Lonnie Franklin Jr., who stood shackled in an orange prison jumpsuit, said nothing during the brief proceeding in a Los Angeles courtroom, The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times reported.
The 57-year-old retired auto mechanic was arrested July 7 after DNA evidence allegedly linked him to the killings of 10 women from 1985 to 1988 and from 2002 to 2007. All of the victims were black, and many were prostitutes. The victims were shot with a handgun or strangled. Their bodies were dumped in alleyways and trash bins, authorities said.
Nick Ut, Pool/AP
Lonnie Franklin Jr., right, appears with his attorney, Louisa Pensanti, for an arraignment Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court. Franklin, accused of being the "Grim Sleeper" serial killer, pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of murder.
In addition to the not-guilty plea on the 10 murders, Franklin's attorney also entered a not-guilty plea in regard to a single count of attempted murder, involving a near-fatal assault on a woman who was raped, shot and left for dead in November 1988.
Meanwhile, city documents obtained by L.A. Weekly show Franklin has collected $300,000 in monthly disability pension payments since 1991 because of a shoulder injury he received while working as a garbage collector.
Despite the earnings, an estimated $1,600 a month that Franklin continues to collect behind bars, he is being represented pro bono by a private attorney.
When questioned about the allowance by L.A. Weekly, the Office of the City Attorney said it could not cut off Franklin's payments, even if he's ultimately convicted.
Franklin has been held without bail since his arrest. Due to the special circumstances of the multiple murders, he could be eligible for the death penalty, if convicted.
A preliminary hearing in the case is set for Sept. 14.