Serial killer suspect called 911 after killing woman, police believe

DNA evidence, ballistics and a 911 voice recording of the Grim Sleeper serial killer suspect helped Los Angeles Police Department detective link him to the killings of six more victims, sources told The Times.

The new cases bring to 16 the number of killings linked to Lonnie Franklin Jr., 59, , who is already charged with murder in the slayings of 10 women whose bodies were found on the streets of South Los Angeles over two decades.

Detectives continued look for additional victims, taking the unusual step of releasing photographs of dozens of women found at Franklin's home, hoping the public could help determine if they too were victims, said the sources, who spoke of the condition of annoymity becuse the case was ongoing.

PHOTOS: Cache of images found by police

Three of the newly identified six victims were allegedly tied to Franklin through physical evidence, said a police source with knowledge of the investigation, who requested anonymity because the additional cases have not been made public. In two of those cases, ballistic evidence showed that the bullets used to kill the women were fired from a gun Franklin is accused of using in other killings, while DNA and ballistic tests connected him to a third woman, the source said.

Franklin's link to the other three cases is more circumstantial. Police concluded Franklin killed one woman based on a 911 call made at the time of the slaying to report the location of the body. According to the source, police have matched the caller's voice to Franklin's. Police believe Franklin made a similar call to dispatchers in one of the cases in which he has been charged. The remaining two victims recently linked to Franklin were reported missing years ago and have never been found. However, possessions of theirs were discovered at Franklin's house, leading police to the conclusion that he killed them.

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--Joel Rubin

Photo: Lonnie David Franklin Jr. is shown at his arraignment last year. Police say they have linked him to a total of 16 slayings in the Grim Sleeper case. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times / July 8, 2010)