The Grim Sleeper and a Hiatus

[diana]

Here is some info about an SK, as yet uncaught, who is terrorizing Los Angeles.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/04/national/main4414220.shtml

Bullet evidence and DNA identify this person as being one in the same in ten killings.

What is interesting is that there was a 13 year hiatus. Of course it is always possible that this person was locked up during that time or otherwise incapacitated. We won't know till he's caught. But if he wasn't locked up then what does that do to the idea that Sk's can't quit? Even for a little while?

[sdreid]

Thanks for that Diana.

It would seem that if this guy was in prison, they would have taken his DNA there and a match would have been made already. That serial killers can't quite thing is an oversimplification if not an outright falsehood in some cases.

[Dan Norder]

I just have to say that "Grim Sleeper" is one of the worst media-created names for a serial killer ever. Thankfully most news reports I've seen on the case don't use it. It was created by some alternative paper, LA Weekly I think. Maybe someone else will come up with a better one. Someone here could probably come up with something much more fitting without much effort.

[DarkPassenger]

Bus Stop Stalker beats that. Bellfield must hate that name.

This guy will be black, male, 35-50, mentally disturbed, with a history of sexual crimes (exposure, assault, that kind of thing), will have done repeated jail time, will be local, uneducated.

[diana]

Grim Sleeper is probably just about as lurid as Jack the Ripper.

[sdreid]

Perhaps I missed something but what do these crimes have to do with this guy sleeping unless it refers to his dormant period and that's pretty lame.

[Dan Norder]

Yeah, that's what it refers to, Stan. Very lame.