The ‘Grim Sleeper’ Serial killer targets Black women In South L.A. For Over 20 Years.

Killing black women in south Los Angeles

Did you know that a serial killer has been killing black women in South Los Angeles for the past 20 years, and that the case is as unresolved by the LAPD as the murders of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas, and the death of Biggie Smalls on Wilshire and Fairfax Blvd.

In a case that is reminiscent of the police oversight in Cleveland, by being remise in their investigation of a series of missing women reports in the same neighborhood for over 15 years, they only recently were able to arrest convicted rapist Anthony Sowell for the killings.

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As in the Cleveland serial killer case, the perpetrator was able to get away with his murderous rampages for several years, due to the fact that police departments around the country continue to fail to follow-up and thoroughly investigate the murders, or the missing case reports, of black women that they deem to be street trash.

In Los Angeles, we see that black women are treated like dirt, as compared to the way a white women would be assisted, and if they go missing, it is the top priority for the department.

We see that with the mishandling of the Mitrice Richardson disappearance by the Malibu Police Department, after they released her after she clearly was acting disoriented as if her life and safety did not matter.

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In LA, the name of the serial killer is ‘The Grim Sleeper’. A citizens action group has been set up to keep a focus on finding and prosecuting this killer. In south LA, the police were not very quick to connect the dots to incriminate one killer.

The following is quoted from their website, http://www.blackcoalitionfightsback.org/, and I encourage you all to look at it and support their effort to capture this killer…

Because the killings were not connected as serial murders, the tragic enormity of the situation has been hidden and downplayed, and vital evidence, connections and patterns may have been missed.

Public and media attention which would have been greater if the total numbers of deaths had been known, would have spurred the police into a more vigorous investigation. Lives might have been saved and the community better protected from further attacks.

The first set of murders was announced in the mid-1980s after eleven women had already been killed in a 40-mile radius in South L.A. The police falsely referred to the killer as the “Prostitute Slayer” a name then picked up by the press.

By the end of the 1980s the public was told that the murders committed by the South side Slayer were solved.

The police named the second set of murders the “Strawberry Murders” (a name given by LAPD because they said the victims were mainly women who exchanged sex for drugs). A Sheriff’s Deputy, Ricky Ross, was arrested and charged with three of the murders and then subsequently released for lack of credible evidence.

After 11 dead victims and one surviving eyewitness, LAPD have finally re-released 1988 composite sketch of serial killer infamously known as the “Grim Sleeper.”

A well spoken, 20 or 30-year-old man began attacking women, typically those working as prostitutes in South Los Angeles in 1985. Police found fingerprints, DNA and other compelling evidence that point to the same killer. All victims, including the surviving woman, were shot with the same small-caliber gun.

One woman, ‘Enietra’ Margette, survived an attack in 1988. The alleged serial killer shot the victim in the chest and sexually assaulted her.

Families of several of the victims were never notified by law enforcement that their loved ones were killed by a serial murderer—and neither was the lone survivor of the attacks.

Each was made to believe that it had been a random killer. Many families had to learn from press articles or from television! Crucial patterns of evidence have been missed.

The public is deeply disturbed by the lack of information released over the past 20 years. The  Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders challenged the LAPD to take more aggressive actions toward solving the cold cases.

According to reports, the police have recently released a 911 tape of witness who saw the driver of a van dump a body.

The Black Coalition begs the questions, “Why was so little done in 20 years to solve these murders?”

I know the answer to that is easy….”because it is easy for many in law enforcement to believe that black women are trash”….

Their treatment of our women proves this to be true.

Known Victims Of The Grim Sleeper

“This guy’s targeting people on the streets. Most of our girls have had issues with narcotics or prostitution, so it’s not so much that he’s creeping around, taking innocent mothers off the street. We suggest people just use caution when they’re out.”

“It’s the difference between the valuing of Black life versus the valuing of White life.

Clearly if these were White women, as opposed to being Black women, especially if these were White women sort of in the working class, there would be an all-out onslaught. It would be national news … whether or not they were prostitutes,” said Atty. Gyamfi.

Family members of victims held a meeting with task force investigators to determine what else they didn’t know, like police had a composite sketch of the suspect but have never released it.

“They have a sketch that was done back in 1988 and that is something that normally you get out everywhere. You think about the Craig’s List killer, and how they had pictures of him and his head was always down or turned to the side. They didn’t care. They put that mess up and said if you have any information let us know,” she said.

And the 911 tape about Barbara Ware’s murder existed in the 1980s—but wasn’t made public until earlier this year.

LAPD is currently composing an updated sketch of the serial killer who may be in his late 40s to mid 50s now.

At the time of the eyewitness’s attack, the alleged murderer was described as well spoken, 20 to 30 years old, pockmarked face, between 5’8” to 5’10.” He was last seen driving an orange two-door 1970’s Pinto, hatchback with tinted windows and green interior.

Anyone with information is urged to contact 800 Task Force Detectives, Robbery-Homicide Division at (213) 473-0346 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. During non-business hours, call the Detective Information Desk 877-LAPD-247.

If the murders had not happened in South L.A. against working-class Black women but in Beverly Hills or some other affluent neighborhood would they have been handled with the same lack of care and seriousness, would they be so under-reported by the media?

What do you think?

Source…

http://www.lawofficer.com/news-and- rticles/news/2009/11/lapd_releases_sketch_of_1985_serial_killer.html

http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_6366.shtml