it didn'’t have to

happen to Janecia.

Why didn'’t they tell

the community

that there was someone

running around, you know,

killing girls,

PRESCOD: Why didn'’t they

release the 911 call

when it happened?

Somebody might have

recognized the voice.

Mm-hmm.

The van that was being driven,

they found the van.

The church van.

Messed that up.

'’Cause we were

outraged after

because they knew that

11 or 12 women

were already killed

before they even

announced anything.

And when we went and said

we were concerned about it,

they said, "Well, why are you

so concerned about it?"

And we were a bit shocked.

And they said,

"He'’s only killing hookers."

That was said to us

by the captain

or whoever it was down there.

Would you believe that?

The police don'’t care because

these are black women.

It wasn'’t like

he killed no...

It'’s not like Lonnie

killed no high-pro

white folk.

You know, it wasn'’t...

I mean,

we don'’t mean nothing

to them. We'’re black.

What the fuck?

Just another nigga dead.

You know, you shouldn'’t

have been out there

on them drugs.

This was... This case

is not a high-profile case

because they

didn'’t make it one.

Now if I was

a fuckin'’ celebrity

or a white woman,

you know, maybe they would

have did something. That would

put more emphasis on it.

You know what I'’m sayin'?

But I'’m a black woman.

Who gives a fuck about me?

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Pam is still contacting women on the street she knows.

I like the way Pam refers to us as her friends from England

to explain why she'’s

riding around with

a couple of white boys.

Hey, Liz, come here!

Liz, remember the Grim Sleeper?

Did you ever get involved

with the Grim Sleeper?

Uh-uh.He never crossed

your path down here?

I'’m just doin' a research.

You seen him?

Can you just tell them

what you saw?

These are my friends

from England and they are

doing a research.

Did you ever catch him here?

You ever dated him?

Uh-uh. No, I didn'’t.

You never seen him?

Uh-uh.Oh.

But I passed him by,

you know, in the neighborhood.

How are you doin'’?I'’m okay.

You'’re still

looking good, girl.

Thank you.You'’re all right.

She'’s been out here

for almost 40 years.

That'’s a damn shame.Forty years?

Forty years.

Shit, I started out...

When I was out here,

I started young.

I was 17. And I'’m 45.

That bitch is older.

She'’s older to me.

She still looks good.

Bitch ain'’t lost no teeth,

all of '’em is her teeth.

Were you out here when

the Grim Sleeper was

out here killing those girls?

Were you out here then?

No? How old are you?

Nineteen?

She ain'’t got no panties on.

Look, you should get it.

Nick, can you see?

Nineteen.

Be safe. All right.

She ain'’t got no drawers on.

You don'’t see her?

Yeah.Damn. I guess

she'’s nineteen.

She'’s young.Nineteen.

She'’s out here,

ass out naked.

That'’s fucked up.

Let me see what she'’s doing.

Back up, back up, back up.

Can you back up?Back up.

Oh, that'’s a street girl.

She'’s trying to get a treat.

I ain'’t fuckin' with y'’all.

Watch out. Watch out.[CAR HORN HONKING]

Okay, let'’s go around.

We'’ll pick the bitch up

and go and buy

a bunch of beers.

You gonna get the beers

'’cause I might want the bitch.

What'’s up? Where are the rest

of the girls at tonight?

Ain'’t no girls out here?

You the only one out here?

You are like the police.

No, I ain'’t the police.

I'’m an ex-hooker

just like you.

I just don'’t do it no more.

Because I'’m doing a research

about the Grim Sleeper.

Don'’t trip.

It ain'’t got nothing

to do with you.

If I was the police,

you'’d be in jail.

But that'’'s your thing.

Said I'’m like the police.

Bitch, if I was the police,

bitch, I would have busted

your ass and made you go

put some clothes on.

Okay, which way

are we going now?Where you wanna go?

Should we go back up?Yeah.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

I really admire Pam,

who'’s almost running

our production by now.

Recently Pam was turned down

for a job as a bus driver

because of a felony

conviction for possession.

Now she also can'’t vote,

get food stamps

or public housing.

Pam has managed to

contact number 147

on the police composite of photos found in Lonnie'’s house.

She lives on

this housing estate

but isn'’t a victim

or missing person.

[DOG BARKING]

BROOMFIELD:

Which one is it? Three?

Is this flat three?

Are you flat three?

Hi. Sorry to bother you.

We were looking for flat three.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

This is DelaShawn,

whose picture was taken

by Lonnie Franklin

when she was dating

Christopher Franklin,

Lonnie'’s son,

at high school.

DELASHAWN: Well, this is

Christopher John Franklin.

BROOMFIELD:

Which one? Oh, there?

DELASHAWN: Oh, God, this is

a creepy situation for me

because I just think about it.

I spent my entire

eleventh grade summer

in that house.

I spent the night,

we went on vacations.

I was exposed to

his wife, his sister,

the rest of the family.

We did funerals...

I did a lot

with that family.

So...And how did they seem?

Normal.

Normal?Normal.

Normal family.

Typical family.

Mother and father,

work.

Uh...

Mr. Franklin didn'’t work,

he was always at home.

And if you ever

needed anything,

you'’d just tell him,

and he'’d get it for you.

Don'’t ask questions,

just know that

he got it for you.

How he got it,

we ever knew.

What kind of stuff?

If you wanted a TV,

he'’d get it.

If you needed a car,

he'’d get it.

If you needed a part

for your car, he'’d get it.

There was no question of

how he got it, but he got it.

I still can'’t process

this person who

killed these women

being the person who would go

above and beyond to help you.

because this wasn'’t

the character he came off.

He would have

a conversation with you,

but during that conversation,

something perverted

would come out.

That'’s just who he was.

He'’s just a horny old man.

That'’s exactly how

everybody looked at him,

as a horny old man.

I can say there were...

Now I'’m gonna get

a little personal.

There was a few times

when we would be in the room,

and you could tell

he was listening at the door

or at the door, like...

When you were in

the room with his son?

Yeah. Like, sometimes

he seemed like he was

a pervert. Seriously.

[CHOPPER WHIRRING]

DELASHAWN: The lights are

always off in that house.

So it was always very damp in the hallways and in the back.

They opened the kitchen window with the blinds,

and the living room

with the blinds,

but the lights in the hallway,

the lights in it

and the bathroom lights

were never on.

It was always like,

tea candles were burning

in the bathroom.

It was always magazines...

Like, porn magazines

in the bathroom.

He kept porn magazines

on the side of the toilet.

And then at night

he would leave.

And I just remember,

he had a Pinto.

The backyard was junky,

the garage was junky,

the rooms were junky,

the house was junky.

It was just one of those places where there was always just stuff everywhere.

I do remember him

having a shoe box

with pictures

in the garage.

And I remember him

laughing with his buddies,

passing the shoe box around.

He always had

three cell phones.

I always asked him,

"So why do you have

three cell phones?"

He told me.

One was for business,

one was his personal.

And the third one

was for his hoes

or his crackheads.

And did he show you

pictures and stuff or...

He never showed me pictures

but we did borrow his...

He had a white van,

like a church van,

we did ride on that once.

And in the glove box,

I remember once Chris

asked me to get the screwdriver

out the glove box,

but when I opened

the glove box, there was

like a Polaroid picture,

it'’s like the old...

What are the ones

that you snap?

Yeah, Polaroids.And you fan '’em.

But there was a stack

in the glove box,

and in there were

like, lace panties,

or something lace

in the corner.

And I just grabbed

the screwdriver

and closed the glove box.

Yeah. Didn'’t think

anything of it.

So where are you guys headed?

BROOMFIELD: We'’re filming

these alleyways where

the bodies were found.

Shall I ride?Yeah, you wanna ride?

BROOMFIELD: Can you see how all the bodies were very close to where he lived?

Yeah. Western, Western,

Gage, Western, in between...

I see in between...

Well, you got one on Vernon.

2500 West Vernon.

That would be like on

Crenshaw and Vernon.

Right around his house.

RICHARD: Yeah, 81st,

Van Ness is the closest.

Very close.

That'’s five blocks.

There'’s been a couple of

bodies that were found

in this alley since

I'’ve been living here.

I'’ve been living here

since I was 12 years old.

And you know, couple of things

done happened through here,

you know,

gang-related shootings,

uh, people getting

dropped off

in the alley,

uh, things happened

in that alley.

Did you hear where

the Grim Sleeper body

was dropped off?

It was right here by this.

This post right here,

it was a black bag.Which one?

This post right here,

it was a black bag.

[GUNSHOTS]

That'’s shooting right there.They'’re shooting.

There'’s shooting right here.

You hear it Nick?

[GUNSHOT]

RICHARD: Did you

hear the shooting?

I think we should go.

[GUNSHOT]

Well, let'’s just stay put

for a moment.

We don'’t wanna...

[SIREN WAILING]

Where did that guy go?

We don'’t know

who'’s shooting, man.

That man ran.

We don'’t know

who'’s shooting, or why

is everybody running.

There a whole...

A lot of bodies have been

dropped in that alley.

People have been

shot in that alley,

killed in that alley.

So the Grim Sleeper

is just one more.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Lonnie'’s obsession

was taking photographs of all his encounters with women.

At first on Polaroid,

then graduating to video

and cell phone.

But he really... His specialty

is flipping pictures.

He likes taking pictures,

all kinds of positions.

You know what I'’m sayin'?

Just, you know, naked,

close your eyes...

you know, all this...

Like a wild animal.

You know, taking pictures

of just dumb shit. He liked

snapping pictures.

What kind?

You know, You... Close my eyes,

you know, bend over.

You know, turn around,

prop my ass up, just

freaky shit, you know.

That'’s it. That's the best

what I can tell you about him.

He'’s just a freaky motherfucker

and I was just the lucky one

that I had the instincts,

when all bets were off,

finally got away.

BROOMFIELD: Okay,

it'’s in that door.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Gary and Richard,

both bachelors,

seemed to be part of a kind of amateur photographic society with Lonnie Franklin

and various others

in the neighborhood.

He would call and say,

"Man, I know some freaks."

You know what I'’m sayin'?

'’Cause he knew that

I knew some too, you know.

And we just, we compared notes,

you know what I'’m sayin'?

I'’ve got my divorce.

I was a single man, hurt,

and all this, you know

what I mean?

You know, I turned

into a bachelor.

You know. That'’s what

I'’ve been doing.

You know, not proud of it,

but, you know, I would...

But I'’m not into killing

and all that, you know.

These are...

Like I said, these are

some pictures. This is what

me and Lonnie would share,

you know, with each other.

I have some pictures, you know.

I got a couple of them

that Lonnie knew and others

I sort of knew them too,

and took out, you know.

But this is what

was going on, you know.

Just like this one right here,

and Lonnie,

he... He knows her, and then

just like I was saying, you see

the alcohol right there.

That'’s what she liked. So,

you know, that'’s how Lonnie

would get his women.

All right.You know.

You see...

So this is when he was

still taking pictures?

Yeah. And this is the girl

that came and talked to you

and stuff like that.

Definitely she was

on hoe stroll.

Okay, roughly,

these, uh, just, uh...

A girl that enjoys having sex

and posing.

She felt that the pictures

are a form of art.

BROOMFIELD: And would you

sit around and show them

to each other

in the back of the garage

in the shoe box?

GARY: Yeah... You know.

Yeah. He knows her.

I didn'’t talk to Lonnie.

Lonnie would sit up there

just like this,

'’cause that's what our

conversation would be about.

"Man, let me

tell you something."

Okay.

Now this right here,

we'’d be comparing it,

just like this, he could

never be dirty.

He'’s like, "Bam!"

[LAUGHS] Oh, my goodness.

"Bam!"

Lonnie got a white van

and he had a camera

in the back of it.

RICHARD: Then he had

the mobile home.

He had it on a tripod,

a tripod like that,

and it was parked right

in front of his house.

There was a mattress

on the floor.

And that'’s where

he would do his work.

He'’d be right there,

you never would see his face,

but, say for instance,

if this is between her legs,

you'’ll never see him.

You might see his fingers,

He'’d be doin'...He'’d have

his hands on the vagina, but

you never would see his face.

I didn'’t want to say

anything last night,

but a couple of times,

I had to...

You know I do carpets.

Yeah.I had to...

Lonnie paid me.

He gave me money

to clean the van.

The mobile home.

I always cleaned the carpet.

I cleaned the carpet

four to five times.

but I never suspected

it'’d be-

I didn'’t know what dry...

You know, what it looks like,

but to e, it was like oil,

but I got it oiled up,

'’cause I have the special

solution to get it out.

But the police

took the mobile home.

Did they ever

bring it back?

He had a legal shop

back there, so they

took all...

But I haven'’t seen

the mobile home back.

It could have been. I'’m not...

It was easy to get off.

And it was dark like oil.

But it wasn'’t oil.

That'’s hard to get off.

BROOMFIELD: Hmm.

Yeah, but...

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Lonnie was by far, the wealthiest man in his street.

In this area

of high unemployment,

it'’s estimated that at least

one-third of black males

would receive

felony convictions

at some point,

and lose the right to vote,

get food stamps

and public housing,

and many jobs.

Lonnie could pick and choose

who he employed.

Everyone wanted to

work for Lonnie.

This man burned cars

for Lonnie.

BROOMFIELD: So how

did you know Lonnie?

How did you know Lonnie?

Oh, man, I did

a couple of jobs for him.

Oh, you did?Yes, I have.

What kind of jobs?Uh, insurance.

I was involved... Knew Lonnie.

I did a couple of jobs for him,

which I told you,

were insurance jobs.

This one was kind of strange.

He said it was his,

he wanted to have it burned.

He said what? The car...

Yes, set the car on fire.

Did he bring you the car?

I came over to

where he was located,

Where was that?81st.

Outside his house?Exactly.

Got the keys from him,

drove the car off over here.

Right.Over here.

And, like I said, when

I pulled up, I thought I was

gonna find something of value.

Searched through it, and

discovered some female clothes

which had some blood on it,

and in the backseat,

and on the floor.

There was blood?Blood.

A lot of it?Yes. Yes. Yeah.

Considering, yeah.

And you knew it was blood,

was it?Well, of course. In detail.

It was discolored,

but still, you could

tell it was blood.

And you didn'’t think

anything of the bloody...

Didn'’t think anything

of it. Never.

When you find bloody clothes

in a car, don'’t you think

that'’s a little odd?

Not really. I mean,

it'’s just...

hey, carried out

what I set out to do,

took care of that,

went back.

What did you set out to do?

Set the car on fire.

And so what

did you do exactly?

Uh, took out some...

A lighter, paper,

threw it, set it on fire.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Richard introduced us to Jerry.

Jerry worked with Lonnie

as a mechanic,

and was his companion at night picking up women.

Gentlemen, how are you

doing today?BROOMFIELD: Howdy.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Jerry says he was with Lonnie

with about half of the women on the police composite.

I met Lonnie when he

bought a bike from me.

You know,

bought a bike and all,

I said I won'’t charge him.

I was on crack cocaine.

And I was... He bought

the bike for ten dollars.

And ever since then,

me and Lonnie

became good friends.

He would see me

walking on the street,

he would pull over and say,

"Man, I'’m looking

for such and such.

"You see such and such?"

And I would say, "No."

He said, "You wanna

make some money?"

I got a car I need to pick up.

I said okay.

You know, by me

being on crack cocaine,

I was anxious to do anything

to get another hit.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

I discovered it was Jerry

on the Google image,

talking to Lonnie.

On the left is the camper van

where Lonnie allegedly

filmed and killed women.

BROOMFIELD: Just describe

what it was like

picking the women up.

Well, majority of

the women we knew

and majority of the women,

we'’d say how much

for both of us.

You know, and they'’d say,"Well,

Sometimes they'’d say

half and half,

or they'’d want straight cash

or they want straight crack.

And then we'’d stop to

get some liquor, whatever

they wanted to drink,

and we wouldn'’t have

no problems with it.

But some women get attitudes

because the majority of them

wanted dope to hit.

He wouldn'’t give it to them

'’cause they weren't performing,

or he'’d get mad

and put them out,

asshole naked.

But like I said,

sometimes,

he'’d pick them up,

and he'’d drop me off,

but he'’d keep

the women with him.

How come you dropped

me off, you know?

'’Cause... I would

have to go home to my girl,

or I had to do something.

Do you think

he killed those women?

Well, it might have been.

It could have been.

It could have been

the women he killed.

You know, if he did it.

NANA GYAMFI:

You'’ve allowed black women

to walk around here

when someone is hunting them,

not knowing that

they'’re being hunted.

Imagine if they

would have treated

victim number three

as if she was a student

over at UCLA,

with blonde hair and blue eyes.

How many other people

might still be living?

But the lack of concern

allow for this hunting ground

to just be free and open

for this person, you know?

And that is, for me,

the real, real, real tragedy.

You know, the real tragedy

is just the lack of concern

allowed so many more people

to be murdered.

BROOMFIELD: Do you think

also that people were afraid

to come forward

and say something?

That'’s very, very plausible.

I mean, the relationship, its...

the relationship with the police

and the community is such that

no one wants to be

the person who'’s giving

the police information.

You just don'’t.

I tell my own son,

you know, he'’s 16 years old,

"If something terrible happens

and your mother'’s not home,

"here are the numbers

of people to call.

"But whatever you do,

do not call 911."

No, literally, for what?

So you gonna come

answer the door and they

can pull you away.

Don'’t call 911.

You know, while you'’re there,

you'’re trying to tell them

what happened to you,

they'’re trying to find out,

you know, do you use drugs

every once in a while?

Or you know,

are you art of this gang?

They'’re trying to fill out

their little field

identification card

when you'’re trying to explain

to them that someone has

done something. You know?

You cannot just,

as a black person,

walk into an LAPD station

or a LASD station

and just say,

"I have something to report"

and start describing something,

and think that you'’re going

to be, you know, be

treated with dignity,

treated with kindness,

treated with concern,

and be able to leave

feeling good, you know,

warm cockles of the heart

that "Yes, I'’ve done something."

It is a 99% chance that

this is gonna be an unpleasant

situation for you.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

I couldn'’t help wondering

how much Lonnie Franklin'’s

own family must have known

about what was going on.

His wife, son, and daughter,

living in this house,

which, as DelaShawn said,

had junk everywhere.

Sylvia Franklin,

Lonnie'’s wife for 30 years,

is well-respected

in the community.

She works in the school

superintendent'’s office,

and goes to the church

at the end of the street

every Sunday.

Matter of fact, if we had

came a little while earlier,

like five minutes earlier,

you would have seen her

leave the church.

Is that that church?It'’s the church.

It'’s right here.

Wait. Let me see.

There she is right there.

Look. Turn. Turn.

There she is in the shawl

with the cap on,

the white hat.

That'’s Lonnie's wife.

That was Lonnie'’s wife?

My goodness.

Do you think we should

go and say anything?BOTH: No. No.

No?No. She would be

awfully upset.

But that was her.

I always wondered,

I look at his wife,

and I'’d be looking at Lonnie,

and remember the stuff

Lonnie done show me,

and I said, "Lonnie, how

the hell does she

put up with this?"

How does she put up with this?

She had to... Didn'’t know.

But I couldn'’t see her

being in the house with him

and didn'’t find none of

that stuff none of the time.

She had to.

You know?

Like those... Well,

then too, she never

went in the garage.

She never went back there.

That was Lonnie'’s domain.

The backyard was his domain.

She come out the house,

she'’s out the house, done.

Man, it didn'’t seem like...

"Are you guys really married?"

You know? That'’s what

we'’ve been... I'm like,

"Wow." You know?

'’Cause it's unreal.

You never saw them

together.

You never saw them

in the same car together.

You never, never,

not one time in my life

I'’ve ever seen them together

in the same car.

Over twenty years, man?

Come on. Never.

Some people say

they had separate bedrooms.

I don'’t know.

You know, I don'’t know that.

But I'’ve been in the house

and Lonnie don'’t let

everybody in his house.

Don'’t wanna believe it.

Don'’t wanna believe it. Man.

That would blow my mind.

DELASHAWN: At the time,

I didn'’t know that they were

having marital problems.

I didn'’t know she actually

had her own place.

But it made sense because

she would not be there,

and then there was times

that she would be there.

She lived in her house

and he lived in his.

I don'’t think they ever

really lived together.

Or they did at some point

but then they weren'’t.

Because how do you leave

for days at a time

and then you come back

a day or two and then

you leave for days at a time?

So I'’m assuming, with her

leaving for days at a time,

is why he was out

doing what he was doing.

'’Cause no woman was there

to tell him or stay on him,

or there was no woman

there for him. So he

would go elsewhere.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Everyone said the closest

person to Lonnie

is his son Christopher.

RICHARD: He was always home.

He was little then.

He'’s a little guy.

But he was always home.

Up until he moved out,

but he was always home,

he was involved

in his dad'’s business,

I'’m not saying he was

involved in the murders,

but he was always involved

in his dad'’s business.

I'’m not speculating

on Chris, but,

it'’s very hard

for me to believe

that if anything went on

in that house, that

Chris didn'’t know about.

I really don'’t think he...

He had to know about some...

You know, even had a suspicion

of something going on,

that wasn'’t right.

Chris is a type of person

if he didn'’t like you,

he would attack you, or,

he would pull a gun on you.

He would try to stab you,

he would run over you.

Whatever he could do

to harm you, he would do,

and he would not

think twice about it.

And as a teenager,

I thought it was awesome.

I had a boyfriend who'’s crazy.

And then as I got older

I realized he was really crazy.

BROOMFIELD: Do you think

he got a little of that

from his father?

I'’m sure he did.

I'’m gonna say

I'’m positive he did.

I don'’t know. There is

plenty of times

when we would drive around,

he would have his gun

laying on his lap.

We'’re out driving,

going to get something to eat,

and he would have his gun,

a fully-loaded gun,

laying on his lap.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Pam thought she might

have the best chance

of getting

a meeting with Chris.

BROOMFIELD: Should we go

over there now? Do you think

he'’d be there now?

You want to go right through?We could try.

All right, let'’s go.

Mmm-mmm-mmm.

I thought you were saying

you were a little nervous

because...

I was, a little....you know, he'’s a scary...

Hey, I'’m not scared

of nothing but God.

You know what I mean?

You have to understand

what I was saying.

You get a little... You know

what I'’m saying? I ride around

with two white boys,

I'’m from the hood,

I'’m a crackhead,

I don'’t know

if y'’all from England,

you motherfuckers

could be anybody.

And when did I become

a motherfucking investigator?

I don'’t give a fuck

about Lonnie.

You know what I'’m sayin'?

See, '’cause I don't want

nobody to shoot at your car,

or do nothing to you,

and you gotta be careful.

I mean, you know

how they are. They think

you'’re the fucking FBI,

riding around there.

"Who is this?"

Then they figure, "This bitch,

who is this bitch?

Who the fuck is this bitch?"

Back up, back up, back up.

There'’s nobody on here.

Damn. Okay pull up.

Go on some more.

Go. There you go.

There you go.Was that Chris?

PAM: Let me see.

Keep going.

Keep going. Keep going.

Uh-uh. That'’s Chris.Just call across to him.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Pam gave Chris

her phone number to call.

He said he'’d think about it.

This is Lonnie'’s dog,

famous after his arrest

among neighborhood kids

as the guardian

of the haunted house.

No one dares knock on

Lonnie or Chris'’ front door.

[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING]

[SINGS ALONG INDISTINCTLY]

Turn it down?

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Pam took us to find

Christopher'’s childhood

nanny Lili,

who now lives homeless on the same streets that Lonnie used to ride at night.

[HIP-HOP MUSIC CONTINUES]

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING]

Pam introduced us to Roxanne

and showed her

the pictures of Lili.

PAM: Lili, you know Lili.

You know who Lili is?

No, she looks like

my home girl, Portia though.

You'’ haven't seen her,

never on Figueroa?

Yeah.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Roxanne also knew Lonnie.

He paid me $40,

I ain'’t gonna lie,

for a blowjob.

He wanted me to go

to his house and go

in his garage,

but I didn'’t 'cause

I don'’t go to people's house.

And he got my friend Beamer,

we call her Beamer,

her real name was Brenda.

He cut her across her throat.

You know, she stayed

on 68 and Menlo,

but after that happened,

Beamer had left outta here.

You know, she got scared.

BROOMFIELD: What did

Beamer say he did?

What was he like?

He raped her,

and then he cut her throat.

Tied her up and raped her,

and he cut her throat.

And like, sometimes, when

I would look at him, he would

look kind of evil, you know...

It didn'’t seem like

he was trying to hurt me,

but I was like,

"I don'’t wanna

go to your house,"

and he was like,"Baby,

you'’re going to the house,

and you'’ll go in the back,

"and you'’ll kick it back there

in the garage. I got a camper."

And all this.

And I was like, "No, I'’m cool.

I'’m cool," but I was scared.

So I went and did what I did,

he let me go.

And then when it happened

to my home girl Beamer,

I was like,

"That'’s the same guy!"

I promise to call.

PAM: All right.

Thank you so much.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Roxanne didn'’t find out

anything about Lili,

but she did put me in touch

with Beamer'’s pimp,

who said Beamer

was too scared to talk.

PAM: Hi, is Lili in there?

Hi, is Lili in there? Lili?

These motherfuckers,

I know these motherfuckers

over here

'’cause I used to

smoke with '’em.

So we'’re gonna find her

if she'’s out here.

If she'’s out here.

This is where I used

to make money.

I used to live right there.

It'’s where I started out.

It is what it was.

Really crack... And

that'’s another crack house.

See them sitting out there?

It'’s just like the devil's den

though. You know,

you gotta be... It'’s just...

I almost lost my life

over here, so...

It'’s the devil's den.

Got to be no sign

to fuck around, so what?

You know passed through here,

but for as hanging,

you couldn'’t pay if I...

If I was to hit the pipe today,

I wouldn'’t come over here.

Hi, I'’m Dion!

PAM: I need Lili.I live on Browning.

PAM: All right,

I need Lili.

Can you go get one girl

out there and fuckin'’ ask

for where Lili is?

Yeah. Give me five dollars.

PAM: Here you go.

I'’m so broke.

PAM: Let me see.

There'’s five dollars.

I need it. I need it.

Okay, I'’ll get her.

I just need Lili.Which one?

Sherry or somebody?

PAM: Let e see Sherry.Okay, come on.

BROOMFIELD:

Where is the crack house?

Right here.

I'’m gonna show you.

Which one?It'’s dead.

See how dark it is?

Nick, it'’s right here.

This is the crack house.This is the crack house.

Yeah.The dark one?

Yeah, the dark one.

You see? It'’s the devil's den.

PAM: Hey, come here.

[GLASS SHATTERING]

I don'’t want that

five dollars back,

that'’s chump change to me.DION: I ain'’t

worried about that.

PAM: Okay. I need...

There'’s nobody in there?

Just my friend Ray-Ray,

like I said.

Ray-Ray, Ray-Ray.

Who'’s Ray-Ray?

Some young girl, 30...Oh, that silly nigga Ray-Ray?

You can'’t go in the house

or something?

You done fucked up?

Yeah.Oh, all right.

Thank you.

Here, give this cigarette

to your mom.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

The irony is,

Lonnie'’s house is just

opposite the crash pad

where Pam found Lili

the following morning.

PAM: You know,

they want to know the truth.

And talk so that

they can understand you.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

I remembered what Pam

had said about Lili.

Everybody use and abuse her.

That'’s what she likes.

To be used and abused.

She'’s a sweet girl,

but she'’s looking for love

in all the wrong

motherfucking places.

BROOMFIELD:

So you were the nanny...

Yes....for Lonnie'’s son.

Yes.

What was that like?

So he finally told me

his dad do profound things

to him,

and he has ladies

in the house,

and he sits and watches

dad through the peephole.

You know, so, um...

When Lonnie had come

to pick me up,

come pick...

He picked up Chris,

he would always ask me

to come to the car

and he had some things

to show me.

So I'’m like, "Okay."

You know, and I would

set Chris down and let him

play the little Game Boy

until, well it was

Atari then,

but played the little games

until we came back.

So I would go to the car,

he would open up the trunk,

and he would always tell me,

"I want you to

wear some panties

"or some stockings

with some heels on,

"and I want you to..."

you know, he'’d want to

tie you up and put...

BROOMFIELD: So he would

do this to you while

you were babysitting?

Yeah. Yes.

He would wanna take

pictures of me, of poses,

you know, of very, like,

I would call it nasty.

But by me doing

the drugs with him...

Well, he didn'’t do drugs,

I did the drugs.

Drugs?Yes.

So, you know,

as my addiction went on,

I would do whatever it took.

You know, and then...

But he started getting

like, aggressive with me.

You know, like

he would wanna choke me.

You know, as he

had me handcuffed,

and I would be telling him,

"Don'’t do that.

I don'’t like that."

You know, and he would always

wanna have anal sex.

He would put a doggie,

what do you call it, leash?

Like a collar.Yeah, around my neck,

and would have sex with me

like I was a dog.

After a while, it got

kinda sickening to me,

and I couldn'’t babysit

his son anymore

because I couldn'’t take

what Chris was going through,

you know, and I wanted

to report him but I didn'’t,

you know, because of

my addiction. So,

that'’s my story.

Unless you wanna know more.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

This is Fernando, one of

Lonnie'’s close friends

who said Lonnie would joke

about killing crackheads

and cleaning up the streets.

But no one ever believed him.

BROOMFIELD: Where do you

think all the anger

and hate came from?

He said that

his first wife did it.

Made him hate women.

His first wife.

She'’s the one who did it.

She hated...

He hated women

because of his first wife.

It'’s what she did to him.

I heard that she was

a street crackhead.

Straight crackhead.

You come home,

He gave her the money.

He gave her the money

and she'’d go spend it.

She'’d go spend it on drugs.

Won'’t pay no bills.Won'’t pay no bills.

BROOMFIELD: So he had

another wife.

No, this was his first wife.His first wife.

Lonnie'’s first wife.

Wife he got now,

she'’s cool.She'’s straight up.

So what did

the first wife do?

You think she made him

hate women?

Yeah. I believe so.I believe so.

Yeah, he really loved her.

You know, in reality

Lonnie is a good guy, man.

He'’s a good guy.

He really is.But it was something

inside of him,

the hatred that

triggers him off.

Yeah.That would trigger him.

I'’d have to...

I don'’t know

how he did it...

What did he say

about his first wife?

He hated her.He hated her.

He hated her.

If he'’d see a woman

down the street who'’s

a crackhead... [WHOOPS]

Man."Come here. Come here."

What did he say

about crackheads?

He hated them.He hated them.

He even hated men

that was on crack.Yeah.

He... He wouldn'’t...He didn'’t like drugs

and drinking at all.

He wouldn'’t... You know.

He'’d look at you

like you'’re dirty.

Yeah. He would

look down on you.

Look down on you.If you drink or smoke...

He'’d look down on you.He'’d look down on you.

He'’d like nobody who

drink, smoke, nothing.

Nothing.He wouldn'’t have

answered to you.

So why would he

give them crack?

He gave them crack

to get them in the car.

That'’s his thing

to get them in the car.

You see, you got...

I'’mma tell you something, man.

You got women walk

up and down Western

24/7, midnight.

Western, Florence, Figueroa,

looking for crack,

or money or a treat.

There'’s a lot of the men...All of them are on crack.

But they don'’t know

they messing

with the wrong man.

[BOTH LAUGH]

That boy, you get

in his car, you ain'’t

coming back out.

You ain'’t coming

unless you'’re dead.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

I got a message from Richard.

He said he'’d just got

out of the hospital

after being beaten up by Lonnie'’s son, Christopher.

BROOMFIELD: Hey, Richard.

When did you first notice

something weird was going on?

When I first walked up to him,

he was standing there

waiting on me.

When I walked up,

well, he said,"Man,

"I heard you'’ve been

talking bad about my dad."

And he looked

down the street,

and I turned around and looked,

and I see four guys coming.

So, and I turned back

to him, he'’s backing up.

And they walked up to me.

One swung and he missed me.

The other ones started hitting

and as I'’m looking to see

if Chris was gonna help me,

Chris was getting in the car.

He got in the car and drove off.

It'’s the police

in front of you.

You got your seat belt on?

Put your seat belt on.

The police have just seen you.

He just saw...

He just looked

in your car.

Is he turning around?No. Don'’t think so.

On the motorcycle.I don'’t think so.

[SIREN WAILING]

POLICEMAN: How you doin'’?Hi.

POLICEMAN: You'’re gonna stop

what you'’re doing, sir,

as your right front passenger

had no seat belt on...

He'’s filming me, sir.

He'’s filming a documentary.

POLICEMAN: ID, sir?

[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]

Give your registration

and insurance as well please.

My registration. Okay.

Richard, are you okay?

I'’m okay. Just getting

a breather.

Where did they kick you?Everywhere.

Like where?Everywhere.

My ribs...

They tried to hit me

in the face, but I was

down like this.

But I don'’t know how

they did my jaw like that.

No, they got balls in here

to keep me from

biting too hard.

Were you involved in

the Grim Sleeper case at all?

POLICEMAN: No, sir.

That'’s why it was

so important to me

that nobody knows

or see you in the neighborhood.

So you think he'’d do

that to me, what'’d he

have done to you guys?

Do you think he'’ll do something?I know he will.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

We ran into Jerry.

He'’s living homeless

on the streets now.

How'’s it going, fellas?

How'’s it going, Nick?

How'’s it going?

How are you doing?Okay.

I thought you were

staying with gang buddies.

Who that?On 80 something...

85th?Yeah.

Yeah, I was, but it was

too much trouble over there,

too much hanging out.

You know, me,

I don'’t like crowds,

because it'’s easy to get in,

plus the police try to

come around more and more

over there.

You know, because there'’s

a lot of guys hanging out.

So I'’m just on the streets now.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Jerry knew most of the women

picked up by Lonnie,

but he still hasn'’t been

interviewed by police.

BROOMFIELD: Did you get

a feeling that he hated them?

Yeah, he would torture

a lot of women. A lot of them.

He will.

I mean, there had been

times I was there

when he tortured them.

You know, they'’d howl

and start crying,

and he thought it was fun,

he laughed, gave me that

little funny grin,

or he'’d wink an eye at me

and let me know that, you know,

he'’s just having fun.

He never did show me no...

How can I say this,

that he was killing.

I didn'’t see that in him,

but I knew that he was

torturing them a lot.

And when I'’m saying a lot,

I mean a lot of young ladies.

You know...How many would you say?

Huh?How many?

I gotta say... Ooh, I mean,

we used to go out every week.

Every day.

And weekends. We have...

Weekends were just fun

for us.

'’Cause like I said,

there'’s a lot of strawberries,

lot of females like

dealing cocaine.

They call it crack,

and they'’d do anything.

I mean, we done

picked the females,

then we done gave

two dollars, both of us

to fuck,

and we gave her two dollars.

You know, I can'’t sit here

and make no stuff up,

because I was there.

Actually, myself, I was there.

And I know what we did.

And what did he like

to do with the girls?

He liked to

be rough with them.

Like I said, fuck them

in the ass, all that.

And you know, sticking those

thick balls and them sticks,

screwdrivers up in them,

you know.

He would stick the handles

of the screwdrivers, stick it

in them and fuck '’em.

You know? Or he'’d take

the screwdriver and just ram

them in the ass with it.

You know. I had seen it.

But, you know, I thought

like, "Shit."

At the time, I was

still smoking

while he was doing it.

And it didn'’t bother me

'’cause I was on crack.

You know, there have been times

I actually asked God to

forgive me for what I did,

you know, but I knew for a fact

I didn'’t kill 'em.

♪ Oh, Lord

♪ How excellent

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Police say that

Enietra Washington

is the Grim Sleeper'’s sole

surviving witness.

♪ How excellent

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

It was Saturday night

November the 20th, 1988.

Enietra was going to a party

at a friend'’s house.

Then make a right.

Okay. Right here is

the corner store. I was

walking around the corner.

BROOMFIELD: This store here?

ENIETRA: And the car was parked

where the little white car is.

BROOMFIELD: Uh-huh.

ENIETRA: I didn'’t see him,

I saw his car.

His car was a Pinto.

I said, "That'’s

really remarkable,"

'’cause I ain't seen a Pinto

in like, years.

I guess he saw me

looking at his car.

He asked me

where I was going,

and I said,"Oh,

I'’m going to a party.

"I'’m going around

my girlfriend'’s house

to let her do my hair."

And he says, "Come on,

I'’ll take you."

BROOMFIELD: And then

at what point did he

pull the gun at you?

When he turned the corner.

All right. So you just

got around the corner?

And I was...

Yeah, we had just...

He just like got in the car,

pulled out, and

the next thing

I knew, it was...

He said, like I said,

he said something to me,

and I turned to ask him

was he saying something,

And everything

got really quiet.

And I was going,

"Okay, what happened here?"

You know, talking to myself,

then I heard him say...

I turned my head

to say something,

and he said, "Bitch,

I'’ll shoot you again."

I said, "[GASPS]

You shot me?"

Guess I must have passed out.Were you bleeding?

Yeah. I must have passed out

and I didn'’t know

I passed out, but no...

All of a sudden, I felt

pressure on me, and I kinda

like whatever got me out of it,

he was on top,

and I was there fighting him.

And at what point

did he rape you?

I don'’t know.

I passed out by then,

and I didn'’t even know

I passed out.

Like I said, I woke up

to the pressure that was

upon my chest.

That was hurting me so bad.

Was he raping you then?

Or he just got through,

probably, and I was

pushing him off.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

The bullet taken from

Enietra'’s chest,

a .25 caliber, was found

by ballistics experts

to have been fired

from the same gun

that was used in the murder

of eight other women

in the very same area.

But this information

was not released

for another 20 years.

The murders themselves,

all involving black women

from the South Central area

weren'’t reported

in theLA Times,

and didn'’t even make it

into the local news.

The investigation moved

at a snail'’s pace

despite pressure from

the Black Coalition.

We had to press through

sort of political connections

to get somewhere from

the sheriff'’s department

to the table

and all they could tell us is

"We have a bullet,

"and we are waiting for

the gun that shot the bullet

to come through the station."

Like, really?

What kind of

police work is that?

If you think that this person

has killed just these 11 people,

let'’s not even worry about

what Margaret'’s talking about.

Let'’s just take these 11.

'’You're waiting for the gun

"to come, you know, dressed

fashionably and walk in

to the station?"

This is how I was

talking to the detectives

in the meeting.

And say "Hey, here I am.

Match me to the bullet

if you can."

It'’s not gonna happen.

There was no movement

on the sheriff'’s end.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Enietra Washington should have been invaluable to the police.

She was able to describe

the Grim Sleeper'’s car,

the Pinto, in detail,

the same orange-colored Pinto

that Mary Lowe,

the Grim Sleeper'’s

previous victim,

was seen getting into

by a witness.

Enietra was also

able to bring detectives

to the very street that

Lonnie Franklin lived,

the street that he would be arrested in 22 years later.

All I remember is

the side way that he

walked around to the side.

Um, it wasn'’t made like this,

but I believe,

I believe it was

this house right here.

They painted it

'’cause it was green.

BROOMFIELD:

So this is Lonnie'’s house,

and basically you told them...

ENIETRA: Yeah,

it was two houses down.

BROOMFIELD: You thought it was

not this house but the next one.ENIETRA: Right.

BROOMFIELD: This one here.ENIETRA: Right.

BROOMFIELD: And it then

took the police another...

twenty years

to find Lonnie'’s house.

ENIETRA: Right.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Enietra also provided the sketch of the Grim Sleeper

which wasn'’t released

until 2009,

after theLA Weekly had already revealed there was a serial killer on the loose.

Police told me that

Enietra at the time

was regarded as unreliable.

Every black woman

is a hooker, didn'’t you know?

[LAUGHS]

BROOMFIELD: And so they

didn'’t take anything

she said seriously.

No, I mean, they got a sketch.

But what did they do

with the sketch?

They didn'’t show

the sketch to us.

We didn'’t see that thing

until over a decade later.

You know,

just the basic things

that you do.

You know,

just the basic things

that you do.

When we talked to the detective

in one of the meetings,

he was saying that

they did not

put out a sketch

because eyewitness

sketches often

are not that, um, reliable.

And so, that'’s why

they didn'’t put it out.

I said, "Ooh, can I use you

as an expert witness at my

criminal defense cases

"where my clients

are picked up

"based on eyewitness sketches

"because strangely, they'’re

super-reliable then."

You know, you guys

get up there and say,

"Look, the eyewitness gave us

the description, and we

turned it into a sketch,

"and it was close in time,

and so, this is what

the person must look like."

Now you'’re telling me that

these eyewitness sketches,

they'’re not for nothing?

This is wonderful.

Give me your card.

I need this information.

Come on!

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Twenty-five years after

the killing began,

Lonnie Franklin was finally

arrested in July 2010.

ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA:

One man preyed on the innocent,

stole the lives of women

living in some of

our toughest neighborhoods.

Today, I'’m proud to announce

that this terror has

finally come to an end.

WOMAN: Amen.

[APPLAUSE]

Thanks to the recent

use of DNA evidence,

and even more importantly,

two decades of exhaustive

detective work,

25 years of reviewing

and reexamining evidence...

BROOMFIELD: So what

was your reaction

to that press conference?

[LAUGHS] Oh,

the congratulatory one,

where Jerry Brown was there?

This was before

he was elected governor.

I thought it was quite a show.

And that'’s one of the reasons I took the mic.

Can I just...

Can I just add to that?

I'’m Margaret Prescod,

founder of the Black Coalition

Fighting Back Serial Murders.

For us, it'’s been since 1985.

I have a file here

of documents going back

to 1985 that

were linear graphed.

It'’s a very emotional

time for us.

Detective Kilcoyne,

I'’m not gonna get

up here and attack you.

I know that we'’ve

been critical, and...

PRESCOD: I think

they were a bit shocked.

I don'’t think

the police chief

have had anybody take the mic from him before.

If I were them,

I would have done that

whole thing a lot differently.

But, you know, they wanted

a whole PR job,

they wanted to

pat themselves on the back,

they were the greatest thing

since sliced white bread,

and to really cover up

all of what had gone on before,

that was a big show,

giving the impression

that they were on the case,

and now they had their guy.

Yesterday...

Yesterday the LAPD arrested

Lonnie David Franklin Jr.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] I contacted Mayor Villaraigosa for an interview

to get the city'’s point of view on the Grim Sleeper case.

I received this reply.

[BROOMFIELD READING OUT]

I also tried to contact LA police chief, Charlie Beck,

who wrote back.

"The Department has

revisited your request

"and subsequently decided against granting an interview.

"Given that the primary area

of interest would be

the Lonnie Franklin case,

"neither the Chief

nor any criminologists

"from our Scientific

Investigation Division

"will be available

for comment."

We asked Dennis Kilcoyne,

head of the Grim Sleeper

Task Force

and his replacement,

Daryn Dupree,

repeatedly over a year

for an interview,

but they both refused.

We have done

our job correctly...

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Margaret Prescod and

the Black Coalition

held their own press conference to put the record straight.

PRESCOD: We'’re here

to say loud and clear

that every life is of value.

Could you imagine

if these murders

had happened

in Beverly Hills?

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

When Lonnie Franklin was

finally arrested,

it was by accident,

and through his son

Christopher'’s DNA.

GARY: Lonnie was a breast man. He loved breasts.

That'’s what they got

the DNA from.

On the bodies and stuff,

they said the dead bodies,

you know, the DNA,

he had been sucking

their breasts, and that'’s

where the DNA is from.

Now, like I said,

do you know the story?

The way that they supposed

to have caught Lonnie

was through his son Chris.

Chris was arrested.

Chris'’ DNA.

They take your DNA

when you get arrested now.

Chris'’ DNA, they saying,"Hey.

"This DNA match..."

BROOMFIELD:

Almost a perfect match.Almost a perfect match

to these bodies and stuff

that they have.

So they'’re saying it had

to be an uncle or a father...

A close family member.A close family member.

And then that'’s how

they got him. From Lonnie

to his son, you know.

And they said, "Ooh,

it'’s a match to Lonnie,"

and they followed Lonnie

to this pizza place.

and he was eating pizza

at the pizza parlor,

and then they got the DNA

from an empty cup

that he was drinking out of.

And bam, they arrested him.

They came to the house

and they arrested him.

That'’s how they got

the DNA through him.

And then the DNA on the girl,

that'’s where

the DNA come from,

'’cause Lonnie was

a titty sucker.

He loves to suck titty.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] That'’s Lonnie Franklin walking around in the pizza parlor

just before his piece of pizza was taken by police

and used for DNA analysis.

Four years later in court,

Lonnie'’s lawyers are

arguing that the DNA

was incorrectly seized,

and therefore,

can'’t be used as evidence

as it is a violation of

his Fourth Amendment right.

It is our issue

that Mr. Franklin

allowed his bodily fluid

to be taken under control

from what he thought was

a restaurant employee.

He believed it was

going to be mixed,

so the individualization of it

would be no longer identified,

and the general public would

no longer have access to it

until it was

put into a container

when you cannot identify

individually for himself.

Okay, what do you feel?

I felt it was gonna be mixed

with the rest of the trash.

Okay. And, um...

And then what did you think

would happen to it

once it was mixed with

the rest of the trash?

It would be disposed off.Okay.

And what do you mean

by "disposed off"?

Thrown away.

Just disposed off.

You know, got rid of,

in the trash.Okay.

Individually or collectively?Collectively.

And "collectively,"

what do you mean?

With other...

With other people'’s trash.Okay.

JUDGE: I'’ve never heard of

the term "informed consent"

when it comes to

eating food at a restaurant

and having your items

cleared from the table.

You know, that'’s...

really out there, Mr. Amster.

So I'’m gonna find that

once those items were

put into the trash,

and taken from the table,

he no longer had

Fourth Amendment interest

in those items anymore.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Lonnie'’s lawyers are accused of stalling to delay the trial.

I don'’t understand

what he'’s been

doing for a year.

We have the July trial date.

We'’re planning on going forward.

What is the date

when they'’ll be done

with the DNA?

I don'’t know.That'’s not

an acceptable answer.

Well, that'’s the answer

I'’m giving.

Well, I'’m asking

the court to...

Um, if we can'’t get...

I'’ve never heard

of this before,

Well, I'’m sorry, Your Honor.

If Your Honor wants

to make a motion,

to terminate me

from this case,

that will deter me

from, Judge Almeida,

I will be done with this thing.

But I am pushing this.

I'’ve got 18 murder sheets,

I'’m pushing this as far

as fast as I can,

I am putting other cases

out of the way,

and if the court thinks

there'’s somebody else

that can do it faster,

then let the court make

the decision on this.

Twenty-six...

Where is it?

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Lonnie'’s son Chris called Pam.

He wanted to meet up.

Where do want? Twenty...

Just a minute.

Let me get it together.

There you go.

In the corner right there.

Where?Right there now.

A Honda.

There. He'’s sitting there.

I told you.

That'’s his green car.

So that'’s him.

Howdy.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

Christopher said his father

had a lot of fans

in law enforcement

who admired him

for cleaning up the streets.

My dad has a lot of fans

in fucking jail systems and...

fuckin'’ weirdos

in the street,

uh...

BROOMFIELD: Really?

There'’s a lot of sick people

out there. He got

a lot of fan mail.

It'’s crazy, man. People...

I'’ve walked into sheriffs

that were like,

glorified that they were

able to talk to me.

"Oh, you'’re his son?

Dude, that'’s fucking crazy."

And you know,

I got all pumped up,

and I'’m just

sitting there like,

"Please put me on

protective custody

away from you

"and the other fools

over there."

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Chris was a prisoner himself

for the very offense for which his DNA was taken,

leading to Lonnie'’s arrest, when they both met in prison.

Did you feel guilty

about the DNA?

DNA. Fuck, man!

Like three years, man.

I just got over that.

I just got over that

probably this year.

Oh, yeah, you gotta

deal with the people.

The people,

the people are...

For me, man...

I didn'’t know how to

deal with that because

I'’m from a line where

we don'’t have no snitches.

Nobody is a tattletale.

What do you do?

This is not third grade.

But people, they look at me

like that, like, oh,

told on my dad, like...

If I would have known,

I don'’t even think I...

I wouldn'’t have told.

I had a few of my family members telling me that I'’d turned my dad in.

You know, that was funny.

You know, "My God, you sold

your dad out. We'’re not

talking to you anymore."

I haven'’t talked to

a lot of my family members

based on that,

because everyone thinks

I'’ve turned my dad in.

My family is cold.

My family is real cold.

When you first saw him

after the arrest, did you hug?

No, we were handcuffed,

shackled. Head to toe.

So we just sat there and

twiddled our thumbs

while we were talking.

I mean, I probably would

have shot us both if we

didn'’t hug each other.

What did he

wanna talk about?

We didn'’t even know.

We were just there,

just... silence.

It'’s kind of...

I gotta say...

I don'’t know the word

to use for that,

but he speaks

in a different...

speaks in a different world,

like he'’s not even in there

for all the damn murders,

he'’s in there for

domestic violence or

receiving a stolen property.

And that kind of bothers me.

And did he apologize to you

or say anything to you?

What? No. For what?

[LAUGHS] This is really

one of them stories

where it'’s like...

I don'’t believe this.

No, seriously. No. No way.

What would he

apologize to me for?

BROOMFIELD: Have you

kind of suffered a lot

through all this?

CHRIS: I lost my best friend, man. That was my dude.

There'’s nothing that

I can talk to him

about right now

because we'’re in

two different places.

And it'’s hard for me

to keep him up

with what'’s going on.

So, like I said,

I lost my best friend.

You know, you have somebody

to call on any time.

I just try. I try to

communicate with him,

you know, just...

I'’m still his son.

Can'’t nobody change that.

So...

I just try and be there

for him as far as, you know,

this is a tough situation...

What was the first thing

he talked about?

I gotta say,

my dad was really...

Sometimes he talks about

how the attorneys are,

you know, doing what they can

and they'’re getting to

the bottom of things, or...

Clear his name,

and other stuff,

like he'’s innocent.

To the point.

Yeah. What do you

think about that?

It'’s all a mind game.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] In the past, Los Angeles police used the term "NHI,"

police slang for

"No Human Involved"

to describe the murders of prostitutes and drug addicts.

Many feel this attitude

continues today.

Hi!BROOMFIELD: Hi.

There'’s Mikey right there.

See her?

That'’s Mikey.That'’s Mikey.

See her? That'’s Mikey.

There she go. Where she at?

Mikey, show '’em you're there.

That'’s Mikey right here.

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING]

These are all

Grim Sleeper survivors

Pam managed to find.

They all were too scared

to talk to police.

BROOMFIELD: And why

were you looking like that?

I had fallen asleep.

Nodded out or something.

Why? Did he give you drugs?Yeah.

I was using drugs real bad

at the time.

Shall we go in?

[BROOMFIELD NARRATING] Pam brought them to our office

because most of them

live on the streets,

and they'’re scared to

be seen talking with us.

Officially, Enietra Washington is the only surviving witness,

but in reality,

there are many.

BROOMFIELD:

So what'’s your name?

Cookie.

And how long have you

been on the street?

Uh, since I was 18.

And how long did you

meet Lonnie?

About six to seven months.

You were with him?Yes.

Ten times or more?

Yeah, maybe more.

Yeah, I have been

with him more, sexually.

Why did you go with him

so many times?

'’Cause he paid me.

You know, I was prostituting

real, you know, heavy then,

so...

It was about the money.

I'’m not a prostitute

nor a whore.

You know, I meet men

on the streets and

they'’d be nice to me,

but this particular night,

this man wasn'’t nice.

I met him in '’90...

'’87. '87.

I think '’91, '92.

2012. I mean 2007.

And he had approached me,

very kind man, sweet guy,

and asked me if I smoked.

I told him, "Yeah."

It was one late night,

I was walking down the street,

um, yes, I do drugs,

I was high at the time,

was trying to get more money

to get more drugs,

and a van pulled up.

I'’d seen him circle the block.

He kept circling the block.

He pulled over,

and asked me

do I wanna get high,

mm, and do I need some money.

So I said, "Sure."

So I get in,

and I take my block down,

I keep the window down,

little safety,

'’cause at nighttime,

your voice carries

if you scream.

He seemed nice, you know,

intelligent, in the beginning.

And he asked me why

would a pretty girl like me

be out there smoking.

Did I wanna go with him?

So I walked with him,

and we got in his car,

and he took me to his house.

The man'’s house is nasty.

Where would he take you?

In his garage.

He never wanted to go

in the bedroom, you know.

And he had pictures of

a lot of girls and stuff.

Crossed out. He used to

have them crossed out.

He was weird

'’cause we had...

He wanted to do

different things,

he wanted to do

stupid stuff.

I got naked,

he showed me the money

but he never put it

in my hands.

Uh, then he started,

he wanted me to

give him head and stuff.

It was okay for me to do that,

but he never gave me the money.

It was normal

at first, and then

he started

doing weird things,

asked me to do weird...

you know...

sex with things,

with bottles, and...

He would ask me to

just take like

a 40-ounce bottle

and stick it in my pussy,

and I wouldn'’t do it.

You know, after he done

played with himself with it

or something like that.

Or paid me to go

get other girls and stuff,

you know,

and after that I never

seen them girls again or

heard from '’em, you know.

How many?

I brought him

like maybe four of '’em.

He paid me, but I'’ve never

seen them again after that.

Did police

ever talk to you?

No, I never talked

to the police. No.

He took me to his house

on Western in 81st,

uh, at the time, I believe

the house was like green.

Green?

Yes. The house was green.

I remember that everything

in it was like soundproof.

No one can hear you outside.

He wanted to put

the handcuffs on me.

He wanted to put

the handcuffs, one

against the bed,

you know, hang me up.

And it scared me.

I mean, no.

I was scared.

Yes, I was.

It was one door

that he had locked

from inside and...

I knew.

So when he'’s saying that

I wasn'’t trying to

abide by what he wanted

me to do, then he

started getting aggressive.

You know, telling me,

"Oh, you'’re gonna

give me some head.

"You know you'’re gonna

give me some head."

And I'’m like, "Give me money,"

you know?

And he was like, "Oh,

you'’re gonna get the money."

I tried to help him out

of his pants, but...

I couldn'’t.

You couldn'’t?I couldn'’t.

I...

It was like picking up an egg.

Mm-mm.

And his body was... It was

like he had been in a freezer.

His body was cold.

His body... Part of his body,

it was cold.

And nothing was happening.

I couldn'’t...

I couldn'’t help him.

He got out the van

and got to the...

He picked my clothes.

I guess he was

taking my clothes so

I can'’t put them back on.

During the process when

he was getting out the van,

he left the van door

cracked a little bit.

I took off and

ran down the street.

I ran halfway down

the block butt-naked,

and this lady I seen,

I was screaming,

asking her for help,

she let me in her car

and she dropped me off

at a friend'’s house.

I keep Visine on me

'’cause it puts people to sleep.

It really works.

I keep Visine.

and so I had some Visine

and, uh,

and I had him get a drink.

I had him get a Remy.

I remember I had him

go get a Remy.

And I put him to sleep.

I didn'’t insult him.

The Grim Sleeper?Yes, I didn'’t belittle him.

You know, I didn'’t

mock his body.

And then you wanna kill me?

And I didn'’t do that?

I didn'’t try to rob you,

I didn'’t set you up,

I didn'’t do any of that.

Yeah, okay, yeah,

I was out there.

That doesn'’t mean

I'’m nothing.

That doesn'’t mean

I'’m nothing.

Like I'’m a piece of trash.

I was trapped.

It'’s not what I wanted.

That'’s not what I wanted.

That'’s not the life I wanted.

PAM: What I'’m trying to explain to you and say to you is that

just because they have Lonnie

doesn'’t mean this is over with.

There'’s another motherfucker

out there just as sick as he is.

You know what I mean?

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

Tales of the Grim Sleeper (2014) - full transcript