Grim Sleeper photos: LAPD received dozens of calls since images released

The LAPD announced Friday morning that it has received dozens of calls from the public after releasing scores of images of women found in the possession of the accused Grim Sleeper serial killer.

"We are grateful for the public’s response to the release of the images," the department said in a statement. "It is our fervent hope that with this response, coupled with the tireless efforts of our detectives, the women depicted in these images will be positively identified."

Information from those calls are now being investigated by detectives.

Photos and videos of the women were found after police arrested Lonnie Franklin Jr., who was charged in 10 killings in South Los Angeles. He has pleaded not guilty.

Detectives set out to identify the women, fearing that some could be additional homicide victims. There were several photos of each woman, and police whittled the collection down to 180 images.

For months they slogged through images in missing-person databases and coroner records, hoping for matches. The work proved fruitless. With the detectives no closer to identifying the women, police turned to the public Thursday for help. At a news conference, they released cropped versions of the images that show the women's faces, hoping the women themselves, their family members or acquaintances will recognize them and contact investigators.

"As a police department, we have an obligation to account for the welfare of these women," said veteran homicide Det. Dennis Kilcoyne, who headed the task force that hunted for the killer. "We're trying to fill in the life and times of Lonnie Franklin over the past 30 years, and talking to people is a big part of that. These are obviously women who had a conversation or two with this guy.... I won't be surprised if we find some of them were his victims."

Anyone with information is urged to call the LAPD at (877) LAPD-24-7.

RELATED:

Police release 180-photo trove from 'Grim Sleeper' suspect

Photo gallery of 'Grim Sleeper' women

Homicide Report: Grim Sleeper case

-- Andrew Blankstein and Joel Rubin

Photos: LAPD

Comments

[August]

And Los Angeles has homeless veterans THROWN IN ITS HORRIFYING JAILS for sleeping outside BECAUSE THEY ARE HOMELESS; giving them LIFE-LONG, LIFE-LIMITING CRIMINAL RECORDS!

[Sasha]

What a tragedy! i`m so thankfull this MONSTER if off the street! My prayeras go out to the family members of the victims.

[Rape Victim]

Those (videos?) the police found at his residence - well they may have not been filmed by outsiders - sometimes these psycho derelicts invite innocent girls or women over like after clubs, parties, or the like and he has some sort of hidden camera so he can maybe sell them, then he gets them drugged or boozed up til sometimes they can't even remember - go into blackouts! Maybe some were his friends or aquaintences who filmed the girls. The youngs ones also sometimes very vulnerable and scared to (not do) whatever the man says. Not everyone was born a fighter, runner, trainer, and without fear.

[Rape Victim]

My local newspaper said that the police found I think, videos or something of many girls (women?) Congrats to the police on this one. I was praying for them to find the right one.