Grim Sleeper killings: Princess Berthomieux, 15, in 2002

March 19, 2002

Princess Berthomieux, a 15-year-old black girl, was found strangled and beaten March 19, 2002, in an Inglewood alley, authorities said.

Her nude body was found by a passerby in the shrubs, according to coroner's records. Although the coroner gave the date her body was found as March 9, 2002, officials from the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said her body was found 10 days later.

Berthomieux had last been seen by her family on Dec. 21, 2001, police said.

Los Angeles police believe she is the ninth of 11 victims of a serial killer known as "the Grim Sleeper."

On July 7, 2010, authorities arrested Lonnie David Franklin Jr., a 57-year old black man, at his home in South Los Angeles after police said they made DNA matches linking him to Berthomieux's killing, as well as others dating between 1985 to 2007.

Prosecutors said they have charged Franklin with 10 counts of murder, noting that he is eligible for the death penalty. He has not been charged in the 1986 shooting death of Thomas Steele, a 36-year old black man, although authorities believe Steele's killing is connected to the other cases.

Franklin is a former city trash collector who at one time worked as a vehicle mechanic at an LAPD station, sources said.

-- Times staff reports

Map shows location of home of Lonnie David Franklin, Jr. and the locations of where the Grim Sleeper's victims were found. Click for more details.

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16 reader comments

This post is far overdue, but I know my father, who passed away a year and a half ago, would want it said. My father was the DCFS worker assigned to Princess and helped place her with the foster parents who loved her so very much, and wanted nothing more than to adopt her. I used to accompany my dad to visit her regularly, until he retired from DCFS, partially because he lost hope in the system after his boss did not allow her foster parents to adopt her. She was such a sweet, gentle, kind person, despite all of the suffering inflicted on her as a toddler (she was resuscitated after being in cardiac arrest, caused by the abuse). My dad and I would often bring her up for years after he retired from DCFS, as she left such an impression on us. We always hoped she continued thriving academically and emotionally. I'll never forget the day my dad called me at work to tell me he saw Princess' picture on the news as one of the victims of the grim sleeper serial killer. He and I were both in tears, despite not having seen her since around 1996, as we could not have imagined a more tragic end to someone who endured such a tragic beginning. It's so unfortunate to imagine how much she persevered through, only to end up being a disposable victim. Nobody deserved a life full of happiness more than she did.

— Jaren Feb. 17, 2016 at 1:36 p.m.

This post is a little late as this was years ago but the story seems to have resurfaced... Princess was an abused child (severely abused) and survived. Her case which happened when she was 3yrs of age, made the news when her father was arrested because of the severity of the abuse (she was locked in closets, hands and feet tied up, beaten, etc..). She was then sent to stay with a foster family who had put her in therapy as well as private school. She stayed with them for roughly 10 years (until the age of 14) before the mother passed away. At that time, her foster sister took her in with her children and family, but at that point, she had become disobedient, had begun to lie alot...no doubt that much of this was due to her previous abuse as well as now the loss of the one person who took care of her.. so basically she began to act out. When it became to much for the sister, she was placed in another foster home. She was very withdrawn and when she started running away, she unfortunately fell into harm's way with a pimp (who target those who are withdrawn and seem to be broken and insecure) and shortly after that, is when she was found dead in the alley at the age of 15. Its a sad story, especially considering the abuse she did survive at such an early age which at the time, was one of the most severe in LA's history..

I think one of the misconceptions about the case of the "Grim Sleeper" is that all of his victims were prostitutes... this isn't the case. He did find them (at least for the most part that we know of) in the rougher areas of town, but they were not all prostitutes..

— Meia March 16, 2014 at 1:26 p.m.

Alexis:

I've added links here to several stories by Times' reporters about the alleged Grim Sleeper killer Lonnie David Franklin, Jr. Two may be of particular interest. The first 'Everybody knew Lonnie' [ www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-grim-sleeper-profile-20100709,0,5635000.story ] details his neighbors impressions of Franklin as a small-time crook and the second "Grim Sleeper suspect stayed below LAPD's radar" [ www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-grim-sleeper-record-20100710,0,4461066.story ] looks at his extensive criminal history, including the revelation that Franklin had been sentenced to be in jail at the time he allegedly killed Valerie McCorvey in 2003 but had been released 4 months early due to overcrowding in L.A. County jails. We will continue to update these posts as new information becomes available.

— Megan Garvey/Los Angeles Times July 9, 2010 at 10:25 p.m.

Could the LA Times please give us some background on this killer? His life as a youth, his relationship with his parents, especially with his mother? What turns these men into monsters without conscience? In Canada a senior Canadian Officer and Base Commander has been arrested for multiple rapes and several murders. The country was in shock. He too collected women's panties. He apparently went on hundreds of nighttime pantie raids over the years.
From a statement I read, the Grim Sleeper hated prostitutes. Was his mother a prostitute?
Ordinary people especially Youth Workers and Social Workers and Pastors need this sort of information so they can intervene and preventing the evolution of inately disturbed children and youth from becoming mad dog, robotic killers

— Alexis Portaqui July 9, 2010 at 9:34 p.m.