Lonnie Franklin Jr., alleged 'Grim Sleeper' serial killer, goes on trial

LOS ANGELES -- (KTLA) -- Thirty years after the first of the Grim Sleeper serial killer victims was found fatally shot and discarded in a South Los Angeles alley, Lonnie David Franklin Jr. will face a jury Tuesday in a downtown courtroom.

Franklin, a former garbage collector and police garage attendant, is charged with killing one girl and nine women ranging in age from 15 to 35 over a span of three decades. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Opening statements begin Tuesday.

The killings for which Franklin is charged came in spurts that were 13 years apart, resulting in the nickname “the Grim Sleeper” for the period of apparent inactivity.

Franklin, 63, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney has promised a vigorous defense of the man neighbors described as friendly, helpful and reliable.

“All I can say is stayed tuned,” said the lawyer, Seymour Amster.

The trial is expected to last two to three months, said Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman, the lead prosecutor on the case.