Behind The Scenes With John Walsh: Serial Killers

This week, John Walsh and America's Most Wanted head to Los Angeles to visit the AMOC command center. Using state-of-the-heart technology, different agencies use the command center to monitor every single plane in the air within a 24-hour period.
 

State-of-the art technology was also used to solve the Grim Sleeper case, one of the serial killers featured in this week's serial killer special.

Over a 20-year period, cops say Lonnie Franklin committed 10 murders in the Los Angeles area and attempted one more. After over two decades of investigation, cops were finally able to tie the crimes to Franklin when his son was arrested and his DNA was routinely entered into the database. Cops then realized that his DNA bore a striking resemblence to the then-unknown Grim Sleeper.

Police began gathering DNA evidence from all males related to Franklin’s son and discovered his father, Lonnie, was not in the system. Police followed Franklin to a pizza parlor and recovered his pizza and drink cup from the trash, which they successfully matched to the Grim Sleeper’s DNA. Franklin was arrested without incident on July 7, 2010.

The case, however, is not quite closed. Hundreds of photos of women have been found at Franklin's home. Cops have identified all but 58 of them, and they need your help to get through the remaining photos.

The story of the Grim Sleeper case lends creedence to John's continued advocacy for a nationwide DNA database. According to John, the database could solve thousands of cold cases around the country as well as free innocent men from incarceration.

Tune in Saturday night to see John discuss these methods with LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, as well as hear about many other serial killer cases.