'Mystery man' defense in 'Grim Sleeper' case gets DA's scorn

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Closing arguments in the trial of the man charged in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings lurched from a whodunit crime thriller Tuesday to science fiction as attorneys sparred over evidence.

Defense lawyer Seymour Amster revealed for the first time in the long-running trial that a "mystery man," an unnamed nephew of defendant Lonnie Franklin Jr., was the real killer.

Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman shot back during her rebuttal that Amster had concocted an imaginary scenario at the last minute in the face of overwhelming evidence of guilt.

Franklin, 63, a former garbage man and mechanic for the Los Angeles Police Department, could face the death penalty if convicted of the slayings of a 15-year-old girl and nine young women.

Much of the killing occurred during the crack cocaine epidemic and the killer preyed mostly on young black women, some of whom worked as prostitutes.

Several other serial killers were active at the time in South Los Angeles and community members criticized police for not aggressively investigating the slayings because the victims were black and poor.