In 2010 Lonnie Franklin, Jr. was arrested on suspicion of his having killed untold numbers of women who have disappeared or whose bodies have been found. The case has caused a sensation, but Franklin, Jr., now incarcerated, has still not yet been brought to trial, so the ultimate outcome of the case is yet to be determined.

Broomfield’s trail of interviews include those who speak of the suspect’s weird proclivities, including women who had come in contact with him and are glad to have survived. Still, as interesting as it is to know about Franklin, Jr., and stories about him, it is more interesting to observe that part of Los Angeles and its residents. The life there is so very far removed from the lives of the more privileged. Broomfield had help from Pam, a former prostitute who is quite a character. She shows him around the neighborhoods, introduces him to various individuals with something to say, and educates him—and us—on life in the area with its largely African-American population.

Unlike situations in which investigations take place to show that an innocent person has been accused, this inquiry looks for the why of it all. There is an organization called the Black Coalition Fighting Black Serial Murders, organized to pressure police to take more investigative action when black women are killed or gone missing.