"Grim Sleeper" Suspect's Photos: Attorney Criticizes LAPD for Releasing Pictures
LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) The attorney for Lonnie Franklin Jr., a mechanic accused of the infamous "Grim Sleeper" serial murders, criticized Los Angeles police for releasing photographs of women taken from suspect's home, claiming that some of the photos were of Franklin's friends and family.
PICTURES: "Grim Sleeper" Serial Killer Suspect's Private Photos
She also said investigators' comments at a recent news conference were "jeopardizing Lonnie Franklin's chance for a fair trial."
In a statement, Louisa Pensanti said, "The release of photographs seized by the Los Angeles Police Department included members and friends of the Franklin family, all now subject to the intense scrutiny of the public as well as the police."
"The public officials' comments concluding guilt are a deliberate tainting of public opinion and the jury pool," Pesanti's statement continued.
Last week, police went public with 180 photos of unidentified women recovered from Franklin's home in hopes that someone would recognize the unidentified women and contact authorities.
According to the Los Angeles Times, investigators asked Franklin's family to review the photos before they were released so that ones of his family and friends could be removed, but a source close to the investigation said officials never received a reply to their requests.
Investigators spent years trying to crack the "Grim Sleeper" case. Franklin's arrest finally came in July after his son was swabbed for DNA after being arrested on an unrelated matter, which authorities say ultimately linked Franklin to evidence from the killings.
Franklin is accused of killing women from 1985 to 1988 and from 2002 to 2007. The 14-year pause led to the nickname "Grim Sleeper." He has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault and murder in the deaths of 10 women in the Los Angeles area.
Anyone with information about the women in the photographs is asked to call 1-877-LAPD-24-7.
