Regina Hall’s gig with ‘Cold Case Files’ is the perfect true crime rabbit hole

Regina Hall has built a successful career in fiction, but her personal fascination with true crime has allowed her to dive into the genre professionally. The actress is the narrator of a new A&E documentary, Cold Case Files: The Grim Sleeper, which chronicles the chilling story of Lonnie Franklin Jr., a convicted serial killer who terrorized South Central Los Angeles for over two decades.

Franklin, known as the Grim Sleeper, committed his crimes primarily during the 1980s and 1990s, before taking a hiatus and resuming his killings in the mid-2000s. He was finally apprehended in 2010 and sentenced to death, but he died in prison in 2020 at the age of 67. Franklin’s case is particularly noteworthy not only because of the brutal nature of his crimes, but also because of his background. He was one of the rare serial killers who was Black, and his victims were primarily Black women, many of whom were poor or came from troubled backgrounds.

Hall confessed to CNN that she wasn’t familiar with the Grim Sleeper case before she signed on to narrate the documentary. However, as she became more immersed in the story, she was struck by the deep emotional pain experienced by the victims and their families. “I learned a lot more about it later,” Hall said. “I was very happy that those victims got to speak honestly and candidly about what was happening during that time and how they felt unheard and unseen.”

The victims’ voices take center stage in the documentary, with many of them, as well as the families of those who died, speaking out about the devastating impact of Franklin’s crimes. Hall found it particularly important that the documentary gave these individuals the platform to express their anguish. “A lot of times these documentaries are very focused on the killer, but this one really focused on the victims and their families,” Hall explained. She praised the way the series sensitively addressed the emotional toll of the murders while highlighting the pain and frustration felt by those who were left behind.

One of the aspects of the Grim Sleeper case that Hall found especially unsettling was how Franklin’s crimes didn’t match the typical profile of a serial killer. Most serial killers tend to be white men, but Franklin defied that stereotype. He also took long breaks between his murders, which further complicated the investigation and allowed him to remain at large for so long. Hall was surprised by how much she learned through the process of narrating the documentary, especially about the victims’ struggles with being overlooked and dismissed by law enforcement and society at large.

Hall’s interest in true crime extends beyond Cold Case Files: The Grim Sleeper. She’s a fan of similar shows like Dateline and finds herself intrigued by the complexities of human behavior. “Human beings, we’re quite perplexing,” she said. “I do like true crime shows. They’re fascinating. Sometimes it kind of helps you to sympathize outside of what you’re dealing with in your own life.” Despite the darker themes in the genre, Hall finds the stories compelling and often uses them as a form of escape.

When asked about her own personal fears, Hall was quick to offer a lighthearted response, saying, “Marrying the wrong person.” Her comment reflected the way true crime often portrays domestic situations gone horribly wrong, particularly in cases where a spouse is involved in a murder. “Sometimes I see them killing somebody and I think, ‘Oh no, not the husband!’” she joked, referencing the countless true crime cases where a partner is the perpetrator.

The documentary Cold Case Files: The Grim Sleeper premieres on A&E at 9 p.m., offering a gripping look at one of the most disturbing serial killer cases in recent memory. Through Hall’s narration and the poignant stories of the victims and their families, the series seeks to shine a light on a dark chapter in Los Angeles history, emphasizing the importance of giving voice to those who were silenced by Franklin’s crimes.