Grim Sleeper Trial Opens in L.A.

In a courtroom full of witnesses, jury members, and family members of murdered victims, a L.A. County Deputy District Attorney, Beth Silverman, opens the trial with a statement concerning “a serial killer stalking a cocaine-filled neighborhood.” On February 16, the trial of Lonnie Franklin Jr. begins three decades after the discovery of his first alleged victim. Franklin was accused of killing 10 women between 1985 and 2007. The women were between the ages of 15 and 35, and were found strangled or shot to death. The "Grim Sleeper" nickname came about because of an apparent 14-year gap in the murders between 1988 and 2002. During the time of the murders, many of the victims were women looking for cocaine to sell their bodies for sex. The women believed Franklin would supply them with cheap drugs after they gave him sexual pleasure. Unfortunately, that was not Franklin’s goal. Every woman, except one, was found with drugs in their system and signs of sexual contact after meeting with the accused murderer. The only woman who was not found with drugs in her system was a fifteen year-old runaway who was found dead after taking advantage of by Franklin Jr. Franklin was arrested in July of 2010 after a substance of his DNA was only found at some of the crime scenes. Franklin pleaded not guilty on 10 counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. The defense did not give an opening statement before the trial opened, but Franklin Jr.’s attorney, Seymour Amster, opened with a statement concerning the fact that the defensive side have might tampered with evidence. "The defense has thoroughly ... prepared for this case," Amster said. "And we believe that before it is done, there will be a different story told than what the prosecution is stating." In her report, L.A. coroner, Dr. Lisa Schenin, wrote that one of the victims she examined was shot by the accused, and believed the shot wasn’t fatal so Franklin strangled the victim to death. Schenin testified that the victim’s death was asphyxiation as evidenced by "petechial hemorrhaging". Amster fought Schenin’s testimony stating that no evidence of strangulation was found on the victim’s wound. No signs of finger prints or nails were found around the victim’s throat. After speaking with ABC news, Amster said "Lack of defensive wounds mean lack of struggling.” "I think it was a good day for the prosecution,” Silverman said after court wrapped for the day. The trial is expected to last four months.

Leapin' Lizards: Working on Broadway

Have you ever considered working as a stagehand or stage tech for a Broadway show? After getting the chance to work as a electrician(light technician) for the Broadway show, Annie, I can say it is much different than what I thought it would be. The show was performed at the University of Tyler’s Cowan Center in Tyler, Texas. This year the Cowan Center has three Broadway shows: Annie, Saturday Night Fever, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that have signed on to stop and performed during their seasonal tour. For this show, I got the chance to learn how different a Broadway show is to the college shows I have worked on in my school years. With a Broadway show everything is fast-paced and constantly moving. The focus with these types of show is getting stuff done. With the shows I’ve worked on or performed in at the Trinity Valley Community College, the main focus is learning as much as possible and understanding how and why everything is done. After speaking to my theatre design teacher’s husband, Andrew “Bohb” Nelson about what’s it like to work big theatre shows as a stagehand, he told me about the constant need to keep up with the group. “It’s very fast-paced and everyone’s working as hard as possible to get everything done as soon as possible,” Nelson said. Many stagehands are having to work up to 10 shows or more that they are working every week. As a stagehand for a touring show, your job includes getting up early, unloading the trucks, setting up equipment, before getting a 15 minute break, working more on setting up, have a lunch, working the show, loading the trucks, then driving all the way to your next venue. Even though the show was extremely fast-paced, I learned about tons of different lighting equipment I have never heard of or seen of. Another TVCC student also had the opportunity to work on the show. Sidney Cates, a sophomore from Edgewood, Texas, was an electrician assistant for the show. “It was very fun, and we had lots to learn,” Cates said. While I was pretty nervous to ask my head electrician questions concerning the equipment, the times that I did I asked questions I learned so many things. I was able to learn what a light-color changing scroller was and why we use it during a show. I also learned how technology is changing to assist light technicians. New advances allow them the chance to have apps on their phones or tablets to check working lights, pick up, and move the lights into air. Working as an assistant electrician for a Broadway show was an amazing opportunity that taught me so many things I thought I would never get the chance to learn or do.