'Grim Sleeper' headed to death row, but mystery remains
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The death sentence of the "Grim Sleeper" serial killer last week put to rest a case that spanned more than three decades, but it left another mystery wide open.
The images were part of a chilling discovery of nearly 1,000 photos of women or teenage girls — many nude and some who appeared to be unconscious or dead — hidden in Franklin's house.
Several other serial killers prowled the area, preying on the same type of victims, who were often sexually assaulted and then dumped in alleys, parks or trash bins.
The killings were believed to be the work of one man dubbed the "Southside Slayer," though several culprits were later arrested and charged with additional crimes as DNA evidence became more sophisticated.
The killings inspired the formation of a community group, the Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders, to raise awareness of the danger to women and pressure police to investigate more thoroughly.
[...] Franklin, a former garbage collector, disposed of many of his bodies in dumpsters.