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.

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.

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 the same .25 calibre gun. The man responsible was Lonnie David Franklin Jr. However, his identity wouldn't be revealed for more than 20 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 epidemic that was sweeping through its most deprived areas. The victims were black women, and often addicts and sex workers. Many in the communities of South Central felt that these factors all caused a lack of interest on the part of the LAPD in investigating the murders, allowing Franklin to carry on his killing spree undetected.

Take a seat and settle in—it’s a gigantic treasury of trivia and humor for our twenty-fifth (is that porcelain?) anniversary! IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Gold Winner in Humor ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, Honorable Mention in Humor “Fully Loaded” is putting it mildly. This behemoth of a book is overflowing with incredible stories, surprising facts, weird news, little-known origins, forgotten history, fun wordplay, and everything else that millions of loyal fans have come to expect from the world’s best-selling bathroom reading series. As always, it’s divided by length: quickies for the reader on the go, medium-sized articles for those with a few minutes to spare, and extra-long pieces for those truly leg-numbing experiences. Here are just a few of the hundreds of topics loaded into this edition of America’s favorite source of fascinating information: * Forgotten Firsts * Dumb Crooks: Stoner Edition * Bizarre Japanese Video Games * The Kamikaze Instruction Manual * Our Lady of the Little Green Men * The Worst Fire in American History * The World’s Worst Business Decision * The New Year’s Eve Opossum Drop * Do Blondes Really Have More Fun? * Failed Doomsday Predictions * When Toilets Explode * and much, much more!

"One of the best true crime books of all time" —Time 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. As seen on Investigation Discovery's true-crime documentary "The Grim Sleeper: Mind of a Monster"

Ina Wilson first encounters L.F., ( later known as the Grimm Sleeper, convicted and sentenced to death serial killer Lonnie Franklin)as a teenage crack dealer as he cruised the streets of the West Side of South Central, Los Angeles, looking for victims. As Ina Wilson's life descends into drug addiction and repeated incarceration over a twenty year period, she indirectly has contact with the Grimm Sleeper, who kills many of her friends and colleagues, until 2006 when she finds herself directly in the Grimm Sleeper's grasp, and barely escapes with her life .