| Anthony Sowell | |
|---|---|
 Picture in the wanted flyer by the Cuyahoga county sheriff office. November, 2009. |
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| Born | August 19, 1959 |
| Charge(s) | Rape, murder |
| Status | Under arrest |
Anthony Edward Sowell (born August 19, 1959) is a suspected serial killer. He pleaded guilty to attempted rape in 1989 and served 15 years in prison before his release in 2005. He was arrested again in October 2009 as a suspect in the murder of eleven women whose bodies were found at his Cleveland, Ohio duplex in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood.[1] Sowell has been charged with at least five counts of aggravated murder.[2]
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At the age of 19, Sowell entered the United States Marine Corps in Cleveland, Ohio on January 24, 1978. He attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina, then was further trained as an electrician at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. On July 13, 1978, he was assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, also in North Carolina. In 1980, Sowell spent a year overseas with the 3rd Force Service Support Group, then returned to Cherry Point. He was then ordered to Marine Corps Base Camp Butler in Okinawa, Japan on January 20, 1984. A year later, he transferred to Camp Pendleton in California for three days until his discharge on January 18, 1985. During his seven-year Marine Corps career, he received a Good Conduct Medal with one service star, a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, a Certificate of Commendation, a Meritorious Mast, and two Letters of Appreciation.[3]
In 1989 a woman, who was three months pregnant, went to Sowell’s home voluntarily, but when she tried to leave he bound her hands and feet with a tie and a belt and gagged her with a rag. The victim told police: “He choked me real hard because my body started tingling. I thought I was going to die.”[4] Sowell was charged with kidnapping, attempted rape, and rape, and eventually pleaded guilty to attempted rape, serving 15 years in prison. He was released in 2005.[5]
Sowell worked in a factory until 2007 when he began collecting unemployment benefits.[4] Neighbors said he earned a living selling scrap metal.[1] They complained to the health department of a foul smell in the neighborhood.[4] He was a member of an online dating service, where he stated that he was a "master" looking for a submissive person to "train".[6]
In September, 2009[3] Sowell invited a woman he knew to his home for a drink. On September 22, 2009 she reported to police that after a few drinks, he became angry, hit her, choked her and raped her as she passed out. On October 29, police arrived at his home with a warrant to arrest him for the alleged rape. He was not there, but they found two bodies on the floor in the living room.[4] He was located and arrested two days later.[3]
The bodies of four other women were found throughout the home, buried in a shallow grave in the basement and in crawl spaces in the house.[7] After digging in the backyard, investigators found three more bodies and the remains of a fourth. Police also found a human skull in a bucket inside the house, which brought the body count to eleven.[4]
At the time of his arrest, Sowell was 50 years old. He had been living in the home for four years.[4] He is being held on $6 million bond.[8]
On November 5, 2009, the first of the eleven alleged victims was identified as Tonia Carmichael, a 53-year old African American woman who disappeared more than a year earlier. Her body was found buried in the backyard. She appeared to have been strangled and was identified through the use of DNA evidence. She had a criminal record of theft and drug charges; her mother had reported her missing in December.[9]
On November 5, 2009, the second alleged victim was identified as Telacia Fortson, a 31-year old African American woman who disappeared five months earlier. Although she had been missing since June, her mother did not report her missing until she heard the news coverage regarding the dead bodies discovered in Sowell's home.[10]
On November 8, 2009, three more bodies were identified. Crystal Dozier was a 38-year old African American woman who went missing in May 2007. Dozier, the mother of seven children, had a criminal record and a history of drug abuse. She lived in the area where her body was discovered. Her family reported her missing to the Cleveland Police Department. This was not the first time she had gone missing, and the family accused the police of failing to investigate. The family took it upon themselves to post fliers and call hospitals.[8]
Amelda "Amy" Hunter was a 47-year old African American woman. Hunter, a beautician and a mother of three, had a criminal record and a history of drug abuse. She did not live in the area where her body was found, but she did visit frequently. A previous injury left her unable to use one of her arms. Her family did not report her missing until after police began removing bodies from Sowell's house.[8]
Michelle Mason was a 45-year old African American woman who was last seen in October 2008. She was a mother with a criminal record and a history of drug abuse. She lived in the area where her body was found. According to records, the police conducted a full investigation when her family reported her missing.[8]
Records of missing persons going back to Sowell's June 2005 release from prison are being searched and DNA testing is being conducted on the bodies found at Sowell's house. Protesters holding posters of missing loved ones have gathered outside his home.[1]
East Cleveland police are also reopening several cold cases from the late 1980s. The murders by strangulation used a similar modus operandi and stopped when Sowell was arrested in 1989.[11] And the FBI is gathering information to see if Sowell may be linked to unsolved cases in cities where he once lived.[8][12]
| Name | Age | Date of death |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Dozier | 38 | c. May, 2007 |
| Tishana Culver | 31 | c. June, 2008 |
| Leshanda Long | 25 | c. August, 2008 |
| Michelle Mason | 45 | c. October, 2008 |
| Tonia Carmichael | 53 | c. December, 2008 |
| Nancy Cobbs | 43 | c. April, 2009 |
| Amelda Hunter | 47 | c. April, 2009 |
| Telacia Fortson | 31 | c. June, 2009 |
| Janice Webb | 49 | c. June, 2009 |
| Kim Yvette Smith | 44 | c. July, 2009 |
Shortly after his release from prison, Lori Frazier, the niece of Mayor Frank Jackson, began a relationship with Sowell and resided in his house. She claims in an interview to have smelled the stench of the bodies and been told that the smell was coming from Sowell's stepmother and when she moved out that the smell was from Ray's Sausage shop. There is some confusion about when Frazier stopped living Sowell's house. In a video interview she mentions moving out in 2007, but in a published article she is said to have been living there until 2008.[13] Another articles quotes a friend of Frazier's stating that Frazier stopped hanging around the house in 2008.[14]
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