“No one exactly knows how long ago Anthony Sowell started victimizing people in the slums of Cleveland, but after what seemed like a fairly quick indictment last Monday, he is now sitting in a jail cell awaiting whatever comes next. With any luck, he will remain there to rot, much like his victims had done in Sowell’s home.”
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No one exactly knows how long ago Anthony Sowell started victimizing people in the slums of Cleveland, but after what seemed like a fairly quick indictment last Monday, he is now sitting in a jail cell awaiting whatever comes next.

With any luck, he will remain there to rot, much like his victims had done in Sowell’s home.

The number of bodies found, or what is left of them, has now reached 11, all found in various places in and around Sowell’s home.

Sowell, 49, has been charged with five counts of aggravated murder and rape, and in addition faces charges of kidnapping, rape and attempted murder of a 36-year-old woman.

Police from outside the city are also trying to link Sowell to three other unsolved murders in East Cleveland and continue to back-step to his release from prison four years ago when he served 15 years for attempted rape.

So far, nine of 11 bodies have been identified and as it currently stands, the bond is set at $5 million.

Many of the bodies have been difficult to identify, since they were so badly decomposed.

They could have been there anywhere from weeks to months to years, Powell Caesar, a spokesman for Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller said.

After a number of outstanding missing-person reports were being investigated, many of Sowell’s neighbors expressed their relief.

They also expressed great concern, however, in growing crime in the neighborhood.

The other issue which has been brought into question is the length of time it took officers to discover the bodies.

Such a question has without a doubt created a growing distrust in law enforcement.

While the bodies continued to decay in Sowell’s home, police continued to visit without entering the house due to lack of a warrant.

Instead, they would stand outside his front door and just make sure he had not been violating his parole.

The thing that doesn’t make sense is in order to lure his victims to his place, he had to befriend…women on the street, Police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho said.

It was also noted that Sowell had not been home when police came to arrest him.

With such things being brought into question, it’s hard not to feel like police may have been a little negligent.

Many neighbors had also been reporting a foul smell believed to be coming from Sowell’s home.

If the whole neighborhood could smell it, it doesn’t make sense that officers making house calls wouldn’t question it either.

What is pretty clear, however, is that eight of Sowell’s victims had a history of drug abuse and a criminal record.

Perhaps officers felt like these people’s missing person cases didn’t deserve priority, because of their lifestyle.

Either way, one thing is certain: Anthony Sowell has bigger things to worry about these days than a simple parole violation.

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