Cleveland police found corpses of 11 women in the home of Anthony Sowell, 50, a convicted sex offender on Wednesday. Sowell faces multiple murder charges and in his first court appearance on Wednesday was was denied bond, according to the New York Times.
As Reuters reported, Sowell was also arrested over the weekend for another rape case. The victim said that he was enraged and choked her with an extension cord after he invited her into his house for a drink.
The corpses stunk up the neighborhood and resulted in complaints. A sausage store next door was blamed for the odor, but after trying to fix the problem, the smell did not go away. Authorities then searched Sowell’s house, using a backhoe, jackhammers, wall saws, and cadaver dogs.
They found four bodies in the backyard, and six elsewhere in the property. According to the New York Times, police also found the remains of an 11th woman, which include a skull in a bucket in the basement. Five of the ten victims who were found first appeared to have been strangled. That also seems to be the case for the 11th person.
“It appears he had an insatiable appetite he needed to fill,” said Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath to reporters, as quoted by Reuters.
Ronald B. Adrine, a municipal court judge said, “After 26 years on this bench, this is by far the most serious set of allegations I’ve ever faced.” According to the Times, the case goes to a county grand jury.
At the moment, Sowell faces five murder charges and one charge of rape. Brian P. Murphy, an assistant county prosecutor, also said that Sowell may face the death penalty as he is likely to be charged with capital murder.
“The state believes he is an incredibly dangerous threat to the public,” Murphy said in court, as quoted by the Times.
The police will search abandoned houses within a half-mile radius of Sowell’s residence, including foreclosed homes, to see if any more bodies turn up, said Deputy Police Chief Edward Tomba.
Our Take:
It still makes me wonder how people are capable of doing these things and why they do it. Perhaps there is something psychological involved. Who am I to judge? But you know, wow, 11 is a big number. I have a feeling that he will be charged with capital murder.
