Bio

Franklin Lynch was born in 1955 in California. Before the 1987 murders, Lynch had a criminal history. By the time police began focusing on him, elderly women in Northern California had already been targeted in a frightening series of daytime home attacks. The attacker became known as “The Day Stalker” because the crimes often happened during daytime hours. The victims were usually elderly women who lived alone or were vulnerable inside their homes. The attacks involved robbery, violence, and, in several cases, fatal beatings or asphyxiation.

By the summer of 1987, San Leandro residents were alarmed by the murders of elderly women in their community. Investigators eventually focused on Lynch after a manhunt and after evidence connected him to items belonging to victims.

Murder Story

The confirmed murder series occurred between June and August 1987 in San Leandro, California. The victims were elderly women attacked inside their homes during robberies. The crimes were especially frightening because they appeared to target women who were vulnerable and alone.

Lynch was later convicted of killing Pearl Larson, Adeline Figuerido, and Anna Constantine. He was also convicted of robbing two other elderly women in the Hayward area. All five women in the confirmed trial evidence had been attacked during daytime incidents.

The violence in the attacks was severe. In Adeline Figuerido’s case, trial testimony described multiple blows to her head, neck, and face, along with severe injuries. Her hands were tied behind her back, and a blanket was tied around her head.

Police linked Lynch to the crimes after an investigation into the wider “Day Stalker” pattern. He was arrested in Los Angeles in October 1987 after a statewide manhunt. Investigators searched his residence and reportedly found property connected to the victims.

Lynch’s trial ended in 1992. He was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, along with burglary and robbery-related charges. He was sentenced to death and sent to California’s death row. The California Supreme Court later affirmed his convictions and death sentence in 2010.

The case continued for decades through post-conviction litigation. In 2026, Lynch won relief under California’s Racial Justice Act. His attorneys argued that racial bias affected his capital trial, including discriminatory jury-selection practices and racially dehumanizing language used by the prosecutor. On February 4, 2026, Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson conceded that Lynch was entitled to relief. On February 9, 2026, the Alameda County Superior Court vacated his conviction and death sentence and ordered a new trial.