Ep 1. The Grim Sleeper

A&E will premiere the new two-hour special "Cold Case Files: The Grim Sleeper" expanding the groundbreaking true crime series and exploring the crimes of infamous serial killer Lonnie Franklin Jr. who preyed on women in South Central Los Angeles over a span of 25 years. In Los Angeles in the 1980's, a killer terrorized South Central, murdering African American women and discarding their bodies in the street. Yet, as the victim count rose, there were few suspects leading to fear and anger in a community often overlooked by the LAPD. Eventually dubbed "The Grim Sleeper," this notorious killer went on to terrorize the neighborhood for decades until DNA technology allowed the LAPD to close in on the perpetrator. Featuring in depth interviews with survivors and victims' families, many speaking for the first time, as well as rare archival footage, "Cold Case Files: The Grim Sleeper" explores the personal stories of the victims who were all but forgotten by the police, the media and the community at large.