First Victim of Anthony Sowell Identified
Eleven bodies in varying states of decomposition have been found so far in the home and buried in the backyard of Anthony Sowell’s home in Cleveland, Ohio. Of the eleven victims recovered to date six were inside the house and five were buried in the yard. Seven of the victims were strangled via use of a ligature, one was strangled manually, two were far too decomposed to determine specificity in the cause of death and have been ruled death by “homicidal violence”, and the autopsy of the eleventh is still being conducted. Of the corpses that the authorities have been able to determine sex and race, it appears the victims were by majority, if not all, African-American women.
Sowell’s multiple murders were discovered at his residence when officials arrived at the house in connection with charges that had been filed against Sowell concerning an alleged attack on Gladys Wade on December 8th, 2008. During that attack Gladys states Sowell punched her in the face, drug her into his home and began to strangle her. But Gladys was able to get away and thanks to her contacting the authorities, Cleveland has its very own serial killer under arrest. The judge ruled no bond yesterday for Anthony Sowell citing the “macabre nature” of the crimes and stating the allegations against Sowell were the most “gruesome” and “serious” he had heard in his time on the bench.
Anthony Sowell, an ex Marine and registered sex offender, has been out of prison since 2005 when he was released after serving a sentence for a previous attack on a woman. He was charged with two counts of attempted rape in 1989 and plead guilty to both in a plea agreement. He served his time for those charges from 1990 to 2005. Authorities fear Sowell’s victim list will include missing from just after he was released.
The first victim identified is Tonia Carmichael who went missing around November 10, 2008. Tonia’s body was identified through DNA testing. The mother of Tonia states the woman was a crack addict. It should not come as surprise if the list of victims are found to be of a similar set of women who were vulnerable either due to an addiction, or a lifestyle such as prostitution. Tonia was 52 when she went missing and had an address listed in the Shaker Heights area of Cleveland.
(undated Photo courtesy of CNN)
Valhall.
Related news articles:
http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=124782&catid=3
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/05/cleveland.bodies.identified/index.html
No related posts.
47 People have left comments on this post
“Sowell’s multiple murders were discovered at his residence when officials arrived at the house in connection with charges that had been filed against Sowell concerning an alleged attack on Gladys Wade on December 8th, 2008.”
that was almost a year ago….do you know when Ms. Wade reported the attack? did it really take police that long to investigate her allegations?
Valhill-I saw this briefly the other night on NG. I noticed a few things. It was reported that some people commented that the area around the house smelled like “something died”, sounds like Cindy. Some people thought the smell was the meat factory nearby, sounds like Cindy with the EMPTY pizza box. And others reported that they didn’t smell anything, Cindy was critical that certain people from the tow yard said they had smelled nothing too.
This blows my mind! is it because these poor women had addictions or other problems?
I live 10 minutes from that hell. It has been reported locally that the sausage maker near the site spent years and plenty of money trying to locate the source of the smell. Councilmen and neighbors complained for years. Visitors and relatives came and went from that house. Sowell was not a hermit. I hate to say it, but it is clear that the Cleveland Police spent no time looking for these women and took no special notice of the large number of people disappearing from this neighborhood. One victim (who lived less than a block away with her 4 children) was not even reported missing by her family. (They assumed she ran off to Akron a year ago).
I cannot tell you the heartbreak everyone feels regarding this nightmare. Worse, because of the race, sex and past of the victims, no one gave a crap until the bodies were accidently discovered. Even the attempted rape victim had to wait 5 weeks for the police to even bother to go to the registered sex offenders house to question him.
Now they are going to check out a house in East Cleveland where he lived right after prison. Apparently there are quite a few women missing from that neighborhood also. Hmm… I have been living on the near east side of Cleveland for 49 years. I am a news junkie. Why did only the families know about this? You would think even the most incompetent news rooms would pick up on dozens of women missing. We are not that big a town. Sadly, if this many (or even one) white women disappeared, even drug addicted ones, no stone would have been left unturned.
Thank you for providing a forum for my venting. I have been very sad about this whole ugly situation.
tob,
Thank you for sharing this insight. What has really blown my mind about this case is to find out that last December a cop came in that house, went all the way to the 3rd floor, and didn’t report smelling decomposing bodies???
WTF?
I am sad to have to agree that there is “investigative discrimination” that takes place some times. Who knows how quickly this guy would have been stopped had he just been in another neighborhood. But then again, he probably knew that as well.
I have been very busy and unable to check on the progress of this case. Have they been able to identify any of the other victims yet?
They have identified all but one. They haven’t said, but it is probably the head that was found in a bucket. No body for the head has been located. Yesterday they had earth moving equipment out there again. They are looking in yards of empty homes on the block. No sign yet of serious wall demolition on the interior or tearing up of the foundation/basement area. Anyone who goes by notices that you never see any police going under the large space beneath the porch. The place still stinks.
It would seem there is “closure” for many that is turning to low anger. We will see how this unfolds.
oh by the way, had not heard that about the policeman going to the third floor. I have read that the sheriff department was handling his parole and only went as far as the front door to verify residency once a year.
tob,
Go to this timeline (this is not the original news article I read it in, but this will suffice for now).
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/11/anthony_sowell_timeline.html
I will try to find the original news article that stated this same fact.
That’s ok, you have enough to do. I almost never go to Cleveland.com or read the Plain Dealer. We have a long standing soap opera regarding them and the police/politicos in this town. I have, maybe stupidly, been on strike.
In any case, how creepy was that? I find it hard to believe the policeman would have stepped over dead bodies and not noticed. I would think it likely that Sowell degenerated more and more and became a very disorganized murderer. He got too lazy to dig or use local dumpsters when the numbers got overwelming and started stashing the bodies in the house.
What happens to these victims that they initially report attacks and then refuse to follow through? I am sure that subject could be a whole blog by itself. I can relate with these reactions and at the same time not understand at all. Clear as mud.
Thanks so much for the info.
The last victim was identified this weekend. Diane Turner, 38. She disappeared the last week of September, days after the Sept. 22 rape and attempted strangulation of another woman. That incident eventually led to the discovery of the bodies and the arrest of Sowell. Not surprisingly he has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Ms. Turner was a prostitute and never reported missing to the police. Her daughter (8 year old Denise Martin) was brought forward to provide DNA evidence.
They are all home now.
Tob, I have no words. My heart is broken for these women, and for you. My heart is even shaken for all that should have, but wasn’t, done here; from thorough investigations to media coverage of the missing which may have to alert if not to dissuade. This is a “nightmare”, but at least now, everyone’s been awakened, and made aware, of the absolute injustice, and the assailant has been stopped. It’s no consolation, but it’s something where once there was nothing.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your community,
Willow
Val, my gut is just wretching, here! What are the chances he’ll be deemed insane?
SCREAMING Willow
tob,
Thank you for the update. I am glad they have all been identified. I hope we see justice served in this matter in a manner that protects society.
Tob, the more I read the more bazaar this becomes. Mayor Jackson’s niece lived in the house with Sowell? Is this correct? I also need to say this, these murders are heinous, and I think the media should drop the “labels” of some of the victims. This infuriates me.
Most respectfully, Tob,
Willow
Willow,
Neither the police or the courts have a reputation for taking any crap from criminals or defense attorneys in this county (once they are caught). He lured the victims to his home and hid them, so he knew right from wrong. No insanity defense will fly.
I have no doubt that Mr. Sowell will find his way in record time to the death chamber.
The tears flowed again today. But it does help to know he is in custody, and the families have so much support and prayers from so many.
Thanks Willow!
Willow-
Oh yeah, the mayors niece did indeed hang with him. She was very lucky.
Tob
Tob,
My God, Tob, I’ve read a bit more, and am no less than all the more sickened! I am grateful the Mayor’s niece escaped any harm, though one must wonder now about her mental well being. It’s comforting to know that the law will come down hard on him, and he isn’t apt to be declared insane and escape rightful punishment. I’ve not ever been a big supporter of the death penalty, but in some instances, I can certainly appreciate how it would be justified. This is one of those instances. I am so deeply grateful that you and yours were not harmed by him. Only time will tell how many more there are. Be safe, Tob — you and yours.
All be safe and well, and hold on tightly to the ones you love,
Willow
Willow
I dont think he’l claim insanity effectivelly, since he was racional enough to cast his vic’s among peculiar families that NOT even bother to report it…he’s no fool (like Garrido, another loonie yet with enough brain to conceal his backyard and run a printing business!!!!)
Just wondered what Sowell’s mother thinks? (that the bodies were planted surely!)
Even Shanya davis father & grandmother (THE MOTHER’S mother) said it never crossed their minds that woman could sell her own baby daughter….wich comes back to the conversation we had recently, about getting to know ones mind….
It’s a Pandora box, yet to be fully understood!
However, previous criminal charges should be a red flag to be taken seriously,it’s scary
when they manage to carry on for so long.
Ppl in politics should be less worried about th the perpetrator’s “human Rights Watch” and more into the “Civil Rights” of those that try to live in society (wheather they are funcioning productively, or not) Though, these kind of idiots by targeting junkies and outcasts generaly think they are “vigilantes” providing us a service!
According to CNN the niece of the Cleveland mayor (Jackson?) had been involved in a relationship with A Sowell. (2 years ago)
Do you think this might have any connection as to the WHY he never had further problems with the local police? (interviews, warrants,etc) or it just doesnt work that way?
here lobbying speaks volumes, that’s why I wondered…(not accusing anyone)
it would just take them to look the other way, nothing more…
they acctually lived together from 2005 to 2007.
Today Mayor Jackson announced a three person panel to investigate/evaluate the police procedures and policies regarding missing women in Cleveland. Interestingly, they are all women. Teresa Beasley is a former law director for the city. Mary Bounds is an assistant publice safety director and Megan O’Bryan is the president of the Rape Crisis Center.
I don’t think the men bigwigs are going to like that too much. Good for You Mayor!
The police say many of the victims were not reported missing. The families are saying they were told not to bother if the missing person was an adult, so they searched themselves and put up posters.
May some good come from all of this!
Mr. Sowell is now writing letters from jail for the use of selling them online at a serial killer memorabilia website. Isn’t that industrius of him. A little American capitolizm.
How sweet.
http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/12708
OMG…that’s disgusting.
Mr. Sowell has withdrawn his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. There will be a new hearing in March. Also the “Cold Case” unit is reinvestigating the cases of 61 murdered women that are unsolved in the same area during the years he has lived in the area. Thirty of these sixtyone on were killed within a 2 1/2 mile radius of his homes on Imperial Road and Page Avenue between 1990 and 2005. All were sexually assaulted. The police are not saying Sowell is a suspect, but that they are rechecking the evidence.
I can’t believe I just typed about 61 unsolved sexually assaulted murdered women in the neighborhood next to mine. No one I know realized this, me included. WTF??? 61!
His lawyer has been busy asking the county for more money as well as withdrawing the plea. Also he is pizzed because the East Cleveland (where the Page Ave. home is) police talked to Sowell without his presense. The attorney said he was vulnerable because of loneliness. Jeeeesh. The police said they questioned Sowell about murder cases unrelated to what he is charged with it was his choice. They were able to establish that he knew a missing bartender, Mary Cox.
This just gets more and more disgusting.
Rufus Sims, the lawyer for Anthony Sowell, is at it again with inappropriate behavior. A woman in court for probation violations, broke down in court and told of her Sowell encounter. The woman is not named in the reports as no one could contact her after the hearing to get her permission to release her name. Sexual assault victims are not named in Ohio without an ok.
She stated that Sowell kept her prisoner and raped her, threatening to throw her in a crawl space in the bathroom, where guess what? There was maybe a dead body. She wasn’t sure and was freaked out enough to do whatever he wanted. She states he later told her she wasn’t like the others and let her go. She reported the incident and went to the hospital. Her mother had reported her missing during her confinement with Sowell. Where that report is or what follow up done is so far unclear.
Because she had previously been blown off by the police about a rape, she did not follow up. When she was arrested in December, she tried to tell the police and they laughed at her.
She begged the judge for someone to talk to about this as she has been a guilt ridden mess and could have possibly saved lives.
The detectives in the case will investigate what is being called by some as the most dramatic emotionally charged parole hearing they ever witnessed because “she knew things she could not have know had she not been there” (Imperial Avenue crime scene).
Mr. Sowell’s attorney was quoted at saying that charges against his client “seem to be coming out of the woodwork”
REALLY? WTF? OUT OF THE WOODWORK? Would that be the woodwork of a crawlspace in a bathroom? Or behind the stairs in the basement? Or behind the woodwork of the door to the attic???? WHAT AN ASSH*LE
No kidding, tob.
I wish I were. Truly.
Also this happened a week ago and we are once again wondering why we have a daily newspaper. Maybe the locals were forced to pretend like they care and update info because of Katy Couric story the other day. It seems like the media here would just like this to go away. JMO.
This reminds me of the Pickton case (pig farmer) in Port Coquitlam BC, my home town which is a suburb of Vancouver. All of the woman disappeared from the downtown east side of Vancouver (really bad area) over a period of years and all of them were prostitutes and/or drug addicts, alcoholics, etc. Because of their histories they were then categorized as transients and the reports of their disappearances were ignored.
At least 100 women “disappeared” before this pig dog Pickton was arrested. He was only charged with maybe 20 out of at least 100 of the missing women’s disappearances and only because their DNA and belongings were found on his property. Rumor has it that he fed their remains to his hogs. Gross, gross, gross!!!
After the fact, way too late of course, the papers ran some great human interest type of stories about these missing women who were ultimately some one’s daughter, granddaughter, mother, sister, niece, aunt, cousin, friend, coworker. It humanized the victims and should have been done as they went missing, but that’s life.
I’m making this comparison only because he did the same thing. Preyed on a vulnerable, marginalized group of woman who were obviously deemed not worthy or even deserving of investigation when they went missing.
OT, I noticed on researching the nutcase James McIntyre, who has recently filed something regarding Casey Anthony and he claims he was responsible for solving the Pickton case. WTF?
EEW, sounds eerily familiar. I am so sorry your community has gone through this. Our guy had a myriad of dumpsters in the area to use before he became very lazy.
The police helped him by not caring and in fact telling families not to even bother filing reports for adults. And the press didn’t notice so many missing, raped and murdered (at least 72) all from two relatively small neighborhoods. If this had happened one suburb over, the killings would have stopped at 2 IMO. So sad.
I never heard of James McIntyre, I will look him up.
Nosyparker-It looks like Vancouver at least had a task force regarding missing women for several years prior to The Pigs arrest. No such thing here in Cleveland until AFTER he was caught. Even now, the task force is only really looking for connections to Sowell, not trying to solve other cases. I don’t know anyone who even knew such a number of people was missing, let alone all of those raped and murdered bodies found. I have been living here 50 years and know quite a few people.
No list, no one looking. (well except individual families).
Mr. McIntyre sounds like a blogosphere nut. What did he file?
The victims were taken from downtown Vancouver out to his pig farm in Port Coquitlam (30 min away). Apparently, he befriended them and supplied them with drugs, etc. Then who know what he did to them. The police were under fire for waiting until approx 100 women had simply vanished over the years. A task force was set up when it went public and a group, I think consisting of family members and advocates, forced the issue. I remember picking up the paper one day where the front page had squeezed in small pictures of the missing woman. The number was staggering. In all fairness, a few of the missing woman turned up living elsewhere and didn’t know anyone was looking for them until they saw the paper. The fact is many sex trade workers/addicts tend to live a transient lifestyle but family members would know that if all of a sudden Jane Doe has stopped calling on special occasions, that something’s wrong and their concerns were ignored. IIRC an apology was issued and police policies changed.
I think the link was on Blink’s site. He’s going on about Caylee is alive, wrong body found, cover up by police and the judge and he knows where Zanni is, blah, blah, blah. At the end he says that he helped to solve the serial killer, pig dog (AKA Pickton) case. It’s not related of course, just caught my eye. If you follow the links it appears he is a suspended attorney. I’m not sure if he considers himself an Ace Ventura detective or a psychic, but he is most definately a nut job.
A judge in the Sowell case has issued an arrest warrant for a reporter Gabriel Baird four months after The Plain Dealer published an article regarding Mr. Sowell’s psych evaluation after serving 15 years in jail for rape. The evaluation stated that he was unlikely to reoffend. Good job whoever you are that did that one.
The evaluation was obtained by tv and other reporters after the arrest of Sowell. However the judge is not picking on them. She states the court and her staff did not release the information and wants to know how the newspaper obtained confidential medical information. Sowell had sent a letter to her recently whining about it.
The Plain Dealer says that their source is protected by law. There was supposed to be another hearing on the matter today, but no word as of yet.
For the judge to say the government is innocent in this matter is a hoot. Where else could they have recieved this information? That courthouse has always been a corrupt sieve. By all means investigate a reporter and throw him in jail. Heaven forbid they could have investigated and caught Sowell in time to save even one of those poor women.
SNAP- I knew it. The hearing was held and another judge admitted to releasing the mental evaluation. HA HA. Judge McGinty and the prosecuter say they were well within there rights to do so. (?? really ??)
The defense attorney is now chasing McGinty through the courthouse demanding explanations. (kidding)
The reporter will not be arrested I guess. He was evidently allowed to view the report but not make copies. Wink wink. Because everyone in the local media had the same source, My goodness- there must have been a line down the damn hall.
There was no additional corroborating source according to the Plain Dealer.
Mr. Sowell was indicted yesterday for another rape. Apparently the woman who begged the judge for help after police laughed at her for reporting a rape was credible. The DA was able to put together enough evidence for another case. This brings the total to 86 I think.
Tob,
I have been remiss in thanking you for keeping us up to date on this case. Please continue to let us know how this going. Thanks again.
Mr. Sowells attorney has file a motion with the Ohio Supreme court to remove Judge Saffold after she refused to recuse herself last week.
The case has been full of accusations of the appearance of impropriety (three motions to recuse so far) after the Judge’s daughter made nasty comments about Mr. Sowell and his lawyer on a local blog. Also there was an issue with the court releasing Mr. Sowells psyc evaluation to the press with Mr. Sims claiming the judge did it. Turns out Mr. Sowell signed a release of privacy form at the time of his sentencing for a previous rape charge. The report stated that he was unlikely to reoffend. Mr. Sims called the Judge a liar and she said the only person being rude was Mr. Sims.
The Ohio Supreme Court has no timeline rules and is known to take months to decide such things and now the trial is on hold.
The trial is scheduled to begin June 2 of THIS YEAR. Far cry from the Anthony case.
You are welcome Val. It helps to be able to vent a little on the case here.
So thanks back at ya!
Well, the Judge was removed in record time. A new judge will be appointed and the trial should not be delayed.
The judge is very unhappy. If her daughter was under age, boy oh boy would she be grounded!
The whole city is abuzz and a lot of blogging about blogging and the impact on society and the legal system is happening.
Mr. Sowells’ attorney appeared before a new judge and waived his right to a speedy trial. The trial is now moved from June 2 to September 7th of this year.
They also have filed a motion for a gag order for all parties.
The prosecutor filed a motion to reduce the around the clock protection the gruesome house on Imperial Avenue has been receiving since the case broke early last winter. A fence costing $15000 has been erected. Evidently the house has been the recipient of death threats, the consensus being that it should be burned to the ground. The prosecutors would like the night shift police put back on patrol.
The house, being made of wood, brick, glass and other non thinking matter, has not voiced an opinion on the threats, beautiful new fence or the state letting everyone know when no police would be around.
Judge Ambrose has ruled the round-the-clock coverage is coming to an end.
Surveillance of the house of horrors on Imperial Road will be scaled back on June 5 to nighttime hours only.
The defense is hoping to have it’s expert witness check out the house as soon as possible.
The house was seen crying in response to being left alone yesterday. Oh wait, that was rain. Never mind.
I read in amazement about the Grim Sleeper serial killer being caught after a 30yr terror reign in Los Angelos. He was caught with PIZZA and Familial DNA. Wow. By a police force that has tenaciously (though the public didn’t think so) looked for this man who killed black prostitutes mainly from the same neighborhood. Evidently the police would run DNA from the crimes scenes now and again looking for a match. Recently they ran it twice within 3 months this time looking for a family match. They narrowed the search after a hit on a criminal to Lonnie David Franklin Jr., 57, following him around until he left a restaurant leaving pizza crust and plastic utensils behind.
Good for you, LA law enforcement!
Unlike the Cleveland police who didn’t even connect the dots of woman missing in Cleveland let alone realize that they were looking for a serial killer. The task force in Cleveland has not released any information regarding the possible connection to more than 50 unsolved murders. One can hope that they will use DNA databanks like LA’s.
IDK maybe I am too harsh on Cleveland PD, but at least LA was looking.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/07/grim.sleeper.arrest/index.html
Karen Farkas of the Plain Dealer wrote this article over the weekend.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Only one representative from each family of the 11 women whose remains were found in Anthony Sowell’s home will be able to sit in the courtroom during Sowell’s trial because of limited space, said the judge presiding over the case.
Other family members will be able to watch the proceedings on video in a separate room near the courtroom. An additional room may be provided for others who want to view the trial.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Dick Ambrose, in a media meeting Friday, also said he expects the trial, scheduled for Sept. 7, to last six to eight weeks, with about two of those weeks for jury selection.
The judge’s courtroom has 28 seats. He said there aren’t enough seats to accommodate all of the victims’ family members, the media and the public. Two seats will be set aside for Sowell’s family.
“We will not move to another courtroom because it would cause major disruptions in the other courts,” Ambrose said.
Four or five of the courtroom seats will be available to the public. The remaining ones probably will go to members of the press, the judge said.
Ambrose said he studied several high-profile trials in Northeast Ohio and around the country to help him decide what rules to set and how to avoid anything that would cause a mistrial.
“It is important that the trial be carried out in a fair and constitutional manner,” he said. “We do not want any retrials or do-overs and only want to do this once. It will be a lengthy trial and a lot of emotion for the family members of the victims.”
No one will be allowed to have a cell phone in the courtroom except Sowell’s lawyers and the prosecutors, who need them to keep track of witnesses, Ambrose said. Only one video camera will be in the courtroom but its images will be shared by media and transmitted to the rooms with family members and the public.
Ambrose said he will probably issue passes for those allowed in the courtroom. All the rules will be outlined in a court order before the start of the trial, he said.
===================
Also Anthony Sowells attorney is trying to get any statements his client made after his arrest thrown out, say he didn’t understand his rights. Unfortunately his client waived his rights verbally at least twice in three days and signed a waiver form.
I feel terrible for the limited seating for the victims families. To be alone during this trial is going to be very hard.
At least the trial will commence within a month. I don’t know if TRU tv will cover it or not. I hope so. It is hard to reconcile this massive death penalty trial starts eight months after the arrest, while Caylee’s justice is still quite far into the future.
Glad to know that Cleveland’s horror will end soon. Keep us posted Tob.
The Sowell case has been moved to Valentines Day 2011. The defense requested a delay to go over the enormous amount of forensic evidence and prepare witnesses and the court did not want to try to schedule around the holiday season.
The prosecutor said he had already had nine months and hasn’t seen any list of witnesses produced by the defense.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/08/anthony_sowell_murder_trial_mo.html
Tob,
I appreciate you so much in keeping us up to date on this horrific case. Can I please ask you, will you be attending the trial when it happens?