The Grim Sleeper - Talking with America's Most Notorious Serial Killer, Lonnie Franklin


Book Description

During the mid-1980s, a brutal killing spree began in Los Angeles as several women were murdered, having been sexually assaulted and shot in the chest with a .25 calibre gun. The man responsible was Lonnie David Franklin Jr. However, his identity wouldn't be revealed for almost thirty years, by which time he had become one of America's most prolific serial killers. At the time, Los Angeles was a city struggling under the weight of racial inequalities and a crack cocaine epidemic that was sweeping through its most deprived areas. Many in the communities of South Central felt that this caused a lack of interest on the part of the LAPD in properly investigating the these murders. In 2010, Franklin's escape from justice finally came to an end, and he was eventually convicted of the killings of nine women and one teenage girl in 2016, although it is suspected that he could be responsible for killing many, many more. In this book, investigative journalist Victoria Redstall delves into the mind of America's most notorious serial killer to discover the truth, in his own words, behind his appalling actions as well as speaking to neighbours, family members, victims' family members and police connected to the case. By visiting Franklin in prison and gaining his trust, she allows Franklin to reveal a terrifying lack of empathy for the victims whose lives he so brutally ended. This is a chilling and fascinating look into the crimes of the Grim Sleeper.




The Grim Sleeper


Book Description

“One of the best true crime books of all time.” —Time As seen on Investigation Discovery’s The Grim Sleeper: Mind of a Monster The inside story of one of the notorious and elusive serial killer who stalked the vulnerable, the young, and the ignored in 1980s Los Angeles—and then returned decades later to kill again The Grim Sleeper was one of the most brutal serial killers in California history, preying on the women of South Central for decades. No one knows this story better than Christine Pelisek, the reporter who followed it for more than ten years. Based on extensive interviews, reportage, and information never released to the public, The Grim Sleeper captures the long, bumpy road to justice in one of the most startling true crime stories of our generation from his violent first crime while serving in the US Army to his inevitable death in prison.




The Fredia Gibbs Story


Book Description

The Fredia Gibbs Story is about a young black girl from the Fairground Projects, in Chester, Pennsylvania. This is the story of how she became billed as "the Most Dangerous Woman in the World" leading up to her last kickboxing championship fight. Read how she was given guidance during her youth to overcome the odds with her mother dealing with infidelity, growing up in the Fairgrounds Projects, being bullied, how sports were her best outlet, and how her uncle took her under his wing and introduced her to Quiet Storm Karate & Aikido School. Fredia talks all about her private life, coming out, the struggles of being a black female in Mixed Martial Arts, a male dominated sport, breaking color barriers, and being #1 in the World!




Murderabilia


Book Description

From veteran true crime master Harold Schechter comes a unique look into the history of crime told through the dark objects left behind. The false teeth of a female serial killer from 1908, the cut-and-paste confession of the Black Dahlia killer, the newly cracked cipher of the Zodiac killer, the shotgun used in the Clutter family murders, which were made famous by Truman Capote's true crime classic In Cold Blood—these are more than simple artifacts that once belonged to notorious murderers. They are objets of fascination to the legion of true crime obsessives around the world. And not merely for fleeting dark thrills, but because they represent a way to better understand those who we typically label monsters in lieu of learning how they actually became one. In Murderabilia, veteran true crime writer Harold Schechter presents 100 murder-related artifacts spanning two centuries (1808–2014), with accompanying stories of various lengths. A visual and literary journey, it presents a history unlike any previously told in the true crime genre, one that speaks to the dark fascination of true crime fans while also presenting a larger historical timeline of how and why we continue to be captivated by the most sensational crimes and killers among us.




Behold the Monster


Book Description

Jillian Lauren had no idea what she was getting into when she wrote her first letter to prolific serial killer Samuel Little. All she knew was her research had led her to believe he was good for far more murders than the three for which he had been convicted. While the two exchanged dozens of letters and embarked on hundreds of hours of interviews, Lauren gained the trust of a monster. After maintaining his innocence for decades, Little confessed to the murders of ninety-three women, often drawing his victims in haunting detail as he spoke. How could one man evade justice, manipulating the system for over four decades? As the FBI, the DOJ, the LAPD, and countless law enforcement officials across the country worked to connect their cold cases with the confessions, Lauren's coverage of the investigations and obsession with Little's victims only escalated. New York Times bestselling author and lead of the Starz docuseries Confronting a Serial Killer Jillian Lauren delivers the harrowing report of her unusual relationship with a psychopath. But this is more than a deep dive into the actions of Samuel Little. Lauren's riveting and emotional accounts reveal the women who were lost to cold files, giving Little's victims a chance to have their stories heard for the first time.




Hunting the Ultimate Kill


Book Description

California has spawned some of America's most notorious serial killers--The "Grim Sleeper" Lonnie Franklin Junior, the "Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez, and Randy Kraft are just three of the Golden State's most notable--which has brought the state some unwanted and some would say unwarranted attention. For its part, California is the most populous state in the U.S., so it would stand to reason that it would have more than its fair share of serial killers. But the state does seem to breed its own special blend of sociopaths. Far from the glitz and glamour of Los Angles or the scenic backdrops of the Bay Area, two men embarked on a vicious campaign in California's Central Valley that left at least twenty people dead. The two men--Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog--became collectively known by law enforcement as the "Speed Freak Killers" because the duo were almost always under the influence of the drug crystal methamphetamine when they committed several strings of murders during the 1980s and '90s. Herzog and Shermantine were known to be avid outdoorsmen who hunted and fished for various game, but when the two men were high on meth, they focused their attention on hunting the ultimate game--humans. Open the pages of the following book and learn the complete story of the Speed Freak Killers, Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog. You will learn about the early lives of the two men and how they evolved from local toughs into one of the most efficiently dangerous serial killer pairs in American history. The Speed Freak Killers' odyssey of murder continued for nearly twenty years and in many ways continues on until the present. So open the book if you dare to learn about one of the most notorious serial killer tandems ever known.




I: The Creation of a Serial Killer


Book Description

Contains several autobiographical writing of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson.




The Bike Path Killer


Book Description

"He Raped. . . Altemio Sanchez was a modern-day Jekyll and Hyde—a family man who resided in Buffalo, New York, with a wife and two sons, worked nights as a machinist, and concealed a terrible secret. Once a year, after his shift, he'd make a side trip to a secluded spot where women would ride bikes and jog. He was called ""The Bike Path Rapist""—until he crossed the line from rape to murder. He Killed. . . For fourteen years, the Bike Path Killer mercilessly raped and murdered his prey, eluding police every step of the way. Then, the killings stopped. People wondered whether he'd left town, had been locked up in prison for another crime, or maybe even died. But when another woman's corpse with the same lethal signature surfaced, authorities knew the Bike Path Killer was back. And He Almost Got Away With It. Now, for the first time, two award-winning reporters follow a depraved killer's bloody trail of terror to the bitter end: his horrifying confession. . . Includes 16 pages of shocking photos. "




Just a Dog


Book Description

How can we make sense of acts of cruelty towards animals?




Edmund Kemper


Book Description

Real Crime by Real Killers A series where we explore how normal individuals turned their darkest fantasies into a reality. Edmund Emil Kemper III achieved notoriety as a serial killer when he took the lives of 10 people between August 27, 1964, and April 21, 1973. His victims included his adoptive grandparents, six co-eds from the University of Santa Cruz, his mother, and his mother's friend. This book explored the life of Kemper from his abusive childhood to his sentencing in November 1973. The horror of Kemper's actions go beyond the killing of his victims; it was what he did with his victims' bodies after killing them. Necrophilia, cannibalism, and dismemberment were all part his routine in his attempts to satiate his morbid desires. Just as terrifying as his dark fantasies were his ability to appear and function as an average person, allowing him to avoid raising suspicion in those he interacted with, including law enforcement. Contrary to the myth that serial killers kill indiscriminately, Kemper's killing spree may have been rooted in the hatred that he felt for his mother. In an interview after his capture, he admitted that he was intentionally developing his killing skills with each co-ed that he killed. He was training for the ultimate murder, which was the killing of his mother. From beginning to end, the book provides insights to why Kemper became a serial killer as well his mindset behind the killings.