# Frank C. Girardot

> Frank C. Girardot is a Pasadena-based American journalist, true-crime author and communications executive. He founded Pegasus Communications in 2015, led the Los Angeles News Group’s Getting Away with Murder project, and wrote Name Dropper and Becoming Clark Rockefeller. His collaborations include Burned with Lori Orr Kovach and books with Burl Barer. His more recent work includes Viewoak Strategies and the Area 51 publication.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Pegasus Communications (identified on company website); founder of Viewoak Strategies (2026 public profiles)
- **Organizations:** Pegasus Communications, LLC, Viewoak Strategies, WildBlue Press, Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association, BYD North America (former), RIDE (former), Los Angeles News Group (former), Pasadena Star-News (former), San Gabriel Valley Tribune (former), Los Angeles Herald-Examiner (former), Ontario Daily Report (former)
- **From:** Detroit, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bellarmine College Preparatory, San Jose State University, University of California, San Diego
- **Known for:** Led Getting Away with Murder, a project encompassing 11,242 Los Angeles County homicides from 2000 through 2010., Received a 1995 investigative-journalism award identified in his publisher biography as the Southern California Press Association award., Received the Los Angeles Press Club’s first-place sportswriting award in 1998, according to his publisher biography.

## Career timeline

- **Late 1980s** — Began newspaper work as a copyboy at the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.
- **1994** — Reported on the unsolved killing of Geneva Hilliker Ellroy; the reporting helped lead to James Ellroy’s My Dark Places.
- **2013** — Published Name Dropper: Investigating the Clark Rockefeller Mystery.
- **2015** — Led Getting Away with Murder, examining Los Angeles County homicides from 2000 through 2010; founded Pegasus Communications in Arcadia.
- **2016** — Coauthored A Taste for Murder with Burl Barer.
- **2019** — Presented Burned with coauthor Lori Orr Kovach at South Pasadena Public Library.
- **2023** — Published Becoming Clark Rockefeller through WildBlue Press.
- **2025** — Installed as Pasadena Chamber board chair for the 2025–26 term on June 27.
- **2026** — Appeared in a May ACT Expo interview representing RIDE; subsequently announced his departure from BYD and RIDE. Public professional profiles now identify Viewoak Strategies.

## Achievements

- Led Getting Away with Murder, a project encompassing 11,242 Los Angeles County homicides from 2000 through 2010.
- Received a 1995 investigative-journalism award identified in his publisher biography as the Southern California Press Association award.
- Received the Los Angeles Press Club’s first-place sportswriting award in 1998, according to his publisher biography.
- Finalist for the 2015 University of Florida Award for Investigative Data Journalism, according to his publisher biography.
- Founded Pegasus Communications in 2015.
- Installed as Pasadena Chamber of Commerce board chair for the 2025–26 term.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Listed as the planned moderator of a panel on Pasadena as an innovation hub at the October 22 Business and Economic Summit; this is a scheduled event, not an assertion that it has occurred.
- **2026-09** — Promoted The Index, a podcast with J. Brian Charles distributed through Area 51 and podcast/video platforms.
- **2026-09** — Published The Slippery Slope of Agentic AI on Area 51 on September 22.
- **2026-05** — Appeared with Jason Shi in a School Bus Fleet interview at ACT Expo discussing electric school buses; published May 13.

## Links

- Website: https://truecrimearea51.substack.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankgirardot
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/FrankGirardot
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankgirardo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesceneblog

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/frank-girardot
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21