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00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:08,133
[woman] He invited me to go
with him to his house.
2
00:00:08,667 --> 00:00:10,200
It seemed like
it was all right.
3
00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:12,700
We finally got to his house.
4
00:00:12,700 --> 00:00:17,867
The air was thick
with just something
not good.
5
00:00:17,867 --> 00:00:19,300
Those eyes went black.
6
00:00:20,066 --> 00:00:21,200
He wasn't there.
7
00:00:22,166 --> 00:00:23,266
He kept telling me,
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00:00:23,266 --> 00:00:25,800
"You don't deserve
what I'm about to do to you."
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00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,333
I'm thinking...
10
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,300
-[gasps]
-"Is this how
I'm gonna die?"
11
00:01:05,367 --> 00:01:07,300
Welcome to very scary people.
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00:01:07,300 --> 00:01:09,166
I'm Donnie Wahlberg.
13
00:01:09,166 --> 00:01:14,400
In 2007, women began
vanishing from the streets
of Cleveland, Ohio.
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00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,400
They all had
one thing in common.
15
00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,734
They were all last seen
in the city's
Mount Pleasant neighborhood.
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00:01:20,266 --> 00:01:21,667
In the middle
of this community
17
00:01:21,667 --> 00:01:23,166
was an unassuming house,
18
00:01:23,166 --> 00:01:25,100
The man who lived there
was friendly,
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00:01:25,100 --> 00:01:27,467
and always ready
to lend a hand.
20
00:01:27,467 --> 00:01:30,166
But behind closed doors,
that friendly neighbor
21
00:01:30,166 --> 00:01:32,800
was actually
a vicious psychopath.
22
00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:34,600
And that
unassuming house,
23
00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,166
was his personal
House of horrors.
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00:01:37,166 --> 00:01:38,767
Home to the worst
serial killer
25
00:01:38,767 --> 00:01:40,667
Cleveland has ever seen.
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00:01:40,667 --> 00:01:43,100
This is the
Cleveland Strangler.
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00:01:58,166 --> 00:01:59,900
[phone ringing]
28
00:02:00,700 --> 00:02:03,667
My sergeant received
a telephone call
29
00:02:03,667 --> 00:02:07,867
from SWAT requesting
that a homicide unit
30
00:02:07,867 --> 00:02:11,867
come to the location
of 12205 Imperial Avenue.
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00:02:11,867 --> 00:02:13,533
[siren wailing]
32
00:02:14,367 --> 00:02:16,467
We were informed
at that time,
33
00:02:16,467 --> 00:02:21,667
that detectives had started
an investigation of a suspect
34
00:02:21,667 --> 00:02:25,667
in a rape case by the name
of Anthony Sowell.
35
00:02:25,667 --> 00:02:27,333
[siren wailing]
36
00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,300
And 12205 Imperial
was in fact
37
00:02:32,300 --> 00:02:35,200
the residence
of Anthony Sowell.
38
00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,166
Now we were responding
to a suspected homicide,
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00:02:40,166 --> 00:02:42,400
but Anthony Sowell
was not present.
40
00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,567
He was gone upon arrival.
41
00:02:44,567 --> 00:02:45,667
[indistinct chatter on radio]
42
00:02:45,667 --> 00:02:49,667
[Melvin] When we arrived
at the outside grass lawn,
43
00:02:49,667 --> 00:02:52,467
the house seemed
to be unkept.
44
00:02:52,467 --> 00:02:57,266
But there was nothing
unusual at this time
that I saw.
45
00:02:57,266 --> 00:03:01,634
Everything changed
the moment we entered
the rear door.
46
00:03:03,266 --> 00:03:06,600
That's when
the smell hit you.
47
00:03:07,567 --> 00:03:08,900
No, it was faint.
48
00:03:08,900 --> 00:03:13,133
You could smell it.
But it didn't reach
this extreme point yet.
49
00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:16,066
I've seen a lot
of dirty houses
50
00:03:16,066 --> 00:03:18,266
and unkept
and untidy houses.
51
00:03:18,266 --> 00:03:20,066
But this was extreme.
52
00:03:20,066 --> 00:03:23,500
Clothing everywhere,
garbage everywhere.
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00:03:23,500 --> 00:03:25,767
Seemed like the person
whoever lived there
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00:03:25,767 --> 00:03:28,266
wherever they decided
to discard something.
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00:03:28,266 --> 00:03:31,300
Whatever it was,
it was discarded
in that location.
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00:03:32,667 --> 00:03:34,800
[eerie music playing]
57
00:03:38,100 --> 00:03:40,266
Now, you can't see
two feet in front of you
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00:03:40,266 --> 00:03:41,700
unless you use a flashlight.
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00:03:41,700 --> 00:03:43,166
So you're not sure
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00:03:43,166 --> 00:03:45,500
what you're gonna bump into
or what you're gonna feel
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00:03:49,767 --> 00:03:52,400
Our area of entrance
was the third floor.
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00:03:57,567 --> 00:04:00,367
And as you
proceeded upward,
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00:04:00,367 --> 00:04:03,133
the smell became
stronger and stronger.
64
00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:06,367
Then we're following
the SWAT unit
65
00:04:06,367 --> 00:04:09,200
to this locked door,
this closed room.
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00:04:09,700 --> 00:04:12,000
But we're in a tight hallway.
67
00:04:13,066 --> 00:04:14,867
Now you're
starting to feel
68
00:04:14,867 --> 00:04:18,367
this smell physically,
into your throat.
69
00:04:18,367 --> 00:04:20,000
Into your nose.
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00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:21,867
Depending on your
gag reflex,
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00:04:21,867 --> 00:04:24,800
it may make you throw up,
and it may not,
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00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:26,500
But I'm
a homicide detective.
73
00:04:26,500 --> 00:04:27,900
We have a job to do.
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00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:29,433
[door opens]
75
00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,300
And now we
move into this room...
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00:04:40,967 --> 00:04:43,300
[eerie music playing]
77
00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,734
...and this is not
gonna be good.
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00:04:57,867 --> 00:05:00,100
[children chattering]
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00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:01,900
[Mark] The neighborhood
is called Mount Pleasant.
80
00:05:03,100 --> 00:05:05,667
It's a working class
African American neighborhood
81
00:05:05,667 --> 00:05:08,467
where families lived
for generations.
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00:05:08,467 --> 00:05:09,667
Neighbors hung out
on the porch,
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00:05:09,667 --> 00:05:12,166
played cards, dice,
chess, checkers.
84
00:05:12,166 --> 00:05:13,867
Everybody knew everybody.
85
00:05:13,867 --> 00:05:15,066
People could walk
to the corner store,
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00:05:15,066 --> 00:05:17,200
walk to the pizza shop
or sandwich shop.
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00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:19,567
[children laughing]
88
00:05:19,567 --> 00:05:22,166
The people who lived there
for generations and decades.
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00:05:22,166 --> 00:05:23,667
They loved
the neighborhood.
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00:05:23,667 --> 00:05:25,600
They weren't leaving.
It was where they were born
and raised in Cleveland.
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00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,000
It was Cleveland.
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00:05:27,967 --> 00:05:29,266
[Tressa] Oh, my goodness!
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00:05:29,266 --> 00:05:31,500
We have parties,
street parties.
94
00:05:31,500 --> 00:05:33,567
We knew
all the neighbors.
95
00:05:33,567 --> 00:05:35,867
If somebody
got in trouble,
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00:05:35,867 --> 00:05:38,667
you know, the neighbor
would call your mom,
97
00:05:38,667 --> 00:05:41,800
and then you would be
in trouble with the neighbor
and your mom.
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00:05:43,100 --> 00:05:45,500
[Donnie] It's into this
vibrant Cleveland neighborhood
99
00:05:45,500 --> 00:05:47,800
that Anthony Sowell
is born.
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00:05:48,867 --> 00:05:51,100
Anthony was a good child.
101
00:05:51,367 --> 00:05:52,867
Good in school.
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00:05:52,867 --> 00:05:54,667
He had a lot of friends.
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00:05:54,667 --> 00:05:58,066
He used to go out
and play baseball
with his friends
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00:05:58,066 --> 00:06:01,000
or they would play
basketball right there
105
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:02,900
in front of the house
or up at the park.
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00:06:04,567 --> 00:06:07,600
The house that
Anthony grew up in
was large.
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00:06:08,166 --> 00:06:11,767
Myself, my brother,
my sister,
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00:06:11,767 --> 00:06:13,066
seven children.
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00:06:13,066 --> 00:06:15,600
My grandmother
and my mother lived
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00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:17,133
in the house on page.
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00:06:18,467 --> 00:06:21,300
Anthony's father had lived
in the house on Imperial.
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00:06:22,567 --> 00:06:24,400
When my sister
passed away
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00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,533
prior to my mom
getting the house,
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00:06:28,500 --> 00:06:30,400
The children
were in foster care,
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00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:32,667
but they weren't
being taken care of
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00:06:32,667 --> 00:06:36,133
and so they asked my mom
to take the kids in.
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00:06:36,667 --> 00:06:38,567
[children chattering]
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00:06:38,567 --> 00:06:41,500
At times it was
stressful, definitely.
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00:06:41,500 --> 00:06:43,433
Because there
was so many of us.
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00:06:44,567 --> 00:06:48,300
The house was expensive
for a single black mother.
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00:06:48,300 --> 00:06:50,700
My mother worked
three jobs.
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00:06:50,700 --> 00:06:53,000
In order to keep it up.
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00:06:54,467 --> 00:06:56,033
And so it was hard.
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00:06:58,367 --> 00:07:02,266
[Donnie] With 11 people
under her roof
and a mountain of debt.
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00:07:02,266 --> 00:07:04,467
Anthony's mother does
what she thinks is right
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00:07:04,467 --> 00:07:06,300
to keep the house in order.
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00:07:07,166 --> 00:07:09,567
My mother was raised
the old fashioned way.
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00:07:09,567 --> 00:07:11,166
You get a whooping period.
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00:07:11,166 --> 00:07:11,967
[boy groans]
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00:07:11,967 --> 00:07:13,900
[Tressa] One time
he got punched
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00:07:15,567 --> 00:07:16,900
because she was mad
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00:07:16,900 --> 00:07:19,133
about not doing
his housework.
133
00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,567
Anthony was growing up
in an environment
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00:07:22,567 --> 00:07:25,667
where physical abuse
likely mental verbal,
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00:07:25,667 --> 00:07:27,767
emotional abuse
was so common
136
00:07:27,767 --> 00:07:30,600
that it became
part of who he is.
137
00:07:32,467 --> 00:07:34,834
The kid's got the belt
and the switch as well.
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00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:37,567
[Katie] Just because someone
is abused doesn't mean
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00:07:37,567 --> 00:07:39,867
that they're going
to become an abuser.
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00:07:39,867 --> 00:07:41,800
But many people
who become abusers
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00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,100
have suffered abuse
in their own history.
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00:07:46,900 --> 00:07:48,033
-[whipping]
-[groaning]
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00:07:49,100 --> 00:07:50,367
[Donnie] But young Anthony
144
00:07:50,367 --> 00:07:52,567
is subject to something
more horrific
145
00:07:52,567 --> 00:07:54,000
than abusive punishment.
146
00:07:55,266 --> 00:07:58,400
He was witnessing abuse
constantly in the home.
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00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:00,867
His niece was raped
multiple times
148
00:08:00,867 --> 00:08:02,700
by the family members.
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00:08:03,266 --> 00:08:05,400
At 12-years-old,
he was learning
150
00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,700
that it was okay to rape
his own niece in the house.
151
00:08:09,300 --> 00:08:12,133
So he also
participated in it.
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00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,233
[Donnie] When Anthony is 18,
153
00:08:16,233 --> 00:08:19,500
he announces he's
leaving home
to join the military.
154
00:08:21,900 --> 00:08:23,100
[Mark] His mother
kind of mocked him,
155
00:08:23,100 --> 00:08:25,000
said he wouldn't
survive in the military.
156
00:08:25,767 --> 00:08:28,100
And he joined the Marines
to prove her wrong.
157
00:08:29,100 --> 00:08:32,266
Anthony as a child,
was already exposed
to violence,
158
00:08:32,266 --> 00:08:34,867
and now he joins the Marines
where he's learning
159
00:08:34,867 --> 00:08:38,667
how to take his anger
and apply it,
160
00:08:38,667 --> 00:08:40,567
learning how to fight people,
161
00:08:40,567 --> 00:08:42,600
learning how
to take someone down.
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00:08:43,367 --> 00:08:45,300
[Donnie] In his first
few years as a Marine.
163
00:08:45,300 --> 00:08:47,767
Anthony is the
perfect soldier.
164
00:08:47,767 --> 00:08:49,300
His good behavior
earns him medals
165
00:08:49,300 --> 00:08:51,000
and letters
of appreciation.
166
00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:53,967
[soldiers shouting]
167
00:08:53,967 --> 00:08:55,567
[Donnie] Then he's
stationed in Okinawa,
168
00:08:55,567 --> 00:08:57,767
and that's when
things change.
169
00:08:57,767 --> 00:09:02,300
He starts acting out
and getting into bar fights.
170
00:09:02,300 --> 00:09:04,667
He never dealt with the fact
that there was abuse and rape
171
00:09:04,667 --> 00:09:06,467
going on in his household.
172
00:09:06,467 --> 00:09:07,800
So he started drinking,
173
00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,367
likely to kind of cope
with some of that
174
00:09:10,367 --> 00:09:14,700
negative trauma
that was revamping
all in his brain.
175
00:09:14,700 --> 00:09:18,000
He was ignoring it,
pretending that
it never happened.
176
00:09:18,767 --> 00:09:19,867
[Mark] Anthony Sowell
was discharged
177
00:09:19,867 --> 00:09:22,166
from the Marine Corps
in 1985.
178
00:09:22,166 --> 00:09:24,800
He moved back into his home
on Page Avenue.
179
00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:27,000
[Donnie] Anthony
comes home to find
180
00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:28,500
that his old neighborhood,
181
00:09:28,500 --> 00:09:31,400
is very different from the one
that he left behind.
182
00:09:32,100 --> 00:09:33,900
[Mark] The change
happened in mid '80.
183
00:09:35,667 --> 00:09:38,800
When crack flooded the many
urban cities in America
184
00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:40,867
and Cleveland's
one of them that suffered.
185
00:09:40,867 --> 00:09:42,166
Because of the drugs,
186
00:09:42,166 --> 00:09:44,600
gang activity had increased
187
00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:46,300
in the Mount Pleasant area,
188
00:09:47,467 --> 00:09:48,400
[Mark] Violent crime
went up,
189
00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,467
robberies went up,
burglaries went up.
190
00:09:51,467 --> 00:09:55,367
It was still a good community,
but it was starting to decay
191
00:09:55,367 --> 00:09:58,467
and slowly get worse
and worse and worse.
192
00:09:58,467 --> 00:10:01,300
[Donnie] And it isn't
just the neighborhood
that's changed.
193
00:10:03,467 --> 00:10:06,767
[Tressa] He was totally
different after he came out
of the Marines.
194
00:10:06,767 --> 00:10:09,900
The least little thing
would upset him.
195
00:10:11,100 --> 00:10:14,300
[Katie] So after Sowell
left the military,
196
00:10:14,300 --> 00:10:16,266
he's going back
to Cleveland,
197
00:10:16,266 --> 00:10:18,567
and it's all brought
right back to his brain.
198
00:10:18,567 --> 00:10:21,100
That this is where
I was raised.
199
00:10:21,100 --> 00:10:23,333
This is where I socialized.
This is where abuse happens.
200
00:10:25,066 --> 00:10:28,533
It kind of is going
to be a re-triggering
moment to him.
201
00:10:29,567 --> 00:10:32,266
It's inevitable that
he's going to act out
202
00:10:32,266 --> 00:10:35,166
on those old desires
on his old behaviors.
203
00:10:35,166 --> 00:10:38,500
That violence
that was ingrained into him
at such a young age.
204
00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:40,934
[groaning, crying]
205
00:10:46,867 --> 00:10:49,200
My name
is Melvette Sockwell
206
00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:52,066
I grew up in a domestic
violence situation.
207
00:10:52,066 --> 00:10:54,300
My mom, now that
I look back on it,
208
00:10:54,300 --> 00:10:55,300
God rest her soul,
209
00:10:55,300 --> 00:10:57,800
she was doing the best
that she knew how to do.
210
00:10:59,300 --> 00:11:01,600
So I was a runaway
211
00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:03,367
and I learned
to live on the streets,
212
00:11:03,367 --> 00:11:05,700
so I learned to adjust
to the street life.
213
00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,367
I was sitting,
like on a concrete stoop,
and I saw him.
214
00:11:10,367 --> 00:11:12,166
He was talking
to another young lady.
215
00:11:12,166 --> 00:11:13,367
But I didn't care.
216
00:11:13,367 --> 00:11:14,300
I just wanted
to use his phone.
217
00:11:14,300 --> 00:11:17,000
So I'm like,
"Hey, can I use
your phone?"
218
00:11:17,266 --> 00:11:18,600
So he looks at me.
219
00:11:20,467 --> 00:11:22,467
And he was like,
"Yeah, well, I live up here.
220
00:11:22,467 --> 00:11:24,100
We're gonna go
through the back door."
221
00:11:26,667 --> 00:11:28,800
And I'm like, I didn't
think nothing of it.
222
00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:34,467
He says, "Well, come on,
I live upstairs
223
00:11:34,467 --> 00:11:36,033
and I wanted
to disturb my sister."
224
00:11:36,700 --> 00:11:38,400
She was sleep
on the couch.
225
00:11:40,166 --> 00:11:42,133
So, honey,
when we get upstairs.
226
00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,200
We gone up there,
he said, "Well, here's
my room right here."
227
00:11:50,767 --> 00:11:52,567
He said "Here you sit here."
228
00:11:52,567 --> 00:11:55,400
Which he had my
back to the door.
229
00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:57,867
And I heard him close it.
230
00:11:57,867 --> 00:11:59,000
[door creaks]
231
00:12:00,667 --> 00:12:02,634
So but when he
came back in
232
00:12:03,667 --> 00:12:05,567
he came
from behind me,
233
00:12:05,567 --> 00:12:08,100
he had a knife
as long as my arm.
234
00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:10,367
[screaming]
235
00:12:10,367 --> 00:12:12,634
He put the knife
right here. I said,
"Oh, no."
236
00:12:14,567 --> 00:12:16,166
[screaming]
237
00:12:16,166 --> 00:12:18,533
Honey, he hogtied me
like a pig.
238
00:12:20,567 --> 00:12:21,834
He said, um,
239
00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:25,767
"Say your prayers
240
00:12:25,767 --> 00:12:27,800
Because I'm gonna
feed you.
241
00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:29,600
Then I'm gonna
kill you."
242
00:12:29,967 --> 00:12:31,533
[screaming]
243
00:12:37,467 --> 00:12:39,900
[Mark] For several days,
Anthony repeatedly assaulted,
244
00:12:39,900 --> 00:12:41,467
raped and beat Melvette
245
00:12:41,467 --> 00:12:42,567
and wouldn't let her leave
246
00:12:42,567 --> 00:12:44,700
and threatened he would
kill her if she didn't leave.
247
00:12:47,967 --> 00:12:50,500
[Melvette] Actually,
how many days
I was in that room?
248
00:12:50,500 --> 00:12:52,133
My hand to God,
I really don't know.
249
00:12:52,767 --> 00:12:54,133
Because I was traumatized.
250
00:12:54,900 --> 00:12:56,700
[Katie] When he
was a child,
251
00:12:56,700 --> 00:12:58,800
he was learning
from the environment
252
00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:03,000
he was in to rape,
beat, torture, his niece.
253
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:08,500
And so he was re-enacting
those traumas on Melvette.
254
00:13:08,500 --> 00:13:12,800
Anthony transformed
into the devil.
255
00:13:14,100 --> 00:13:16,200
Because he no longer had
256
00:13:16,967 --> 00:13:19,500
red or white in his eyes.
257
00:13:19,500 --> 00:13:20,634
It was black.
258
00:13:21,300 --> 00:13:23,100
Like he was a demon,
259
00:13:23,100 --> 00:13:25,567
like he was
under possession.
260
00:13:25,567 --> 00:13:28,867
And all I knew
was I don't want
to die like this.
261
00:13:28,867 --> 00:13:30,700
Why did I come here?
262
00:13:30,700 --> 00:13:33,500
And I couldn't
plead with him
263
00:13:33,500 --> 00:13:35,700
because he had me
bound and gagged.
264
00:13:38,100 --> 00:13:40,500
So when he finally
did go to sleep,
265
00:13:42,100 --> 00:13:43,433
like an inchworm.
266
00:13:43,767 --> 00:13:45,100
I got to the window.
267
00:13:48,367 --> 00:13:50,033
[sighs]
268
00:13:50,867 --> 00:13:53,967
I didn't care if I broke
every bone in my body.
269
00:13:53,967 --> 00:13:56,667
I just needed
to get out of that house.
270
00:13:56,667 --> 00:13:58,500
I knew that
I would be safe.
271
00:13:59,367 --> 00:14:01,867
I used my head
to raise that window up,
272
00:14:01,867 --> 00:14:04,066
and what saved me
was a ledge.
273
00:14:04,066 --> 00:14:06,667
So I didn't actually
fall to the ground.
274
00:14:06,667 --> 00:14:10,100
There was like
a a little roof type
that caught me.
275
00:14:11,467 --> 00:14:13,367
I saw two old ladies,
276
00:14:13,367 --> 00:14:15,100
when I said "Mmm,
mmm, mmm."
277
00:14:15,100 --> 00:14:18,834
Then I turned around
and I showed her my hand.
278
00:14:20,367 --> 00:14:22,367
And I could hear
her saying, "My God!"
279
00:14:22,367 --> 00:14:23,834
And I knew
I was saved.
280
00:14:25,266 --> 00:14:28,200
I could hear
the fire truck coming.
281
00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,467
I could see the police
because I'm outside
on the roof. But then--
282
00:14:31,467 --> 00:14:32,433
[screaming]
283
00:14:33,500 --> 00:14:35,767
Something grabbed me
back through the window.
284
00:14:35,767 --> 00:14:39,400
I'm thinking it's him
and I'm screaming.
285
00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:40,800
But it was his sister.
286
00:14:42,900 --> 00:14:44,467
[Tressa] When I saw Melvette
287
00:14:44,467 --> 00:14:47,133
she had a rope in her hand,
but her hands weren't tied.
288
00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,667
I asked her why
she was on the roof.
289
00:14:50,667 --> 00:14:53,500
She said, "Because he tied
me up and put me out here."
290
00:14:53,500 --> 00:14:56,600
I said, "Well, why would
you not come in?"
291
00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:58,367
She said, "Because I
was scared to."
292
00:14:58,367 --> 00:14:59,900
I just couldn't believe it.
293
00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:02,700
She also said
that he raped her.
294
00:15:03,300 --> 00:15:04,834
I couldn't
believe that, either.
295
00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,100
He told his sister Teresa
that Melvette set him up
296
00:15:09,100 --> 00:15:10,533
to steal from him.
297
00:15:11,500 --> 00:15:14,166
[Tressa] I think somebody
tried to break into the house.
298
00:15:14,166 --> 00:15:15,500
I think
it was her friend.
299
00:15:15,500 --> 00:15:17,400
She was working
with somebody else.
300
00:15:18,467 --> 00:15:21,433
God bless her
because she carried that lie.
301
00:15:22,166 --> 00:15:24,767
Like, "Oh, my brother
didn't do that.
302
00:15:24,767 --> 00:15:26,033
She was stealing
from him."
303
00:15:27,667 --> 00:15:29,734
When the police
took me to the hospital,
304
00:15:31,166 --> 00:15:34,200
Yeah, they did their
little routine rape kit.
305
00:15:36,300 --> 00:15:40,400
They didn't give me
anything to put on
but the hospital gown.
306
00:15:41,467 --> 00:15:44,300
I had nobody to call
to bring me clothes
307
00:15:44,300 --> 00:15:47,800
because at this point
I just I want out of here.
308
00:15:49,367 --> 00:15:52,467
So I'm walking down
East Cleveland
309
00:15:52,467 --> 00:15:56,133
with a hospital gown
with my whole derriere
hanging out.
310
00:15:57,367 --> 00:16:01,634
Because just only
hours ago, I'm hogtied,
311
00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:05,100
wondering if I'm gonna
live or die.
312
00:16:05,100 --> 00:16:06,800
They knew
what the man did to me.
313
00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:07,600
They knew.
314
00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:11,634
And I was left
to fend for myself.
315
00:16:21,467 --> 00:16:23,600
[Chris] Anthony Sowell
was arrested for kidnapping
316
00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:25,800
and raping
Melvette Sockwell.
317
00:16:26,967 --> 00:16:28,967
[Katie] When Anthony
told the police
318
00:16:28,967 --> 00:16:31,800
that he was paying
for sex with Melvette,
319
00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:33,867
he was trying
to find an excuse
320
00:16:33,867 --> 00:16:35,700
as to why this happened.
321
00:16:35,700 --> 00:16:37,200
Then he could claim
he doesn't remember
322
00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,000
because drugs, alcohol,
323
00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:41,800
anything else that might have
kind of cut that memory out.
324
00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,000
And he's sentenced
to 5-15 years in prison.
325
00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,367
He continued to maintain
his innocence
326
00:16:47,367 --> 00:16:50,100
for the rape of Melvette,
despite pleading guilty to it.
327
00:16:51,767 --> 00:16:54,467
While he was in prison,
he had to fill out
a questionnaire
328
00:16:54,467 --> 00:16:57,000
where you were given a prompt
and you fill in the blank.
329
00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:58,967
One of the prompts
was most women,
330
00:16:58,967 --> 00:17:01,834
and in the blank space,
he wrote, "Just tell lies."
331
00:17:05,567 --> 00:17:09,200
It pissed him off
that he did 15 years
for that rape.
332
00:17:10,166 --> 00:17:11,834
But I didn't believe it.
333
00:17:12,567 --> 00:17:14,300
[producer speaking]
334
00:17:15,667 --> 00:17:16,834
No.
335
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,166
[Donnie] During his
15-year prison term,
336
00:17:21,166 --> 00:17:24,600
Anthony Sowell is on his
best behavior.
337
00:17:25,667 --> 00:17:29,233
He was released
in 2005 after serving
his full sentence.
338
00:17:29,967 --> 00:17:31,800
He's back on the streets
of Cleveland.
339
00:17:33,166 --> 00:17:36,266
And Melvette
has to hear about it
through the grapevine.
340
00:17:36,266 --> 00:17:37,767
[Melvette] When he got out,
341
00:17:37,767 --> 00:17:40,600
-I called the police
department myself.
-[phone ringing]
342
00:17:41,166 --> 00:17:43,100
Told them who I was
343
00:17:43,100 --> 00:17:46,567
and why wasn't I notified
that he was out of prison?
344
00:17:46,567 --> 00:17:49,400
The snobby, nasty
police officer said
345
00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,066
he'd done his time
for what he did to you.
346
00:17:52,066 --> 00:17:54,500
So there was no reason
to notify you.
347
00:17:56,867 --> 00:17:59,300
And I became frightened
all over again.
348
00:17:59,300 --> 00:18:02,600
It was years that
I stayed in the house.
349
00:18:04,266 --> 00:18:05,567
And I didn't come outside
350
00:18:05,567 --> 00:18:09,400
because see,
now I've got this awful thing
that happened to me.
351
00:18:13,500 --> 00:18:16,634
That left me
traumatized, nightmares.
352
00:18:20,567 --> 00:18:22,867
But if they had
listen to me,
353
00:18:22,867 --> 00:18:24,767
and took in consideration
354
00:18:24,767 --> 00:18:27,600
of what this man
was capable of doing.
355
00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:32,700
Women would still
be alive to this day.
356
00:18:46,867 --> 00:18:49,500
Anthony Sowell's life
changed a little bit
when he got out of prison.
357
00:18:49,500 --> 00:18:53,133
Once he was released,
he moved in with his father.
358
00:18:55,100 --> 00:18:56,200
On Imperial.
359
00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,066
Because his father
had a whole house
360
00:18:59,066 --> 00:19:02,867
and it had a third floor
and a second floor
that was empty.
361
00:19:02,867 --> 00:19:03,967
After his father
passed away,
362
00:19:03,967 --> 00:19:05,900
it became Anthony's
permanent home.
363
00:19:07,467 --> 00:19:10,266
[Donnie] Friends and family
see a change in Sowell,
364
00:19:10,266 --> 00:19:12,300
this time for the better.
365
00:19:13,500 --> 00:19:15,100
[Tressa] He was doing good.
366
00:19:15,100 --> 00:19:17,000
He was doing real good.
367
00:19:19,300 --> 00:19:21,133
He worked at a factory
368
00:19:21,967 --> 00:19:23,667
he was seeing a counselor.
369
00:19:23,667 --> 00:19:26,300
I actually had talked
to the counselor on the phone.
370
00:19:26,300 --> 00:19:29,467
She said he was doing
really good in his program.
371
00:19:29,467 --> 00:19:32,000
And he was doing everything
he was supposed to.
372
00:19:32,967 --> 00:19:34,266
[Mark] He talked to people.
373
00:19:34,266 --> 00:19:36,000
He hung out,
shared a beer,
374
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:37,100
shared a drink
with them on the porch,
375
00:19:37,100 --> 00:19:39,834
play dice, play cards,
checkers, barbecued hot dogs.
376
00:19:40,967 --> 00:19:43,233
[Lem] The people
within the neighborhood
377
00:19:43,567 --> 00:19:45,567
actually liked him.
378
00:19:45,567 --> 00:19:47,967
He was like a jack
of all trades.
379
00:19:47,967 --> 00:19:49,767
He would help them
with different things.
380
00:19:49,767 --> 00:19:50,600
Painting.
381
00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:52,166
He would cook.
382
00:19:52,166 --> 00:19:54,867
Anything electrical
he would help out with.
383
00:19:54,867 --> 00:19:56,266
[glass clinks]
384
00:19:56,266 --> 00:19:58,667
[Mark] He looked like
a normal neighborhood
guy who lived there.
385
00:19:58,667 --> 00:19:59,767
Fit in with the crowd,
386
00:19:59,767 --> 00:20:01,400
didn't draw attention
to himself.
387
00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:05,100
[Donnie] It looks like Sowell
is turning things around
388
00:20:05,100 --> 00:20:07,400
when a new woman
enters his life
389
00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:09,100
and changes his heart.
390
00:20:10,100 --> 00:20:11,900
[Lori] The day I met
Anthony Sowell,
391
00:20:11,900 --> 00:20:14,000
I was walking down Buckeye
392
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,066
and I wanted
something to drink
393
00:20:16,066 --> 00:20:16,934
and I didn't have
no money.
394
00:20:16,934 --> 00:20:19,367
So Anthony was coming
down the street.
395
00:20:19,367 --> 00:20:21,900
When I first saw him,
I thought he was a nice guy.
396
00:20:21,900 --> 00:20:24,200
He was clean cut,
well dressed.
397
00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:25,367
Well mannered.
398
00:20:25,367 --> 00:20:26,634
Talked real nice.
399
00:20:26,634 --> 00:20:28,767
And he asked me,
did I want to go to the bar
and have a drink?
400
00:20:28,767 --> 00:20:30,400
So I said, I want
to go with you.
401
00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,500
So we went in the bar.
We sat down and ate, drank.
402
00:20:34,166 --> 00:20:35,567
I told him
I wanted some crack,
403
00:20:35,567 --> 00:20:37,300
so he picked me up
some crack
404
00:20:37,300 --> 00:20:38,600
and we went to his house.
405
00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,567
He never smoked,
I only smoked.
406
00:20:44,567 --> 00:20:46,233
and he was okay with it.
407
00:20:47,500 --> 00:20:49,433
[in English]
408
00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:58,467
[Lori] He went to work.
409
00:20:58,467 --> 00:21:01,100
He cleaned the house.
He cooked for me.
410
00:21:01,100 --> 00:21:02,500
And he took care of me.
411
00:21:04,266 --> 00:21:05,934
[in English]
412
00:21:07,667 --> 00:21:09,000
He was a nice boyfriend.
413
00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,000
He was um... gentle.
414
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:13,900
He did everything for me.
415
00:21:14,300 --> 00:21:16,266
He was a nice guy.
416
00:21:16,266 --> 00:21:19,767
He finds in her
what he's always
kind of been looking for.
417
00:21:19,767 --> 00:21:22,033
Someone to love him.
Someone to care for him.
418
00:21:22,900 --> 00:21:24,200
His mom, you know,
that's the person
419
00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:25,467
that everyone
is supposed
420
00:21:25,467 --> 00:21:27,700
to be able to trust
is their mother.
421
00:21:27,700 --> 00:21:29,567
She failed him.
She didn't protect him.
422
00:21:29,567 --> 00:21:32,000
She didn't save him.
She didn't believe in him.
423
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:34,767
He meets Lori,
she accepts his past.
424
00:21:34,767 --> 00:21:39,500
Anthony told me that
he had did 15 years
for raping a lady.
425
00:21:39,500 --> 00:21:42,266
But then he told me
that he didn't do it.
426
00:21:42,266 --> 00:21:44,767
And I believe that because
the way he treated me,
427
00:21:44,767 --> 00:21:46,634
I didn't think
nothing else of it.
428
00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,667
[Katie] So she becomes
this perfect person,
429
00:21:50,667 --> 00:21:53,600
this relationship
that he always wanted.
430
00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:54,700
And doesn't ever
want to lose
431
00:21:54,700 --> 00:21:58,500
because she
is someone to trust.
432
00:21:58,500 --> 00:22:01,233
He would refer
to his mother as a bitch.
433
00:22:02,767 --> 00:22:06,200
[Katie] Sowell didn't tell
anyone about his mother.
434
00:22:07,100 --> 00:22:10,100
It's the trauma
that he just shut in a box
435
00:22:10,100 --> 00:22:13,400
and just kept that
all to himself until
he met Lori.
436
00:22:14,667 --> 00:22:19,333
She was the one person
in his entire life
he could truly trust.
437
00:22:21,266 --> 00:22:23,166
[Lori] I was happy
with Anthony.
438
00:22:23,166 --> 00:22:26,233
But he started changing
as time went on.
439
00:22:29,567 --> 00:22:32,967
At first, when I met Anthony,
he didn't smoke crack,
440
00:22:32,967 --> 00:22:35,066
and after a little while
we started smoking together.
441
00:22:35,066 --> 00:22:38,734
He was trying to get her clean
and end up started smoking.
442
00:22:39,100 --> 00:22:40,300
Himself.
443
00:22:45,700 --> 00:22:48,400
Anthony was smoking
from sunup to sundown,
444
00:22:51,066 --> 00:22:52,800
[Tressa] Things began
to change for Anthony
445
00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:54,300
when he lost his job.
446
00:22:54,300 --> 00:22:57,667
He started breaking
into houses to steal copper.
447
00:22:57,667 --> 00:23:00,900
[Lori] He started taking stuff
out of abandoned houses.
448
00:23:00,900 --> 00:23:03,000
Taking it to the junkyard
449
00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:07,100
Getting money
and he just started
looking so nasty.
450
00:23:07,100 --> 00:23:08,133
I didn't want him
to touch me.
451
00:23:09,467 --> 00:23:10,767
When I seen his hands
452
00:23:10,767 --> 00:23:12,734
look like he
was working on cars
453
00:23:13,266 --> 00:23:15,600
and this--
he just turned me off.
454
00:23:19,166 --> 00:23:21,800
2007, my mother
passed away,
455
00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:24,000
so I decided
to stop everything
456
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:25,400
and go home
with my children.
457
00:23:28,967 --> 00:23:30,066
Yeah, I told Anthony
458
00:23:30,066 --> 00:23:32,000
that I had to get
my life together.
459
00:23:33,300 --> 00:23:35,900
[in English]
460
00:23:37,667 --> 00:23:41,934
She got clean,
and now he was dirty.
461
00:23:43,367 --> 00:23:44,867
[Tressa] After she left,
462
00:23:44,867 --> 00:23:47,000
I seen that anger
that I had seen
463
00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,000
after he was discharged.
464
00:23:51,266 --> 00:23:52,667
[Katie] He still loved her,
465
00:23:52,667 --> 00:23:56,433
but that probably
was a moment where
he really flipped.
466
00:23:58,367 --> 00:24:00,700
[detective speaking]
467
00:24:01,567 --> 00:24:03,000
[in English]
468
00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:06,567
[Donnie] That breakup,
469
00:24:06,567 --> 00:24:09,600
turned into a breaking point
for Anthony Sowell.
470
00:24:10,567 --> 00:24:13,867
Between Lori's leaving him
and his heavy drug use.
471
00:24:13,867 --> 00:24:15,900
A darkness
overtakes him,
472
00:24:15,900 --> 00:24:18,634
and Cleveland will never
be the same again.
473
00:24:20,967 --> 00:24:24,367
In June 2007, 35-year-old
Crystal Dozier went missing.
474
00:24:24,367 --> 00:24:25,700
She was a mother of seven,
475
00:24:26,567 --> 00:24:28,500
In 2008, Tishana Culver
went missing.
476
00:24:28,500 --> 00:24:30,367
She was known
for her kindness,
477
00:24:30,367 --> 00:24:32,166
but she also battled
substance abuse.
478
00:24:32,166 --> 00:24:34,467
Leshanda Long went missing
shortly after.
479
00:24:34,467 --> 00:24:36,600
She was known
as the backbone of her family.
480
00:24:38,867 --> 00:24:41,467
Michelle Mason went missing
in October 2008.
481
00:24:41,467 --> 00:24:44,767
She was a strong woman,
loved by her family,
482
00:24:44,767 --> 00:24:47,300
Many people didn't know
these women were missing.
483
00:24:47,300 --> 00:24:49,867
Unfortunately, they didn't
garner headlines
484
00:24:49,867 --> 00:24:53,367
in the newspaper
or on the TV stations.
485
00:24:53,367 --> 00:24:55,467
It didn't draw the attention
of a wider audience
486
00:24:55,467 --> 00:24:57,166
to realize that
there was a problem
487
00:24:57,166 --> 00:24:58,200
going on in this
neighborhood
488
00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,033
and that somebody needs
to intervene. Nobody did.
489
00:25:05,266 --> 00:25:07,567
In the air following
his breakup with Lori,
490
00:25:07,567 --> 00:25:11,100
four women vanished
from the neighborhood
of Mount Pleasant.
491
00:25:11,100 --> 00:25:12,867
Their families
hit the streets
492
00:25:12,867 --> 00:25:15,400
desperately trying to find
their missing daughters,
493
00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,367
sisters and mothers.
494
00:25:17,367 --> 00:25:20,667
What no one knew
was that Sowell's
reign of terror
495
00:25:20,667 --> 00:25:22,600
was about to get
much worse.
496
00:25:29,066 --> 00:25:31,000
[indistinct chatter on radio]
497
00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:32,400
[siren wailing]
498
00:25:34,066 --> 00:25:36,800
We responded
to the suspected homicide,
499
00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,266
at 12205 Imperial.
500
00:25:39,266 --> 00:25:40,967
[woman on radio]
501
00:25:40,967 --> 00:25:43,300
[Lem] Upon arriving
to the house,
502
00:25:43,300 --> 00:25:46,500
we went straight up
to the 3rd floor area,
503
00:25:48,066 --> 00:25:49,800
[intense music playing]
504
00:25:51,767 --> 00:25:53,567
[Melvin] We moved
into this room
505
00:25:53,567 --> 00:25:57,900
and I observed two bodies
on the floor,
506
00:25:57,900 --> 00:26:02,400
badly decomposed,
to the point that we
can't determine gender,
507
00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,100
male or female,
we don't know.
508
00:26:04,100 --> 00:26:07,700
Based upon the size
we think it's an adult.
509
00:26:07,700 --> 00:26:10,400
The victims
were strangled
510
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:14,567
and the rope or cords
or whatever ligature he used.
511
00:26:14,567 --> 00:26:16,000
He left them
with the body.
512
00:26:17,700 --> 00:26:20,600
The odor from the bodies
was tremendous.
513
00:26:21,300 --> 00:26:24,800
The odors will adhere
to your clothing.
514
00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:27,500
You'll have to wash them
or you'll destroy them.
515
00:26:28,266 --> 00:26:30,367
[Melvin] In this particular
crime scene,
516
00:26:30,367 --> 00:26:34,567
We didn't have any
knowledge of what
was going on.
517
00:26:34,567 --> 00:26:37,300
And it is very important
that we be careful
518
00:26:37,300 --> 00:26:40,467
as to where we walk,
what we touch,
519
00:26:40,467 --> 00:26:42,400
what we pick up,
what we move,
520
00:26:43,967 --> 00:26:46,700
because everything
is considered evidence.
521
00:26:48,266 --> 00:26:51,266
One of the things
that really stuck
in my head
522
00:26:51,266 --> 00:26:53,667
was the amount
of dead flies
523
00:26:53,667 --> 00:26:55,600
in that room.
524
00:26:56,700 --> 00:27:01,266
That degree of insect
infestation tells us
525
00:27:01,266 --> 00:27:05,600
that these bodies
have been here
for a long time.
526
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,000
So now you have
two victims here.
527
00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,867
Whoever is committing
what I suspect is a homicide
528
00:27:13,867 --> 00:27:16,500
has no regards for anyone.
529
00:27:19,166 --> 00:27:22,266
Who could put these
bodies there?
530
00:27:22,266 --> 00:27:25,967
And live there under those
conditions of the stench.
531
00:27:25,967 --> 00:27:31,100
It is a stench
that's the worst stench
you can ever imagine.
532
00:27:33,967 --> 00:27:39,600
So that alone is just--
it surpasses what anyone
could think
533
00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:43,734
about what was happening
in that home.
534
00:27:44,367 --> 00:27:46,000
Who was living there?
535
00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:47,600
How was he living there?
536
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:49,300
That was the question.
537
00:27:49,667 --> 00:27:50,900
I still think about it.
538
00:27:50,900 --> 00:27:54,467
This case, uh,
you can't forget it.
539
00:27:54,467 --> 00:27:56,000
[woman indistinct on radio]
540
00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,500
[Lem] And I was wondering,
were there any more bodies?
541
00:28:00,266 --> 00:28:01,300
Was this it?
542
00:28:05,767 --> 00:28:07,767
[Donnie] By the fall of 2008,
543
00:28:07,767 --> 00:28:10,700
there are four women missing
from Mount Pleasant.
544
00:28:11,266 --> 00:28:13,700
And soon there will be a 5th.
545
00:28:15,700 --> 00:28:17,467
[Mark] Tonia Carmichael
was a good mom
546
00:28:17,467 --> 00:28:18,934
who was responsible,
caring
547
00:28:21,166 --> 00:28:22,300
But she also liked going out
and having a good time
548
00:28:22,300 --> 00:28:25,133
going to parties
like extravagant events.
549
00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,500
She left her house
in the suburb.
550
00:28:30,500 --> 00:28:33,500
Later on, that night,
she ended up in the Imperial
Avenue neighborhood,
551
00:28:34,867 --> 00:28:36,000
and she went missing.
552
00:28:36,867 --> 00:28:38,200
Her truck
was later found
553
00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:39,900
down the street
from Sowell's house.
554
00:28:40,867 --> 00:28:42,700
Tonia was extremely
close with her family
555
00:28:42,700 --> 00:28:44,900
when she didn't come home
and later went missing.
556
00:28:44,900 --> 00:28:46,300
That caused
concern for family
557
00:28:46,300 --> 00:28:48,000
because she always
returned home.
558
00:28:49,066 --> 00:28:51,467
After her family filed
a missing person's report.
559
00:28:51,467 --> 00:28:52,834
They didn't stop there.
560
00:28:52,834 --> 00:28:56,300
They posted missing
flyers and posters
all across the neighborhood.
561
00:28:58,166 --> 00:29:00,066
When Crystal Dozier
went missing,
562
00:29:00,066 --> 00:29:02,867
her family went
to multiple police districts
563
00:29:02,867 --> 00:29:04,266
and police stations.
564
00:29:04,266 --> 00:29:06,200
As they were bounced around
between stations
565
00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:07,200
like a ping pong ball.
566
00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,000
Nobody knew which one
should take the report.
567
00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:10,233
Because she lived
outside of the city.
568
00:29:11,767 --> 00:29:15,033
That played into
where she should be
reported missing.
569
00:29:16,367 --> 00:29:19,367
[Melvin] Leshanda Long
was living in East Cleveland
570
00:29:19,367 --> 00:29:23,100
and traveling to the area
of Mount Pleasant.
571
00:29:23,667 --> 00:29:25,767
Mr. Long made
a police report
572
00:29:25,767 --> 00:29:28,500
for his daughter
being missing
in East Cleveland.
573
00:29:30,367 --> 00:29:32,000
But we wouldn't
have never received
574
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,667
that information
in Cleveland.
575
00:29:34,667 --> 00:29:36,600
Unfortunately,
looking back at that,
576
00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:40,300
that was probably
one of the flaws
of missing persons.
577
00:29:42,300 --> 00:29:45,700
They never shared
that information
between departments.
578
00:29:46,266 --> 00:29:49,000
There was at the time,
no network
579
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,300
in regards
to missing persons.
580
00:29:52,266 --> 00:29:54,500
It's all happening around
the same neighborhood.
581
00:29:55,867 --> 00:29:57,667
And they're all very
similar life stories.
582
00:29:57,667 --> 00:30:00,333
Very similar back stories.
Very similar people.
583
00:30:01,100 --> 00:30:03,000
A lot of them struggled
with drug addiction.
584
00:30:04,567 --> 00:30:07,800
They were the kind of people
that the police would not
be out looking for.
585
00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:11,100
The streets knew this
a long time before
any of us did.
586
00:30:11,100 --> 00:30:12,400
It's one of the marks
of shame
587
00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:14,600
that we have
as a community here.
588
00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,767
That this was such
an open secret
in the community
589
00:30:18,767 --> 00:30:20,300
and people just weren't
working on it.
590
00:30:22,100 --> 00:30:23,800
[Donnie] Missing women
aren't the only thing
591
00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:25,834
that has the community
on edge.
592
00:30:28,266 --> 00:30:29,500
[Mark] There was a stench.
593
00:30:30,300 --> 00:30:32,567
The stench was the talk
of the neighborhood.
594
00:30:32,567 --> 00:30:34,967
The neighbors were complaining
that the smell was so bad
595
00:30:34,967 --> 00:30:37,100
that they couldn't live
in that neighborhood anymore.
596
00:30:38,767 --> 00:30:41,166
[Lem] Next door
to Anthony Sowell
597
00:30:41,166 --> 00:30:44,900
was a sausage factory,
Ray's sausage
598
00:30:44,900 --> 00:30:49,667
and everyone thought that
the older that they smelled,
599
00:30:49,667 --> 00:30:52,000
came from this
particular building.
600
00:30:53,667 --> 00:30:56,467
The owner of Ray's sausage
put a lot of money
601
00:30:56,467 --> 00:30:58,567
and invested a lot
of money in cleaning
602
00:30:58,567 --> 00:31:00,100
what he thought
needed to be clean.
603
00:31:01,867 --> 00:31:03,767
[Mark] But the smell
persisted at times.
604
00:31:03,767 --> 00:31:06,000
It didn't permeated every day,
but certain times
605
00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:08,200
is when it did permeate
the neighborhood
606
00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,600
or anything close
to the neighborhood.
607
00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:13,400
[Lori] I didn't smell
nothing up in the house
when I was there.
608
00:31:13,867 --> 00:31:14,967
After I got clean,
609
00:31:14,967 --> 00:31:17,500
I went to see Anthony
about three or four times.
610
00:31:17,500 --> 00:31:19,867
I tried to tell him
to go to AA
get some help.
611
00:31:19,867 --> 00:31:21,166
We could probably
be together
612
00:31:21,166 --> 00:31:22,166
if he, you know,
get himself together.
613
00:31:22,166 --> 00:31:23,533
But he would
never would go.
614
00:31:24,867 --> 00:31:27,100
The first time I went
to see Anthony,
615
00:31:27,367 --> 00:31:28,800
I get off work.
616
00:31:29,300 --> 00:31:30,500
He was at home.
617
00:31:33,166 --> 00:31:35,000
The house was bad
and everything,
618
00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:36,300
and he was looking
real bad.
619
00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:38,767
Anthony looked
like a monster.
620
00:31:38,767 --> 00:31:41,634
He looked dirty,
not shaved.
621
00:31:43,266 --> 00:31:44,233
Just horrible.
622
00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,000
So I wanted to get
something out the room,
623
00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:48,266
a piece of my
clothing that I had.
624
00:31:48,266 --> 00:31:50,066
When I was over there,
I left it there.
625
00:31:50,066 --> 00:31:51,667
I was going up
to this front room
626
00:31:51,667 --> 00:31:54,200
and he jumped up
and ran and stopped
me and said,
627
00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:57,100
"What you want--
What you wanna-- You need
something out of there?"
628
00:31:57,100 --> 00:31:59,667
So I said, "No.
Just leave it right there.
I don't even want it."
629
00:31:59,667 --> 00:32:01,700
I kept going
to visit him.
630
00:32:01,700 --> 00:32:04,133
But every time I go,
there's something
different going on.
631
00:32:05,767 --> 00:32:07,567
One time
I went in one room,
632
00:32:07,567 --> 00:32:09,634
I seen lye bag in the room
on the floor
633
00:32:09,900 --> 00:32:11,400
and I seen cords.
634
00:32:13,767 --> 00:32:15,567
[Tressa] He got
real secluded.
635
00:32:15,567 --> 00:32:17,300
Didn't want anybody
in the house.
636
00:32:17,300 --> 00:32:19,233
Didn't want to be
around nobody.
637
00:32:19,867 --> 00:32:21,033
Just kind of--
638
00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:23,567
Now that I think
back on it
639
00:32:23,567 --> 00:32:25,500
kind of giving up
on himself.
640
00:32:27,166 --> 00:32:29,000
Man, I tried
to talk to him
641
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,533
and asked him what was wrong,
but he didn't tell me.
642
00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:35,467
[Lori] And then he has
sores on his head.
643
00:32:35,467 --> 00:32:36,667
He had his throat cut.
644
00:32:36,667 --> 00:32:38,400
His face
was scratched up.
645
00:32:40,100 --> 00:32:42,700
I would ask Anthony about it,
but he always had an excuse.
646
00:32:43,767 --> 00:32:45,967
Like he said he was in
an abandoned house
647
00:32:45,967 --> 00:32:48,433
and that something
fell on his head.
648
00:32:49,166 --> 00:32:50,600
Or he was going
through the park
649
00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:51,967
and he asked
somebody for a light
650
00:32:51,967 --> 00:32:53,100
and they slit his throat.
651
00:32:54,867 --> 00:32:56,567
I believe everything
Anthony told me
652
00:32:56,567 --> 00:32:58,100
about the injuries
that he had
653
00:32:58,100 --> 00:33:00,834
because I didn't expect him
to do nothing like this.
654
00:33:03,500 --> 00:33:05,300
[detective speaking]
655
00:33:06,567 --> 00:33:08,033
[in English]
656
00:33:10,767 --> 00:33:12,000
[detective speaking]
657
00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:17,133
[Anthony sighs]
658
00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,600
[siren wailing]
659
00:33:35,100 --> 00:33:36,166
[in English]
660
00:33:36,166 --> 00:33:37,333
[detective speaking]
661
00:33:52,467 --> 00:33:54,166
[Chris] There were
two Anthony Sowell,
662
00:33:54,166 --> 00:33:56,767
there was the one that
interacted with his neighbors,
663
00:33:56,767 --> 00:33:59,467
who was described
as affable, friendly,
664
00:33:59,467 --> 00:34:00,867
would shovel their snow,
665
00:34:00,867 --> 00:34:02,467
would help them
run errands,
666
00:34:02,467 --> 00:34:04,100
would have barbecues
with them,
667
00:34:04,100 --> 00:34:06,567
and he would talk to them
about current events.
668
00:34:06,567 --> 00:34:08,400
What's going on
in the neighborhood?
669
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:10,333
What's that smell
in the neighborhood?
670
00:34:11,567 --> 00:34:13,900
[Lori] He cut grass,
go to the store
671
00:34:13,900 --> 00:34:15,967
for people and he was--
672
00:34:15,967 --> 00:34:17,500
he did some
good things for people.
673
00:34:17,500 --> 00:34:19,300
[in English]
674
00:34:23,200 --> 00:34:25,100
[detective speaking]
675
00:34:25,100 --> 00:34:26,867
And then
there was the other
Anthony Sowell,
676
00:34:26,867 --> 00:34:28,266
the one who only
revealed himself
677
00:34:28,266 --> 00:34:30,600
to these women
when they were alone
in his house.
678
00:34:31,300 --> 00:34:32,600
[detective speaking]
679
00:34:44,567 --> 00:34:45,967
[Katie] I do think
he learned from his mom
680
00:34:45,967 --> 00:34:48,000
how to have these
two different personas.
681
00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:49,867
The outside person,
the inside person.
682
00:34:49,867 --> 00:34:52,400
So his mom inside
the home was abusive.
683
00:34:52,867 --> 00:34:54,300
Outside the home,
684
00:34:54,300 --> 00:34:57,600
it was totally
fine and normal
to any observer.
685
00:34:59,266 --> 00:35:01,967
And so through that,
Anthony learned to socialize
686
00:35:01,967 --> 00:35:04,700
inside his
violent tendencies
687
00:35:04,700 --> 00:35:07,767
outside to be
an upstanding citizen
688
00:35:07,767 --> 00:35:09,400
that can get along
with everyone.
689
00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:10,567
Neighborly person.
690
00:35:10,567 --> 00:35:12,100
Everyone likes him.
691
00:35:13,900 --> 00:35:17,600
On the inside
he was committing these
horrible, heinous acts.
692
00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:23,133
Where no one ever
even suspected him.
693
00:35:29,867 --> 00:35:31,266
[Donnie] In the decaying
neighborhood
694
00:35:31,266 --> 00:35:32,967
in which Sowell lived.
695
00:35:32,967 --> 00:35:34,367
It is the perfect
place for him
696
00:35:34,367 --> 00:35:36,500
to commit these
gruesome crimes.
697
00:35:40,700 --> 00:35:42,300
[Katie] It was a high
crime neighborhood,
698
00:35:42,300 --> 00:35:44,100
predominantly
black community,
699
00:35:44,100 --> 00:35:47,900
and unfortunately,
that was largely
part of the problem
700
00:35:47,900 --> 00:35:50,367
that the police
were ignoring it.
701
00:35:50,367 --> 00:35:52,567
[Chris] Cleveland didn't have
a missing persons unit.
702
00:35:52,567 --> 00:35:54,567
You just called the detectives
at the Detective Bureau,
703
00:35:54,567 --> 00:35:56,500
and they may or may not
have made time for this.
704
00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:01,900
Officially, we do not look
for people missing
705
00:36:01,900 --> 00:36:06,900
unless there is a official
missing person's report made.
706
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,367
And checking the reports
707
00:36:10,367 --> 00:36:15,133
we did not see any official
missing persons reports
708
00:36:15,567 --> 00:36:17,600
for most of the victims.
709
00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:21,767
I hate to say that,
but that's true.
710
00:36:21,767 --> 00:36:25,667
Me being a black
police officer, detective.
711
00:36:25,667 --> 00:36:29,000
I can understand that
there was mistrust
712
00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,266
between the black community
713
00:36:31,266 --> 00:36:32,867
and the police department.
714
00:36:32,867 --> 00:36:36,266
Their thinking
was that they're not
going to do anything
715
00:36:36,266 --> 00:36:37,567
for my loved ones,
716
00:36:37,567 --> 00:36:41,500
so maybe if we
do it ourselves,
717
00:36:41,500 --> 00:36:44,500
then will be more effective
than the Police Department.
718
00:36:46,367 --> 00:36:49,500
[Katie] He was able to keep
bringing in these victims,
719
00:36:49,500 --> 00:36:52,367
and he keeps
getting away with it.
720
00:36:52,367 --> 00:36:54,567
If you get away with things
over and over again,
721
00:36:54,567 --> 00:36:57,033
why are you gonna get--
think you're gonna
get caught the next time?
722
00:36:57,700 --> 00:37:00,066
This case was really
just a perfect storm
723
00:37:00,066 --> 00:37:04,767
of every the risk factor
you could possibly have.
724
00:37:04,767 --> 00:37:06,800
Take a convicted
sex offender
725
00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:08,467
with a crack,
cocaine addiction
726
00:37:08,467 --> 00:37:11,767
put him in a densely
populated urban area.
727
00:37:11,767 --> 00:37:13,700
Surrounded by people.
728
00:37:13,700 --> 00:37:16,266
Who the police
will not go looking for
once they're missing.
729
00:37:16,266 --> 00:37:18,166
And then you give him
730
00:37:18,166 --> 00:37:20,567
six years of United States
Marine Corps
731
00:37:20,567 --> 00:37:22,000
military training.
732
00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,367
And an intense,
misogynistic hatred.
733
00:37:24,367 --> 00:37:25,967
And it's a recipe
for disaster,
734
00:37:25,967 --> 00:37:28,200
and that's exactly
what happened
in this case.
735
00:37:37,867 --> 00:37:40,266
[Melvin] So we found
two decomposed bodies
736
00:37:40,266 --> 00:37:43,133
on the third floor
in the south bedroom.
737
00:37:45,567 --> 00:37:48,900
Now we decided
to check any closet,
738
00:37:49,266 --> 00:37:50,700
in any enclosed area.
739
00:37:52,300 --> 00:37:54,100
We need to make sure
740
00:37:54,100 --> 00:37:57,100
that we leave
nothing unchecked.
741
00:37:57,100 --> 00:37:59,867
Until we make sure
that there's not a body.
742
00:37:59,867 --> 00:38:01,700
[indistinct chatter on radio.]
743
00:38:08,467 --> 00:38:10,400
What we discovered
744
00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:14,400
was there were two
plastic garbage bags.
745
00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:17,500
We knew one,
it was full of clothing.
746
00:38:18,266 --> 00:38:20,800
But there was another
garbage bag.
747
00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:22,367
It was tied up.
748
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:28,400
Unfortunately tapping
in the bag and touching it,
749
00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:30,967
we discovered
that it was not clothing.
750
00:38:30,967 --> 00:38:34,700
There was actually another
body in that plastic bag.
751
00:38:38,767 --> 00:38:40,567
And that was located
on the floor
752
00:38:40,567 --> 00:38:44,400
next to the two
victims that we discovered
on the floor.
753
00:38:45,667 --> 00:38:48,767
Now, as a homicide
detective,
754
00:38:48,767 --> 00:38:50,500
you're thinking.
755
00:38:50,500 --> 00:38:53,266
Okay, we discover
another body in the bag.
756
00:38:53,266 --> 00:38:54,467
How many bodies are there?
757
00:38:54,467 --> 00:38:57,767
We need to be
checking everything.
758
00:38:57,767 --> 00:39:01,700
There was a large mound
of dirt in the basement,
759
00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:03,767
And when I say large,
760
00:39:03,767 --> 00:39:06,667
this is extremely
large and unusual
761
00:39:06,667 --> 00:39:10,567
to have this much dirt
under a stairway
762
00:39:10,567 --> 00:39:12,000
leading to the basement.
763
00:39:13,166 --> 00:39:15,767
You stuck the shovel
into the pile of dirt
764
00:39:15,767 --> 00:39:19,367
Immediately,
the decomp smell
765
00:39:19,367 --> 00:39:23,000
would start to emanate
from the dirt.
766
00:39:23,967 --> 00:39:28,500
We felt that this could be
a victim as well.
767
00:39:30,266 --> 00:39:32,734
They uncovered another body
768
00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:34,600
under that dirt.
769
00:39:35,767 --> 00:39:38,500
[Melvin] The ligature
was still there.
770
00:39:38,500 --> 00:39:43,700
He just decided this the way
I'm going to kill you.
771
00:39:43,700 --> 00:39:45,900
And this is the way
I'm gonna bury you.
772
00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:47,934
With it around your neck.
773
00:39:48,900 --> 00:39:51,700
[Donnie] This is the fourth
dead body police
have discovered
774
00:39:51,700 --> 00:39:54,500
in Anthony Sowell
House of horrors.
775
00:39:56,100 --> 00:39:58,700
[Lem] Further investigating
the basement
776
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,500
We found the skull
777
00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:03,333
in a red bucket.
778
00:40:05,700 --> 00:40:08,133
No flesh on the skull.
779
00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:10,700
But it was a human skull.
780
00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:16,000
What came
into your mind
781
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,400
automatically
was where's the body?
782
00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:25,200
[Melvin] We never
discovered or found the body.
783
00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:27,500
I think he buried it
somewhere different.
784
00:40:30,367 --> 00:40:32,467
And then the crew
went back to the third floor
785
00:40:32,467 --> 00:40:35,300
because now
we have daylight hours.
786
00:40:36,467 --> 00:40:38,767
We're gonna do
further investigation.
787
00:40:38,767 --> 00:40:40,500
We're gonna look
for more evidence.
788
00:40:43,166 --> 00:40:46,800
There was a crawl space
in there, saw a bedroom,
789
00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:52,700
and there was a large mound
of dirt in the crawlspace.
790
00:40:54,767 --> 00:40:59,266
So we organized a dig party
for that as well.
791
00:40:59,266 --> 00:41:03,500
And we discovered
another body
in the crawl space.
792
00:41:05,100 --> 00:41:07,300
And during that process,
793
00:41:08,567 --> 00:41:10,800
Anthony Sowell
is still missing.
794
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,500
Police discover multiple
decomposed bodies
795
00:41:15,500 --> 00:41:17,066
at the House of horrors.
796
00:41:17,066 --> 00:41:19,266
And they're not even
done searching.
797
00:41:19,266 --> 00:41:22,000
How many women
has Anthony Sowell killed?
798
00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:23,500
And how many
more will die
799
00:41:23,500 --> 00:41:25,233
before they can
track him down?
800
00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:43,200
I was in homicide
for about eight years.
801
00:41:45,967 --> 00:41:47,767
So I've seen
some crime scenes
802
00:41:47,767 --> 00:41:49,367
that was really terrible.
803
00:41:49,367 --> 00:41:53,767
But the number of bodies
I've never seen that before.
804
00:41:53,767 --> 00:41:56,567
And the way they were
hidden and buried.
805
00:41:56,567 --> 00:41:58,800
Never seen that before.
806
00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:02,700
Most of the victims
were killed through
ligature strangulation.
807
00:42:05,266 --> 00:42:07,567
When the police arrive
on the scene,
808
00:42:07,567 --> 00:42:08,367
people come out.
809
00:42:08,367 --> 00:42:10,100
They want to know
what's going on.
810
00:42:10,100 --> 00:42:12,033
The media,
they're reporting it
811
00:42:12,467 --> 00:42:14,266
[woman screaming]
812
00:42:14,266 --> 00:42:16,800
[Melvin] It had spread
panic throughout the city.
813
00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:20,767
They're seeing us
pull our bodies
814
00:42:20,767 --> 00:42:24,166
on carts going
to the coroner's office.
815
00:42:24,166 --> 00:42:25,266
Who are the bodies?
816
00:42:25,266 --> 00:42:27,400
What's going on?
817
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:29,233
Why are all these
bodies here?
818
00:42:31,867 --> 00:42:35,867
Because of the stage
of decomposition
819
00:42:35,867 --> 00:42:37,100
of their bodies,
820
00:42:37,100 --> 00:42:39,900
we could not make
proper identification.
821
00:42:43,367 --> 00:42:44,800
[Mark] Multiple people
showed up
822
00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:46,867
holding photos
and it became,
823
00:42:46,867 --> 00:42:50,800
Oh no. Could these women
be in the house?
824
00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:53,066
They were holding
candles, flowers,
825
00:42:53,066 --> 00:42:56,266
but they stood silent
and you're seeing tears.
826
00:42:56,266 --> 00:42:58,233
[woman] I stayed
right down the street,
827
00:42:58,767 --> 00:43:00,066
I wouldn't have
never thought
828
00:43:00,066 --> 00:43:02,000
nothing like that
being in one house.
829
00:43:05,266 --> 00:43:07,266
I got a knock
on the door.
830
00:43:07,266 --> 00:43:08,200
It wasn't the police.
831
00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:11,767
It was somebody
that had been at the house.
832
00:43:11,767 --> 00:43:16,266
And all they said was
they found somebody
dead in the house.
833
00:43:16,266 --> 00:43:18,567
Now my kids
are crying.
834
00:43:18,567 --> 00:43:20,900
Everybody is hysterical
835
00:43:20,900 --> 00:43:22,000
because we're thinking
836
00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:24,300
it's Anthony
in the house dead.
837
00:43:27,667 --> 00:43:28,533
[Lori] No one
would ever think
838
00:43:28,533 --> 00:43:30,867
Anthony was capable
of doing this.
839
00:43:30,867 --> 00:43:32,567
He was smooth with people.
840
00:43:32,567 --> 00:43:35,133
He was so smooth
and clever.
841
00:43:37,300 --> 00:43:40,867
[Tressa] I went over there,
but they wouldn't let me in.
842
00:43:40,867 --> 00:43:45,767
They just said we found
somebody dead in the house.
843
00:43:45,767 --> 00:43:48,300
We'll come
and we'll talk to you.
844
00:43:50,967 --> 00:43:53,767
You have two
decomposed bodies
845
00:43:53,767 --> 00:43:56,000
that was taken out
the first day.
846
00:43:57,667 --> 00:44:01,900
the three decomposed
bodies that was taken out
the next day.
847
00:44:06,867 --> 00:44:09,400
And a skull that
was in a red bucket.
848
00:44:14,700 --> 00:44:17,300
Could there be bodies
in the backyard as well?
849
00:44:20,000 --> 00:44:21,867
I had walked outside
850
00:44:21,867 --> 00:44:23,800
and walked
to the backyard.
851
00:44:25,667 --> 00:44:26,867
What made this backyard
852
00:44:26,867 --> 00:44:29,333
particularly different
was it was lumpy.
853
00:44:29,867 --> 00:44:31,266
There were areas in which
854
00:44:31,266 --> 00:44:34,700
where you would
suspect the lawn
to be leveled,
855
00:44:35,667 --> 00:44:39,166
or smooth, even though
the grass is high,
856
00:44:39,166 --> 00:44:42,700
We had mounds
in which there was dirt.
857
00:44:42,700 --> 00:44:43,900
No grass growing there.
858
00:44:43,900 --> 00:44:45,333
Why is this mound here?
859
00:44:47,567 --> 00:44:50,467
We had a K-9 come
860
00:44:50,467 --> 00:44:54,266
and the handler
took the dog throughout
the backyard.
861
00:44:54,266 --> 00:44:57,700
There was a spot
closer to the house,
862
00:44:58,667 --> 00:45:01,567
the bush right
at the back stairs.
863
00:45:01,567 --> 00:45:04,100
The dog had sort of hit
on that spot,
864
00:45:04,100 --> 00:45:05,500
so we broke ground.
865
00:45:08,667 --> 00:45:12,100
And now we found
there was an additional body.
866
00:45:12,767 --> 00:45:15,000
In the yard.
867
00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:17,667
[reporter] Two o'clock,
the 19 action news
chopper arrives
868
00:45:17,667 --> 00:45:20,667
over Anthony Sowell's house
after sources told us
869
00:45:20,667 --> 00:45:23,300
they found more bodies
in the backyard.
870
00:45:25,266 --> 00:45:27,166
[Lem] The rest
of the bodies
871
00:45:27,166 --> 00:45:29,500
were found
in the rear yard.
872
00:45:31,700 --> 00:45:35,400
And it was
escalated gingerly.
873
00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:39,100
Because 15 inches
on the ground.
874
00:45:39,100 --> 00:45:41,600
That's how deep they were.
Only 15 inch.
875
00:45:45,467 --> 00:45:47,700
We found five
more in backyard.
876
00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:50,967
It was very personal.
877
00:45:50,967 --> 00:45:53,800
I live southeast
of that location.
878
00:45:54,100 --> 00:45:55,667
[in English]
879
00:45:55,667 --> 00:45:57,400
You have girls.
You spoil them.
880
00:45:57,400 --> 00:45:59,266
You want to be
their protector.
881
00:45:59,266 --> 00:46:01,000
I felt that way.
882
00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:05,500
And so, seeing these
women become victims
883
00:46:05,500 --> 00:46:08,266
of a person like this,
884
00:46:08,266 --> 00:46:10,900
I felt like man,
It's just too close.
885
00:46:14,100 --> 00:46:15,100
[Mark] You could see
the panic
886
00:46:15,100 --> 00:46:16,266
in everybody's eyes
887
00:46:16,266 --> 00:46:18,033
that how bad is this
going to get?
888
00:46:20,100 --> 00:46:21,867
[reporter] Kyana Hunt
has not seen her mom,
889
00:46:21,867 --> 00:46:24,000
Nancy Cobbs,
in six months.
890
00:46:25,767 --> 00:46:27,867
[Mark] I called a top
law enforcement official
891
00:46:27,867 --> 00:46:28,867
at the Cleveland
Police Department
892
00:46:28,867 --> 00:46:29,700
who was inside the scene.
893
00:46:29,700 --> 00:46:32,266
And I said,
"If I report right now
894
00:46:32,266 --> 00:46:34,400
is the number 11,
is that accurate?"
895
00:46:35,066 --> 00:46:37,233
He says, "It is accurate.
God help us."
896
00:46:37,667 --> 00:46:39,400
[woman sobbing]
897
00:46:40,867 --> 00:46:42,600
[Mark] I sat on
the porch watching
898
00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:49,834
[tearfully] when that
story published
899
00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:52,667
the screaming
and wailing occurred
900
00:46:52,667 --> 00:46:53,800
[gasps]
901
00:46:55,066 --> 00:46:56,500
Mothers broke down.
902
00:47:03,900 --> 00:47:05,200
They fell
to their knees.
903
00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:08,400
People ran around.
904
00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:10,300
They were just in
shock and fear.
905
00:47:10,300 --> 00:47:12,800
I've never seen anything
like that and never
want to see it again.
906
00:47:14,767 --> 00:47:16,000
[Donnie] As police remove
907
00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:19,367
one body after another
from Sowell's house.
908
00:47:19,367 --> 00:47:21,500
One question hangs
over everything.
909
00:47:22,100 --> 00:47:24,667
Where is Anthony Sowell?
910
00:47:24,667 --> 00:47:27,066
He got the name
the Cleveland Strangler
911
00:47:27,066 --> 00:47:28,000
from the news media.
912
00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:30,500
And once everything
started getting out
913
00:47:30,500 --> 00:47:32,367
into the media,
it was chaos.
914
00:47:32,367 --> 00:47:33,867
People were
seeing him everywhere.
915
00:47:33,867 --> 00:47:35,000
I was telling my guys.
916
00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:37,200
It's like the
Michael Myers effect.
917
00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:38,266
From the movie Halloween.
918
00:47:38,266 --> 00:47:39,900
Everybody saw him
everywhere.
919
00:47:39,900 --> 00:47:42,200
There was reports that
he was at his sister's house,
920
00:47:42,200 --> 00:47:43,767
walking down the street
with a beer in his hand.
921
00:47:43,767 --> 00:47:45,467
But they were all
dead ends,
922
00:47:45,467 --> 00:47:47,834
and Halloween
was the next day.
923
00:47:50,100 --> 00:47:52,467
And there was concern
amongst many mothers
924
00:47:52,467 --> 00:47:55,233
should they cancel
Halloween because this man
was on the loose.
925
00:47:57,900 --> 00:48:00,967
[Donnie] Police searched
for this monster
on the eve of Halloween,
926
00:48:00,967 --> 00:48:03,100
but they had a chance
to zero in on him
927
00:48:03,100 --> 00:48:05,000
a year earlier in 2008,
928
00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:06,700
when one of his
surviving victims
929
00:48:06,700 --> 00:48:10,100
told her horrifying story
to Cleveland investigators.
930
00:48:11,567 --> 00:48:13,500
[Vanessa] I never knew
Anthony Sowell
931
00:48:14,400 --> 00:48:16,233
before that day.
932
00:48:21,667 --> 00:48:23,567
I didn't grow up
in Mount Pleasant,
933
00:48:23,567 --> 00:48:25,767
and I just became
an honorary member.
934
00:48:25,767 --> 00:48:27,700
I was a happy
mother of four.
935
00:48:29,367 --> 00:48:31,166
well balanced children,
936
00:48:31,166 --> 00:48:33,567
you know, we sat down
to dinner together.
937
00:48:33,567 --> 00:48:35,367
We played together.
938
00:48:35,367 --> 00:48:36,467
We learned together.
939
00:48:36,467 --> 00:48:37,567
We worshiped together.
940
00:48:37,567 --> 00:48:40,500
I was working
a full time job,
941
00:48:40,500 --> 00:48:42,500
and then started
my own business.
942
00:48:48,367 --> 00:48:50,266
I met my husband,
943
00:48:50,266 --> 00:48:53,400
and that's how I got
introduced to drugs.
944
00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:58,266
I started off going down
to Mount Pleasant,
945
00:48:58,266 --> 00:48:59,967
probably about
once a week,
946
00:48:59,967 --> 00:49:01,567
to purchase drugs,
947
00:49:01,567 --> 00:49:03,667
and it just
got to the point
948
00:49:03,667 --> 00:49:05,533
where I didn't
go back home.
949
00:49:10,567 --> 00:49:12,700
When I first met Anthony,
950
00:49:15,266 --> 00:49:17,133
I was standing
near the bus stop,
951
00:49:18,467 --> 00:49:20,300
and he comes
walking past
952
00:49:20,300 --> 00:49:22,667
And he says,
"It's my birthday.
953
00:49:22,667 --> 00:49:24,867
Ain't nobody
celebrating my birthday."
954
00:49:24,867 --> 00:49:26,900
And I said, "Happy birthday."
955
00:49:29,266 --> 00:49:31,700
He invited me
to go with him to his house,
956
00:49:31,700 --> 00:49:33,100
celebrate his birthday.
957
00:49:34,266 --> 00:49:35,700
He said he had
958
00:49:35,700 --> 00:49:39,100
some crack and some drink
and some weed at the house.
959
00:49:39,100 --> 00:49:40,767
He said, and, um...
960
00:49:40,767 --> 00:49:42,100
He asked me,
did I want to come?
961
00:49:44,867 --> 00:49:46,800
We started to walk
to his house.
962
00:49:47,367 --> 00:49:49,300
And as we were walking,
963
00:49:49,300 --> 00:49:50,400
there were people,
964
00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:52,367
you know, waving to him.
965
00:49:52,367 --> 00:49:53,567
He got a lot of respect
966
00:49:53,567 --> 00:49:55,333
as we walked to the house.
967
00:49:56,700 --> 00:49:58,300
It seemed like
it was all right.
968
00:50:02,967 --> 00:50:04,500
We finally got to his house.
969
00:50:04,967 --> 00:50:06,033
When he opened the door,
970
00:50:06,700 --> 00:50:08,000
I could just feel the...
971
00:50:08,667 --> 00:50:11,600
I could feel
the eeriness, the...
972
00:50:12,467 --> 00:50:13,033
the air.
973
00:50:13,033 --> 00:50:14,734
It was thick with just
974
00:50:15,066 --> 00:50:17,400
something not good.
975
00:50:17,767 --> 00:50:18,700
And...
976
00:50:19,467 --> 00:50:20,767
by that time,
977
00:50:20,767 --> 00:50:22,133
it's too late to turn around.
978
00:50:28,166 --> 00:50:29,467
As we went
979
00:50:29,467 --> 00:50:31,700
to where he stayed,
in the third floor,
980
00:50:32,100 --> 00:50:33,634
you could smell
981
00:50:33,867 --> 00:50:35,000
a smell.
982
00:50:35,500 --> 00:50:38,533
And he explained
the smell away.
983
00:50:41,200 --> 00:50:44,133
He said,
"That's the smell coming
from the sausage factory."
984
00:50:45,667 --> 00:50:46,700
So...
985
00:50:48,567 --> 00:50:50,200
we're sitting there.
986
00:50:50,200 --> 00:50:52,166
He was talking about
a relationship
987
00:50:52,166 --> 00:50:52,967
that he was in...
988
00:50:56,166 --> 00:50:58,600
where the girl
did him so wrong.
989
00:51:00,567 --> 00:51:02,233
How he hated her for that.
990
00:51:06,467 --> 00:51:07,500
Those eyes went black.
991
00:51:07,500 --> 00:51:09,200
He... He was...
992
00:51:09,200 --> 00:51:10,533
He wasn't there.
993
00:51:13,367 --> 00:51:14,600
I see them eyes.
994
00:51:15,767 --> 00:51:17,000
That's the most...
995
00:51:17,567 --> 00:51:18,500
[exhales]
996
00:51:19,867 --> 00:51:21,900
Empty, lifeless...
997
00:51:23,266 --> 00:51:26,100
evil I've ever seen.
998
00:51:26,100 --> 00:51:27,066
Ever.
999
00:51:27,066 --> 00:51:28,834
I ain't never seen
nothing like that before.
1000
00:51:33,000 --> 00:51:34,600
He turned around
and punched me in my face.
1001
00:51:39,767 --> 00:51:42,166
For the next hours and hours,
1002
00:51:42,166 --> 00:51:43,600
it was all bad.
1003
00:51:44,300 --> 00:51:45,300
And he kept...
1004
00:51:46,400 --> 00:51:47,700
He kept telling me...
1005
00:51:48,800 --> 00:51:51,100
"You don't deserve
what I'm about to do to you."
1006
00:51:51,100 --> 00:51:52,600
I'm thinking,
"What that mean?"
1007
00:51:54,100 --> 00:51:55,467
He kept telling me,
1008
00:51:55,467 --> 00:51:57,967
he gonna throw me
in the closet
1009
00:51:57,967 --> 00:52:00,467
for three days
and not let me out. I mean...
1010
00:52:00,467 --> 00:52:01,800
What do that mean?
1011
00:52:08,100 --> 00:52:09,000
But...
1012
00:52:10,166 --> 00:52:11,300
as...
1013
00:52:12,567 --> 00:52:15,900
as he hit me
and raped me and whatever,
1014
00:52:16,467 --> 00:52:17,700
I'm thinking,
1015
00:52:18,467 --> 00:52:20,000
"Is this how I'm gonna die?"
1016
00:52:23,767 --> 00:52:26,233
Ain't nobody gonna
know where I'm at. I'm...
1017
00:52:26,767 --> 00:52:28,433
My family ain't gonna know.
1018
00:52:30,900 --> 00:52:32,800
[Vanessa crying]
1019
00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:35,800
I finally asked,
"Could I use the bathroom?"
1020
00:52:37,967 --> 00:52:39,433
So he said, "Yeah."
1021
00:52:40,900 --> 00:52:44,100
And when he went to
walk me to the bathroom,
1022
00:52:44,100 --> 00:52:46,767
there was a space
1023
00:52:46,767 --> 00:52:48,100
where there was a tarp.
1024
00:52:48,500 --> 00:52:50,634
The tarp was pinned back.
1025
00:52:54,066 --> 00:52:56,000
And out the corner
of my eye...
1026
00:52:57,567 --> 00:52:58,600
I look at...
1027
00:52:59,467 --> 00:53:01,634
I know I don't see
what I'm seeing.
1028
00:53:05,600 --> 00:53:07,000
Looked like a body.
1029
00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:08,266
It ain't had no head on it.
1030
00:53:08,266 --> 00:53:11,000
It was wrapped up
1031
00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:12,400
in plastic.
1032
00:53:35,667 --> 00:53:36,700
[woman gasps]
1033
00:53:37,600 --> 00:53:38,900
[Vanessa] I've never
1034
00:53:39,266 --> 00:53:40,400
seen nothing
1035
00:53:40,867 --> 00:53:43,600
like that in my life ever.
1036
00:53:44,400 --> 00:53:45,367
Never.
1037
00:53:45,367 --> 00:53:46,367
I didn't even
1038
00:53:46,367 --> 00:53:48,500
let him know that I seen it,
1039
00:53:48,500 --> 00:53:51,100
or that I acknowledged it,
1040
00:53:51,100 --> 00:53:53,467
or I think he would have...
1041
00:53:53,467 --> 00:53:54,934
I don't know
what he would have did.
1042
00:53:56,667 --> 00:53:58,300
[Katie]
Most likely, Anthony knew
1043
00:53:58,300 --> 00:54:00,066
she was gonna see that body.
1044
00:54:00,066 --> 00:54:01,533
He knows where it was.
1045
00:54:02,367 --> 00:54:04,567
Why would you just leave
a headless body there
1046
00:54:04,567 --> 00:54:06,300
if not to cause fear?
1047
00:54:06,300 --> 00:54:08,800
[door creaks, closes]
1048
00:54:08,800 --> 00:54:10,400
[Vanessa] It was the next day.
1049
00:54:10,800 --> 00:54:12,100
He was contemplating on
1050
00:54:12,100 --> 00:54:13,600
what he was gonna do with me.
1051
00:54:14,567 --> 00:54:17,767
And I said, "Say, um,
1052
00:54:17,767 --> 00:54:20,367
it was just rougher
than I'm used to.
1053
00:54:20,367 --> 00:54:22,600
But I'll come back
or whatever."
1054
00:54:23,100 --> 00:54:25,266
And whatever the words were
1055
00:54:25,266 --> 00:54:27,233
convinced him to...
1056
00:54:28,166 --> 00:54:29,600
let me go.
1057
00:54:31,500 --> 00:54:33,667
[Katie] He gets off by making
1058
00:54:33,667 --> 00:54:35,300
these women uncomfortable,
1059
00:54:35,300 --> 00:54:36,300
by hurting them.
1060
00:54:38,300 --> 00:54:40,333
By making them scared.
1061
00:54:40,667 --> 00:54:43,400
And using that to
1062
00:54:43,700 --> 00:54:44,467
get off.
1063
00:54:44,467 --> 00:54:46,000
And so by her saying,
1064
00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:47,600
"Actually,
I kind of liked it,"
1065
00:54:48,500 --> 00:54:50,100
he's no longer aroused by her.
1066
00:54:50,100 --> 00:54:53,000
He's got to have that fear.
1067
00:54:54,166 --> 00:54:56,400
[door creaks]
1068
00:54:56,400 --> 00:54:58,133
[Vanessa] He opened the door
and it was like...
1069
00:54:59,467 --> 00:55:00,367
like birth.
1070
00:55:00,367 --> 00:55:02,100
The sun was out.
1071
00:55:02,100 --> 00:55:05,233
Everything was alive and...
1072
00:55:06,600 --> 00:55:07,800
And I'm walking
1073
00:55:08,367 --> 00:55:10,400
as fast as I could
to get away.
1074
00:55:10,667 --> 00:55:11,967
And people
1075
00:55:11,967 --> 00:55:13,900
are looking at me like I...
1076
00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:19,300
like I'm some kind
of piece of trash.
1077
00:55:21,066 --> 00:55:22,400
And nobody helped me.
1078
00:55:24,667 --> 00:55:28,333
So, made it to the corner,
called the police.
1079
00:55:28,767 --> 00:55:30,100
The police told me
1080
00:55:30,100 --> 00:55:31,700
to come to them.
1081
00:55:32,100 --> 00:55:33,700
Told me to come to them.
1082
00:55:34,567 --> 00:55:37,700
I couldn't come to y'all.
I couldn't even walk.
1083
00:55:38,266 --> 00:55:41,000
So I laid on the bus stop.
1084
00:55:41,000 --> 00:55:42,800
I just laid there...
1085
00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:45,867
until somebody I knew
1086
00:55:45,867 --> 00:55:47,300
walked me down the street.
1087
00:55:48,667 --> 00:55:50,066
Sex Crimes detectives
did not have
1088
00:55:50,066 --> 00:55:51,100
cell phones issued to them.
1089
00:55:51,100 --> 00:55:53,567
They did not have
email accounts issued to them.
1090
00:55:53,567 --> 00:55:54,667
So if you needed
to get in touch
1091
00:55:54,667 --> 00:55:56,867
with a detective who worked
at the Sex Crimes Unit,
1092
00:55:56,867 --> 00:55:59,100
you had to
physically go downtown
1093
00:55:59,100 --> 00:56:00,500
to the Sex Crimes Unit.
1094
00:56:00,500 --> 00:56:02,166
Any expert in this field
1095
00:56:02,166 --> 00:56:04,200
will tell you that's
an absolutely terrible way
1096
00:56:04,200 --> 00:56:05,667
of handling sex assault cases.
1097
00:56:05,667 --> 00:56:07,467
People don't want to go
into the police station.
1098
00:56:07,467 --> 00:56:09,600
They don't feel comfortable
doing that.
1099
00:56:09,600 --> 00:56:12,100
You have to be able
to meet people
on their own ground.
1100
00:56:12,100 --> 00:56:13,667
And the Sex Crimes Unit,
1101
00:56:13,667 --> 00:56:16,166
which was already understaffed
and underfunded at that point,
1102
00:56:16,166 --> 00:56:17,600
just wasn't
getting the job done.
1103
00:56:20,567 --> 00:56:22,867
[Vanessa]
On different occasions,
1104
00:56:22,867 --> 00:56:26,000
I've tried to tell the police
what happened.
1105
00:56:26,700 --> 00:56:29,667
They never wanted
to listen, you know.
1106
00:56:29,667 --> 00:56:32,100
It's just
appalling levels of failure
1107
00:56:32,100 --> 00:56:33,834
over and over and over again.
1108
00:56:35,667 --> 00:56:37,767
I think a lot of women
did try to come forward
1109
00:56:37,767 --> 00:56:39,200
about Anthony Sowell.
1110
00:56:39,800 --> 00:56:41,433
Every time they were ignored.
1111
00:56:44,967 --> 00:56:45,800
Um,
1112
00:56:46,166 --> 00:56:47,900
there was no urgency.
1113
00:56:50,600 --> 00:56:52,500
We have policies
and procedures
1114
00:56:52,500 --> 00:56:56,500
and ways in which
we perform certain duties
1115
00:56:56,900 --> 00:56:58,800
as the law enforcement,
1116
00:56:58,800 --> 00:57:02,000
and it needed to be revised.
1117
00:57:02,000 --> 00:57:04,166
So many people
have dropped the ball
1118
00:57:04,166 --> 00:57:06,133
and not done
what they were supposed to do.
1119
00:57:07,567 --> 00:57:08,433
In 1997,
1120
00:57:08,433 --> 00:57:09,867
while Anthony Sowell
was in prison
1121
00:57:09,867 --> 00:57:11,700
for the rape
of Melvette Sockwell,
1122
00:57:12,567 --> 00:57:16,066
Ohio created
a statewide database for DNA.
1123
00:57:16,066 --> 00:57:18,400
So they took
Anthony Sowell's DNA,
1124
00:57:18,400 --> 00:57:20,867
and it was sent to a lab
in Fairfax, Virginia,
1125
00:57:20,867 --> 00:57:22,100
where it was to be tested,
1126
00:57:22,100 --> 00:57:24,200
logged, entered
into the system.
1127
00:57:24,200 --> 00:57:25,700
It got lost in the mail.
1128
00:57:27,400 --> 00:57:29,700
So it was very easy for him
to continue to do what he did
1129
00:57:29,700 --> 00:57:30,667
long after
1130
00:57:30,667 --> 00:57:32,133
he should have been arrested.
1131
00:57:35,100 --> 00:57:36,867
[Melvin]
We went back to the house
1132
00:57:36,867 --> 00:57:37,900
the next morning,
1133
00:57:37,900 --> 00:57:40,200
first sign of daylight.
1134
00:57:40,200 --> 00:57:43,400
I can recall we were
digging the backyard
1135
00:57:44,066 --> 00:57:45,600
for other victims.
1136
00:57:46,500 --> 00:57:48,266
One of
the uniform officers came
1137
00:57:48,266 --> 00:57:49,700
and told me that
1138
00:57:49,700 --> 00:57:52,934
there was a lady that
requested to see me.
1139
00:57:53,800 --> 00:57:55,867
She was a grandmother,
1140
00:57:55,867 --> 00:57:58,400
and she wanted to make
1141
00:57:58,400 --> 00:58:01,900
a missing persons report
at that point in time.
1142
00:58:01,900 --> 00:58:03,800
Later on, it turned out
1143
00:58:04,367 --> 00:58:05,867
it was her granddaughter,
1144
00:58:05,867 --> 00:58:08,367
Tishana Culver,
1145
00:58:08,367 --> 00:58:10,767
who was actually
one of the first victims.
1146
00:58:10,767 --> 00:58:13,600
She disappeared in 2007.
1147
00:58:16,567 --> 00:58:18,800
[Donnie]
Forensic evidence identifies
1148
00:58:18,800 --> 00:58:20,266
Tishana Culver
1149
00:58:20,266 --> 00:58:23,233
as one of the women found
on the third floor house,
1150
00:58:23,600 --> 00:58:25,300
along with Nancy Cobbs,
1151
00:58:25,667 --> 00:58:27,100
Diane Turner,
1152
00:58:27,100 --> 00:58:28,667
and Telacia Fortson.
1153
00:58:28,667 --> 00:58:30,367
The woman discovered
in the basement
1154
00:58:30,367 --> 00:58:31,767
behind the stairs
1155
00:58:31,767 --> 00:58:34,200
is identified as Janice Webb.
1156
00:58:34,200 --> 00:58:36,700
The skull found
in the bucket nearby
1157
00:58:36,700 --> 00:58:38,200
is Leshanda Long.
1158
00:58:38,200 --> 00:58:40,567
And the five women
discovered in the yard
1159
00:58:40,567 --> 00:58:42,233
are Tonia Carmichael,
1160
00:58:42,600 --> 00:58:44,066
Crystal Dozier,
1161
00:58:44,066 --> 00:58:45,300
Michelle Mason,
1162
00:58:45,700 --> 00:58:47,000
Amelda Hunter,
1163
00:58:47,600 --> 00:58:48,500
and Kim Smith.
1164
00:58:50,367 --> 00:58:54,000
Investigators identify
all 11 victims.
1165
00:58:54,600 --> 00:58:56,100
Anthony Sowell,
1166
00:58:56,100 --> 00:58:57,700
The Cleveland Strangler,
1167
00:58:57,700 --> 00:58:58,500
is officially
1168
00:58:58,500 --> 00:59:01,000
the most notorious
serial killer
1169
00:59:01,000 --> 00:59:02,600
in the city's history.
1170
00:59:04,166 --> 00:59:05,867
[Lori] The day
that I found out
1171
00:59:05,867 --> 00:59:07,367
that this stuff was going on,
1172
00:59:07,367 --> 00:59:09,000
somebody had called my phone.
1173
00:59:09,000 --> 00:59:10,333
They were screaming
and hollering, saying,
1174
00:59:10,333 --> 00:59:13,467
"We thought you were
one of the bodies in the house
that's dead."
1175
00:59:13,467 --> 00:59:14,467
And I'm like, "What?"
1176
00:59:14,467 --> 00:59:16,133
They was like,
"Turn the TV on."
1177
00:59:16,867 --> 00:59:18,667
[reporter] It's the case
that broke open
1178
00:59:18,667 --> 00:59:22,367
a suspected serial killing
house of horrors.
1179
00:59:22,367 --> 00:59:24,367
Everything started
coming back. Why was this...
1180
00:59:24,367 --> 00:59:25,767
Oh, I was doing this.
He was doing...
1181
00:59:25,767 --> 00:59:28,300
Oh, everything
came back. Everything.
1182
00:59:29,667 --> 00:59:30,734
I was shocked.
1183
00:59:31,467 --> 00:59:33,667
I got a psychiatrist.
1184
00:59:33,667 --> 00:59:37,400
They say I'm diagnosed with
antipsychotic schizophrenic.
1185
00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:39,166
All kinds of stuff. I'd be
looking over my shoulder.
1186
00:59:39,166 --> 00:59:42,066
I just had a lot going on.
1187
00:59:42,066 --> 00:59:44,934
And I cried
because them ladies
didn't deserve that.
1188
00:59:47,266 --> 00:59:48,700
[Donnie]
Even though Anthony Sowell
1189
00:59:48,700 --> 00:59:51,367
is the most wanted man
in Cleveland,
1190
00:59:51,367 --> 00:59:53,667
police make
another huge mistake
1191
00:59:53,667 --> 00:59:55,467
and let him slip away.
1192
00:59:55,467 --> 00:59:57,900
A zone car had him
the night before,
1193
00:59:57,900 --> 00:59:59,500
and he lied his way out of it.
1194
00:59:59,767 --> 01:00:01,333
And they let him go.
1195
01:00:03,000 --> 01:00:04,266
We're out there looking,
1196
01:00:04,266 --> 01:00:06,700
and we probably
1197
01:00:06,867 --> 01:00:08,100
searched
1198
01:00:08,100 --> 01:00:10,867
well over 100 vacant houses.
1199
01:00:10,867 --> 01:00:13,300
There are hundreds
and hundreds of officers
out there
1200
01:00:13,300 --> 01:00:14,367
searching for this guy.
1201
01:00:16,867 --> 01:00:19,767
[Donnie] While police are
going house to house,
1202
01:00:19,767 --> 01:00:22,634
an interesting call
comes into 911.
1203
01:00:23,800 --> 01:00:26,800
[operator speaking]
1204
01:00:27,266 --> 01:00:30,033
[man speaking]
1205
01:00:30,567 --> 01:00:31,600
[operator speaking]
1206
01:00:32,867 --> 01:00:34,934
[man speaking]
1207
01:00:36,000 --> 01:00:37,433
[operator speaking]
1208
01:00:38,266 --> 01:00:41,300
[man speaking]
1209
01:00:41,300 --> 01:00:43,166
[operator speaking]
1210
01:00:43,166 --> 01:00:44,166
[man speaking]
1211
01:00:44,166 --> 01:00:45,200
[officer speaking]
1212
01:00:45,467 --> 01:00:46,867
[Anthony speaking]
1213
01:00:46,867 --> 01:00:48,400
[officer speaking]
1214
01:00:50,100 --> 01:00:51,900
[Anthony speaking]
1215
01:00:57,467 --> 01:00:59,867
They were locking down
the bus station,
1216
01:00:59,867 --> 01:01:00,967
the airport,
1217
01:01:00,967 --> 01:01:03,467
the train station.
1218
01:01:03,467 --> 01:01:05,300
I was like,
"He's not gonna be there.
1219
01:01:05,300 --> 01:01:07,867
He's a person
of the neighborhood.
1220
01:01:07,867 --> 01:01:09,500
You know,
he's somewhere here."
1221
01:01:12,266 --> 01:01:14,800
[Lori] The detectives had me
riding all around the city,
1222
01:01:14,800 --> 01:01:16,700
asking me what I know.
1223
01:01:16,700 --> 01:01:19,600
I kept telling them,
"No, I don't know where he at,
I haven't seen him."
1224
01:01:20,867 --> 01:01:22,867
I feel like I was a suspect,
1225
01:01:22,867 --> 01:01:24,667
but I knew
in my mind, in my head,
1226
01:01:24,667 --> 01:01:25,800
that I didn't do anything.
1227
01:01:25,800 --> 01:01:27,867
[telephone ringing]
1228
01:01:27,867 --> 01:01:29,667
[woman] Anthony called me.
1229
01:01:29,667 --> 01:01:30,800
He said,
1230
01:01:30,800 --> 01:01:34,166
"The police are gonna tell you
some things that I did."
1231
01:01:34,166 --> 01:01:35,700
He said, "I did them."
1232
01:01:37,567 --> 01:01:38,667
And that was it.
1233
01:01:41,867 --> 01:01:43,867
When I found out
what Anthony did,
1234
01:01:43,867 --> 01:01:45,233
I couldn't believe it.
1235
01:01:46,266 --> 01:01:47,367
All I can say is
1236
01:01:47,367 --> 01:01:49,000
that was very selfish.
1237
01:01:50,467 --> 01:01:53,000
[Donnie] During most of
his murderous rampage,
1238
01:01:53,000 --> 01:01:55,133
Sowell is never a suspect.
1239
01:01:55,600 --> 01:01:56,200
Partly
1240
01:01:56,200 --> 01:01:58,000
because Cleveland police
1241
01:01:58,000 --> 01:02:00,667
barely bother to investigate
reports from women
1242
01:02:00,667 --> 01:02:02,667
about his violent attacks.
1243
01:02:02,667 --> 01:02:04,867
Women like Gladys Wade,
1244
01:02:04,867 --> 01:02:07,400
who was attacked
in December of 2008.
1245
01:02:08,600 --> 01:02:10,300
I think a lot about
1246
01:02:10,600 --> 01:02:11,800
how many times
1247
01:02:11,800 --> 01:02:13,867
Anthony Sowell
should have been caught
1248
01:02:13,867 --> 01:02:15,600
during this
serial murder spree.
1249
01:02:20,500 --> 01:02:22,133
I think a lot
about Gladys Wade.
1250
01:02:25,567 --> 01:02:27,233
Gladys Wade lived on
the east side of Cleveland.
1251
01:02:27,967 --> 01:02:30,600
One night
she was walking home.
1252
01:02:30,600 --> 01:02:33,300
She walked past
Anthony Sowell's house
on Imperial Avenue.
1253
01:02:34,467 --> 01:02:37,133
And he was outside
and he said "Merry Christmas."
1254
01:02:38,000 --> 01:02:39,967
She said "Merry Christmas"
back to him.
1255
01:02:39,967 --> 01:02:41,634
And he invited her
into his house.
1256
01:02:42,867 --> 01:02:44,800
And she said no,
she wasn't interested.
1257
01:02:44,800 --> 01:02:46,000
She kept on walking.
1258
01:02:49,400 --> 01:02:50,800
And then
the next thing she knew,
1259
01:02:50,800 --> 01:02:52,300
he grabbed her from behind.
1260
01:02:52,300 --> 01:02:54,667
He physically dragged her
inside the house.
1261
01:02:54,667 --> 01:02:56,100
She did not go willingly.
1262
01:02:56,100 --> 01:02:57,166
And she passed out.
1263
01:03:02,066 --> 01:03:03,500
He took her up
to the third floor
1264
01:03:03,500 --> 01:03:05,000
where he was
living at the time.
1265
01:03:05,000 --> 01:03:07,867
The same place where police
would later find the bodies.
1266
01:03:07,867 --> 01:03:09,300
And that's where she woke up.
1267
01:03:09,967 --> 01:03:10,734
She was lying on
1268
01:03:10,734 --> 01:03:12,266
the front room
of the third floor
1269
01:03:12,266 --> 01:03:13,900
on the south side
of the house.
1270
01:03:14,600 --> 01:03:15,900
He came back into the room,
1271
01:03:15,900 --> 01:03:17,533
closed the door behind him.
1272
01:03:19,500 --> 01:03:21,367
Then he said
something to the effect of,
1273
01:03:21,367 --> 01:03:23,233
"You can scream
but no one's gonna hear you."
1274
01:03:26,600 --> 01:03:29,166
Will Gladys Wade end up
like so many other victims
1275
01:03:29,166 --> 01:03:31,000
of The Cleveland Strangler?
1276
01:03:31,000 --> 01:03:33,333
Dead and buried
in his house of horrors?
1277
01:03:33,867 --> 01:03:36,000
Or will she somehow escape
1278
01:03:36,000 --> 01:03:37,533
and live to tell the tale?
1279
01:03:49,266 --> 01:03:51,400
Gladys Wade decided to fight.
1280
01:03:51,400 --> 01:03:53,700
She grabbed his testicles.
She gouged his eyes.
1281
01:03:53,700 --> 01:03:55,000
She gouged his face.
1282
01:03:55,800 --> 01:03:57,066
She was able to get past him
1283
01:03:57,066 --> 01:03:59,400
and run down the stairs
down to the first floor.
1284
01:04:01,767 --> 01:04:04,900
He chased her, he struggled
with her in the front lawn,
1285
01:04:04,900 --> 01:04:07,133
and she was able
to fight him off again.
1286
01:04:12,100 --> 01:04:14,100
After Gladys Wade
came forward,
1287
01:04:14,667 --> 01:04:16,133
Anthony Sowell was arrested.
1288
01:04:17,767 --> 01:04:19,266
But the arresting officer
1289
01:04:19,266 --> 01:04:21,667
incorrectly labeled
the incident as rape
1290
01:04:21,667 --> 01:04:23,333
in his incident report.
1291
01:04:23,967 --> 01:04:25,166
Gladys had been very clear,
1292
01:04:25,166 --> 01:04:26,800
a rape didn't actually
take place.
1293
01:04:26,800 --> 01:04:27,767
There was a kidnapping,
1294
01:04:27,767 --> 01:04:28,900
there was an assault,
1295
01:04:28,900 --> 01:04:31,400
but she fought him off
before the rape could happen.
1296
01:04:31,400 --> 01:04:32,567
So the city doesn't charge it
1297
01:04:32,567 --> 01:04:34,000
because the arresting officer
1298
01:04:34,000 --> 01:04:36,500
checked the wrong box
on his incident report.
1299
01:04:40,100 --> 01:04:42,266
[Donnie] This shocking act
of police incompetence
1300
01:04:42,266 --> 01:04:45,500
lets Anthony Sowell
off the hook again.
1301
01:04:45,500 --> 01:04:47,800
And that incompetence
costs lives.
1302
01:04:48,266 --> 01:04:49,800
Sowell murdered six more women
1303
01:04:49,800 --> 01:04:52,133
after Gladys Wade
escaped from his house.
1304
01:04:52,900 --> 01:04:54,567
He leaves behind
another witness
1305
01:04:54,567 --> 01:04:56,100
less than a year later.
1306
01:04:56,100 --> 01:04:58,467
In September 2009,
1307
01:04:58,467 --> 01:05:00,400
he attacks Latundra Billups.
1308
01:05:10,000 --> 01:05:12,300
[Mark]
Latundra Billups met Sowell.
1309
01:05:12,300 --> 01:05:15,000
He lured her
in the house to party.
1310
01:05:15,000 --> 01:05:17,400
While in the house,
she told Anthony Sowell
1311
01:05:17,400 --> 01:05:19,767
about a rumor
that he had raped
1312
01:05:19,767 --> 01:05:21,000
a woman prior.
1313
01:05:21,000 --> 01:05:22,500
That set Sowell off.
1314
01:05:23,900 --> 01:05:26,266
That was
a triggering moment for him
1315
01:05:26,266 --> 01:05:27,867
because he didn't want
1316
01:05:27,867 --> 01:05:28,967
to be found out.
1317
01:05:28,967 --> 01:05:31,433
And so she's
calling him out on this.
1318
01:05:32,300 --> 01:05:34,100
As he's bringing in
these women,
1319
01:05:34,100 --> 01:05:36,000
there's part of him
that's probably just hoping
1320
01:05:36,000 --> 01:05:37,667
maybe this is the new Lori.
1321
01:05:37,667 --> 01:05:39,767
Maybe this is
someone I can love.
1322
01:05:39,767 --> 01:05:42,000
But as he talks to them,
1323
01:05:42,000 --> 01:05:43,800
as he's interacting with them,
1324
01:05:43,800 --> 01:05:45,667
something probably clicks
and he goes, "No,
1325
01:05:45,667 --> 01:05:47,000
this is not Lori."
1326
01:05:47,000 --> 01:05:50,000
And that's when he starts,
you know, harming them.
1327
01:05:52,300 --> 01:05:55,300
And so by making
that single statement,
1328
01:05:55,300 --> 01:05:56,767
Latundra changes
the whole dynamic
1329
01:05:56,767 --> 01:06:00,600
as someone who is
his mother, not the Lori.
1330
01:06:02,066 --> 01:06:04,300
[Mark]
He attacked her brutally.
1331
01:06:04,300 --> 01:06:06,767
He strangled her
with an electrical cord.
1332
01:06:06,767 --> 01:06:08,133
He thought she was dead.
1333
01:06:09,367 --> 01:06:12,100
But she woke up.
And that surprised him.
1334
01:06:14,867 --> 01:06:16,433
And he let her go.
1335
01:06:17,567 --> 01:06:21,000
Maybe at that point,
he felt some sort
of excitement that, "Oh,
1336
01:06:21,000 --> 01:06:23,700
she knows that I've done this
and yet she's still here."
1337
01:06:24,967 --> 01:06:25,900
Maybe he wanted
1338
01:06:25,900 --> 01:06:28,233
to see what would happen
by letting her go.
1339
01:06:29,800 --> 01:06:32,600
[Donnie] A friend brings
Latundra to the hospital
1340
01:06:32,600 --> 01:06:34,233
where police take a statement.
1341
01:06:34,800 --> 01:06:36,600
But after
that first interview,
1342
01:06:37,000 --> 01:06:38,400
Latundra vanishes.
1343
01:06:39,300 --> 01:06:41,400
Police have no way
to follow up.
1344
01:06:41,400 --> 01:06:44,300
And they
never questioned Sowell
about the attack,
1345
01:06:44,300 --> 01:06:46,767
leaving him free to continue
raping and murdering
1346
01:06:46,767 --> 01:06:48,200
whenever he wants.
1347
01:06:48,767 --> 01:06:50,767
And in Sowell's twisted mind,
1348
01:06:50,767 --> 01:06:54,367
he believed he was doing
some kind of public service.
1349
01:06:54,367 --> 01:06:56,700
These were women
he thought deserved to die.
1350
01:06:57,467 --> 01:07:00,200
He saw it as helping society,
1351
01:07:00,200 --> 01:07:02,700
removing drug-addicted mothers
from the streets.
1352
01:07:03,600 --> 01:07:05,300
Sowell definitely was aware
1353
01:07:05,300 --> 01:07:07,667
he was committing
these crimes.
1354
01:07:07,667 --> 01:07:11,367
The question is whether or not
he thought they were crimes,
1355
01:07:11,367 --> 01:07:14,433
as opposed to
appropriate behavior.
1356
01:07:17,667 --> 01:07:20,100
[Sowell speaking]
1357
01:07:28,500 --> 01:07:31,233
When you can blame a victim,
1358
01:07:31,867 --> 01:07:33,600
someone that you murdered,
1359
01:07:34,367 --> 01:07:36,367
for their own death,
1360
01:07:36,367 --> 01:07:38,000
then
1361
01:07:38,000 --> 01:07:40,300
you have no feeling whatsoever
1362
01:07:40,567 --> 01:07:41,834
for anyone.
1363
01:07:43,367 --> 01:07:46,066
[Donnie] One month
after he attacks Billups,
1364
01:07:46,066 --> 01:07:47,834
Sowell strikes again.
1365
01:07:49,467 --> 01:07:52,100
[Mark] Shawn Morris went
to Sowell's house to party.
1366
01:07:52,100 --> 01:07:53,767
After partying with Sowell,
1367
01:07:53,767 --> 01:07:55,433
Shawn Morris left the house.
1368
01:07:56,567 --> 01:07:57,767
On the way to somewhere else,
1369
01:07:57,767 --> 01:07:59,900
she realized she left her ID.
1370
01:08:00,767 --> 01:08:03,000
She went back to the house
to retrieve her ID.
1371
01:08:03,867 --> 01:08:04,934
He attacked her.
1372
01:08:06,467 --> 01:08:07,467
[Katie] Anthony seemed to have
1373
01:08:07,467 --> 01:08:10,066
a ritualistic approach
to all of these attacks.
1374
01:08:10,066 --> 01:08:12,467
By targeting certain women,
1375
01:08:12,467 --> 01:08:13,667
bringing them into his home,
1376
01:08:13,667 --> 01:08:15,367
getting them comfortable,
before he then
1377
01:08:15,367 --> 01:08:17,266
went on to the rampage attack.
1378
01:08:17,266 --> 01:08:19,967
We'll start with the beating,
we'll strangle them,
1379
01:08:19,967 --> 01:08:21,467
make them fearful.
1380
01:08:21,467 --> 01:08:23,000
[woman moaning]
1381
01:08:23,000 --> 01:08:24,767
[Katie] As he was
assaulting Shawn Morris,
1382
01:08:24,767 --> 01:08:26,734
he was screaming,
"I hate bitches."
1383
01:08:27,166 --> 01:08:28,333
[woman moaning]
1384
01:08:29,667 --> 01:08:30,800
[Mark]
She fell out of a window
1385
01:08:30,800 --> 01:08:32,900
from the third story
of his house.
1386
01:08:32,900 --> 01:08:34,867
And Sowell came
out of the house naked,
1387
01:08:34,867 --> 01:08:36,734
trying to pull her
back into the home.
1388
01:08:39,266 --> 01:08:41,233
He doesn't fear being seen.
1389
01:08:42,600 --> 01:08:45,300
The neighbor called
the ambulance.
1390
01:08:45,300 --> 01:08:49,233
[neighbor speaking]
1391
01:08:51,967 --> 01:08:54,166
[operator speaking]
1392
01:08:54,166 --> 01:08:56,767
[neighbor speaking]
1393
01:08:56,767 --> 01:08:59,500
[Donnie] While Shawn Morris
recovers in the hospital,
1394
01:08:59,500 --> 01:09:02,700
police finally track down
Latundra Billups.
1395
01:09:02,700 --> 01:09:06,000
This time, she gives them
a full statement.
1396
01:09:06,000 --> 01:09:08,834
And enough for a warrant
to search Sowell's house.
1397
01:09:09,767 --> 01:09:12,700
Two days after
the first bodies were found,
1398
01:09:13,100 --> 01:09:15,600
a call comes in to 911.
1399
01:09:16,867 --> 01:09:17,967
[line ringing]
1400
01:09:17,967 --> 01:09:19,367
[Ronald]
A citizen called and said,
1401
01:09:19,367 --> 01:09:22,100
"Hey, there's a guy that looks
like this Anthony Sowell
1402
01:09:22,100 --> 01:09:24,500
that you're looking for
over on Mount Auburn."
1403
01:09:25,600 --> 01:09:28,166
We were close by,
and I told my guys,
1404
01:09:28,166 --> 01:09:29,500
"We're gonna get him today."
1405
01:09:38,800 --> 01:09:40,367
[indistinct chatter
on police radio]
1406
01:09:40,367 --> 01:09:41,400
[siren wailing]
1407
01:09:41,400 --> 01:09:43,400
[Ronald] We got there,
and I'm looking at him,
1408
01:09:43,400 --> 01:09:46,700
and he didn't look
like the picture that I had.
1409
01:09:49,100 --> 01:09:51,500
But there's just
something that told me
1410
01:09:52,567 --> 01:09:53,634
that...
1411
01:09:54,700 --> 01:09:56,400
I gotta look
a little bit further.
1412
01:09:58,100 --> 01:09:59,767
He had a scratch on his face,
1413
01:09:59,767 --> 01:10:01,266
like somebody scratched him.
1414
01:10:01,266 --> 01:10:02,467
[indistinct chatter
on police radio]
1415
01:10:02,467 --> 01:10:05,166
So I said,
"Hey, we're looking for a guy.
1416
01:10:05,166 --> 01:10:07,700
You're pretty close
to who we're looking for."
1417
01:10:09,567 --> 01:10:11,133
I said, "I'll make
a deal with you."
1418
01:10:12,066 --> 01:10:14,500
I said, "We've been out
running around.
1419
01:10:14,500 --> 01:10:16,900
If you're not the guy
we're looking for,
1420
01:10:16,900 --> 01:10:19,467
you can go
to breakfast with us,
'cause we're hungry."
1421
01:10:19,467 --> 01:10:21,000
[indistinct chatter
on police radio]
1422
01:10:22,166 --> 01:10:24,100
[Ronald]
He was relaxed. He was
1423
01:10:24,567 --> 01:10:26,467
cool as a cucumber.
1424
01:10:26,467 --> 01:10:27,700
And...
1425
01:10:31,266 --> 01:10:33,100
For a fleeting moment there,
I said,
1426
01:10:33,100 --> 01:10:34,834
"Well, maybe this isn't him."
1427
01:10:37,367 --> 01:10:39,367
And he goes, "I'm Anthony.
I'm Anthony Sowell.
1428
01:10:39,367 --> 01:10:41,166
I'm the guy
you're looking for."
1429
01:10:41,166 --> 01:10:43,467
[indistinct chatter
on police radio]
1430
01:10:43,467 --> 01:10:45,066
[handcuffs clicking]
1431
01:10:45,066 --> 01:10:47,967
And he goes,
"I just want to die."
1432
01:10:47,967 --> 01:10:50,300
We were all standing around
looking at each other, like,
1433
01:10:51,266 --> 01:10:52,400
wow.
1434
01:10:52,400 --> 01:10:54,400
-[indistinct chatter
on police radio]
-[siren wailing]
1435
01:10:55,166 --> 01:10:56,200
We just got
1436
01:10:56,200 --> 01:10:59,000
the biggest serial killer
in Cleveland history.
1437
01:11:00,467 --> 01:11:01,767
We didn't know what to say.
1438
01:11:01,767 --> 01:11:06,166
There was like
a really weird silence
1439
01:11:06,166 --> 01:11:07,400
the whole time.
1440
01:11:08,600 --> 01:11:11,000
So after Anthony Sowell
was arrested...
1441
01:11:11,367 --> 01:11:13,266
[indistinct chatter]
1442
01:11:13,266 --> 01:11:17,066
[Melvin] ...my partner and I,
we conducted an interrogation.
1443
01:11:17,066 --> 01:11:19,266
This is my partner,
Detective Griffin.
1444
01:11:19,266 --> 01:11:21,500
I'm Detective Smith
with the Homicide Unit.
1445
01:11:22,367 --> 01:11:24,700
Our thought process
at this time is,
1446
01:11:25,000 --> 01:11:26,100
you have
1447
01:11:26,100 --> 01:11:28,800
to work for the victims.
1448
01:11:30,166 --> 01:11:32,000
And you have to figure out
why are they there,
1449
01:11:32,000 --> 01:11:33,333
how did they get there,
1450
01:11:34,266 --> 01:11:35,533
and what happened to them.
1451
01:11:36,700 --> 01:11:38,800
[Lemmy speaking]
1452
01:11:50,367 --> 01:11:51,300
[Anthony speaking]
1453
01:11:51,300 --> 01:11:54,400
[Lemmy speaking]
1454
01:12:00,667 --> 01:12:03,600
[Anthony speaking]
1455
01:12:06,900 --> 01:12:09,100
Anthony Sowell's
answers mostly were
1456
01:12:09,100 --> 01:12:11,000
nonspecific answers.
1457
01:12:11,000 --> 01:12:13,700
Wouldn't give us anything,
any details.
1458
01:12:14,867 --> 01:12:17,200
But what he started to do
1459
01:12:17,800 --> 01:12:20,367
was to relate things
1460
01:12:20,367 --> 01:12:22,266
to dreams.
1461
01:12:22,266 --> 01:12:25,300
So we thought maybe we could
get these answers,
1462
01:12:25,300 --> 01:12:26,700
pull these answers from him
1463
01:12:27,200 --> 01:12:29,367
by talking about his dreams.
1464
01:12:29,367 --> 01:12:31,600
[Lemmy speaking]
1465
01:12:32,600 --> 01:12:34,266
[Anthony speaking]
1466
01:12:34,266 --> 01:12:36,000
-[Lemmy speaking]
-[Melvin speaking]
1467
01:12:36,000 --> 01:12:37,300
[Lemmy speaking]
1468
01:12:37,300 --> 01:12:38,600
[Anthony speaking]
1469
01:12:39,767 --> 01:12:41,400
[Melvin] We understand that
1470
01:12:41,400 --> 01:12:43,400
doing interviews
and interrogations,
1471
01:12:43,400 --> 01:12:45,500
it's gonna be hard
to get to the details.
1472
01:12:45,500 --> 01:12:47,100
Most of the time,
1473
01:12:47,100 --> 01:12:49,000
they want to give us a story.
1474
01:12:50,100 --> 01:12:51,600
My philosophy is,
1475
01:12:51,600 --> 01:12:53,900
as long as you
tell me a story,
1476
01:12:53,900 --> 01:12:55,166
I'm gonna listen.
1477
01:12:55,166 --> 01:12:58,166
And I'll ask questions
from your stories.
1478
01:12:58,166 --> 01:13:01,100
So, fortunately for us,
1479
01:13:01,100 --> 01:13:03,734
his stories
happen to be his dreams.
1480
01:13:04,867 --> 01:13:06,333
[Melvin speaking]
1481
01:13:09,066 --> 01:13:10,533
[Lemmy speaking]
1482
01:13:17,367 --> 01:13:18,300
[Anthony] No.
1483
01:13:23,967 --> 01:13:25,133
[Anthony speaking]
1484
01:13:26,200 --> 01:13:27,400
[Anthony speaking]
1485
01:13:29,500 --> 01:13:31,533
When Anthony was
talking with the police,
1486
01:13:32,066 --> 01:13:34,367
he was the Cleveland neighbor,
1487
01:13:34,367 --> 01:13:36,467
that upstanding, good citizen.
1488
01:13:36,467 --> 01:13:38,300
But when he was in his house,
1489
01:13:39,166 --> 01:13:40,467
he was well aware
of what he was doing
1490
01:13:40,467 --> 01:13:41,900
when he was
talking to the police.
1491
01:13:41,900 --> 01:13:44,567
He's most likely seeing it
in that dreamlike state,
1492
01:13:44,567 --> 01:13:45,900
because he's
1493
01:13:46,500 --> 01:13:49,000
completely separated
these two personas
1494
01:13:49,000 --> 01:13:51,700
and created that
outside-inside person.
1495
01:13:53,367 --> 01:13:55,767
[Lemmy] He was frightening
in the sense that
1496
01:13:55,767 --> 01:13:58,200
he would trick
these individuals
1497
01:13:58,867 --> 01:14:00,867
to come to a location,
1498
01:14:00,867 --> 01:14:04,000
knowing all
what he had plans on doing.
1499
01:14:06,200 --> 01:14:07,767
You would never think
1500
01:14:07,767 --> 01:14:10,133
that he would do
those things that he did...
1501
01:14:11,266 --> 01:14:12,600
from talking to him.
1502
01:14:12,600 --> 01:14:14,500
[door creaks, closes]
1503
01:14:15,700 --> 01:14:18,700
He's a monster
in sheep's clothing.
1504
01:14:21,367 --> 01:14:24,467
[Donnie] Police keep
pushing Sowell for answers.
1505
01:14:24,467 --> 01:14:27,867
He claims he can't remember
important details.
1506
01:14:27,867 --> 01:14:30,367
But his contempt
for vulnerable women
1507
01:14:30,367 --> 01:14:32,300
comes through loud and clear.
1508
01:14:35,867 --> 01:14:37,266
[Katie] So, for Anthony,
1509
01:14:37,266 --> 01:14:39,166
his crimes
1510
01:14:39,166 --> 01:14:41,467
and these violence
against these women
1511
01:14:41,467 --> 01:14:44,734
is playing out the violence
he learned from childhood.
1512
01:14:46,266 --> 01:14:49,600
Where he learned
to physically harm women.
1513
01:14:52,467 --> 01:14:54,934
They are women
who he doesn't think
deserve to live.
1514
01:14:58,600 --> 01:15:01,600
He divided women
that he met on the street
into two categories.
1515
01:15:02,700 --> 01:15:04,100
The good ones
and the bad ones.
1516
01:15:04,100 --> 01:15:06,266
The good ones are the ones
who were doing something
with their lives.
1517
01:15:06,266 --> 01:15:08,233
And the bad ones were
just walking the street.
1518
01:15:08,800 --> 01:15:11,700
[Anthony speaking]
1519
01:15:19,000 --> 01:15:21,567
[woman grunting]
1520
01:15:21,567 --> 01:15:22,767
[Chris] He connected that
1521
01:15:22,767 --> 01:15:24,567
to his experience as a child
1522
01:15:24,567 --> 01:15:25,800
where he watched his mom...
1523
01:15:25,800 --> 01:15:27,333
[kid groaning]
1524
01:15:29,567 --> 01:15:33,400
[Chris] ...beat, torture,
really mistreat the children.
1525
01:15:35,367 --> 01:15:37,667
And he was able to associate
those two things in his mind,
1526
01:15:37,667 --> 01:15:39,000
that the women
that he met on the street,
1527
01:15:39,000 --> 01:15:40,367
they were the bad ones.
1528
01:15:40,367 --> 01:15:41,600
And that's the way
he treated them.
1529
01:15:44,266 --> 01:15:46,600
From the moment he met them
until their bodies were found,
1530
01:15:47,600 --> 01:15:48,800
they didn't matter.
1531
01:15:52,467 --> 01:15:54,567
[Donnie]
Detectives press Sowell.
1532
01:15:54,567 --> 01:15:57,533
They believe he might have
even more victims.
1533
01:16:02,867 --> 01:16:05,634
[Anthony speaking]
1534
01:16:06,600 --> 01:16:08,400
[Melvin] Emotionally, I'm...
1535
01:16:10,266 --> 01:16:13,233
I'm a little more extreme
on this case, particularly.
1536
01:16:24,867 --> 01:16:26,900
[Anthony speaking]
1537
01:16:29,066 --> 01:16:30,900
[Melvin] Mm. Mm. Mm.
1538
01:16:33,100 --> 01:16:35,567
[Melvin speaking]
1539
01:16:35,567 --> 01:16:37,467
So yeah,
I'm a little emotional.
1540
01:16:37,467 --> 01:16:40,000
But I'm also a detective.
1541
01:16:40,000 --> 01:16:42,500
I need to know
before I leave here
1542
01:16:42,500 --> 01:16:44,233
that we have all the victims,
1543
01:16:44,967 --> 01:16:47,233
because there could be
possibly more.
1544
01:16:54,467 --> 01:16:56,767
[Melvin]
I looked into the eyes
of Anthony Sowell
1545
01:16:56,767 --> 01:16:58,367
and I saw
1546
01:16:58,367 --> 01:17:00,634
a person who did not care
1547
01:17:01,166 --> 01:17:03,233
about anyone but himself.
1548
01:17:03,867 --> 01:17:05,734
[Lemmy speaking]
1549
01:17:14,867 --> 01:17:15,767
[Anthony speaking]
1550
01:17:15,767 --> 01:17:17,500
[Melvin speaking]
1551
01:17:19,667 --> 01:17:20,900
[Anthony speaking]
1552
01:17:37,600 --> 01:17:39,800
[Anthony speaking]
1553
01:17:42,266 --> 01:17:43,133
[Donnie] Anthony Sowell
1554
01:17:43,133 --> 01:17:45,734
never admits
to having more victims.
1555
01:17:47,600 --> 01:17:49,500
What still haunts me
about this case?
1556
01:17:50,166 --> 01:17:51,867
That there's more bodies.
1557
01:17:51,867 --> 01:17:54,800
I truly believe there are
more bodies out there
1558
01:17:54,800 --> 01:17:56,500
that are attached
to Anthony Sowell.
1559
01:17:57,667 --> 01:18:01,166
How do you have that much hate
1560
01:18:01,166 --> 01:18:02,400
to do that to people,
1561
01:18:02,767 --> 01:18:04,800
and just keep doing it?
1562
01:18:06,100 --> 01:18:08,000
To me, that is the,
1563
01:18:08,000 --> 01:18:10,300
like, epitome of all evil.
1564
01:18:12,166 --> 01:18:13,700
[woman] What did you have
to kill them for?
1565
01:18:14,800 --> 01:18:16,166
I didn't understand it.
1566
01:18:16,166 --> 01:18:18,700
I still don't understand it.
1567
01:18:23,567 --> 01:18:26,800
[Donnie]
Despite a staggering amount
of evidence against him,
1568
01:18:28,000 --> 01:18:30,467
Anthony Sowell
pleads not guilty
1569
01:18:30,467 --> 01:18:32,367
and goes to trial.
1570
01:18:32,367 --> 01:18:34,767
[reporter] Sowell faces
85 criminal counts
1571
01:18:34,767 --> 01:18:36,900
in connection with
attacks on women.
1572
01:18:36,900 --> 01:18:39,900
[Lemmy] I was there
for the whole duration
of the trial.
1573
01:18:39,900 --> 01:18:42,266
I think the strongest
piece of evidence
1574
01:18:42,266 --> 01:18:46,300
are the testimonies from
the females who got away.
1575
01:18:46,300 --> 01:18:49,533
I was the prosecution's
star witness in the trial.
1576
01:18:50,066 --> 01:18:51,567
She got on that stand,
1577
01:18:51,567 --> 01:18:54,367
and I knew what was coming,
1578
01:18:54,367 --> 01:18:55,734
and I just felt like
the pressure
1579
01:18:55,734 --> 01:18:57,900
in that courtroom
was just turned up to 100.
1580
01:19:03,300 --> 01:19:05,367
[Vanessa] I wouldn't have had
problems with testifying,
1581
01:19:05,367 --> 01:19:07,000
but it was about me, too.
1582
01:19:07,000 --> 01:19:09,800
I'm still alive,
dealing with this every day.
1583
01:19:09,800 --> 01:19:10,934
Every day.
1584
01:19:11,166 --> 01:19:12,133
[woman gasps]
1585
01:19:13,567 --> 01:19:15,200
[Lori] I answer questions.
1586
01:19:15,200 --> 01:19:17,100
Anthony was over there
smiling, giggling,
1587
01:19:17,100 --> 01:19:18,000
and everything.
1588
01:19:18,000 --> 01:19:20,000
He was acting like
nothing ever happened.
1589
01:19:22,266 --> 01:19:24,166
I didn't want to be there.
1590
01:19:24,166 --> 01:19:26,300
I didn't want to see him
ever in my life again.
1591
01:19:29,266 --> 01:19:31,567
[judge] "We, the jury, being
duly impaneled and sworn...
1592
01:19:31,567 --> 01:19:34,800
[Donnie] On July 22nd, 2011,
1593
01:19:34,800 --> 01:19:36,800
the jury reaches a verdict.
1594
01:19:37,500 --> 01:19:41,100
Guilty of all 11 murders.
1595
01:19:41,100 --> 01:19:42,867
[Chris] Deputies came in
and handcuffed him,
1596
01:19:42,867 --> 01:19:44,900
and as he was being lead out
of the courtroom, he put
1597
01:19:44,900 --> 01:19:46,266
his hands up, handcuffed,
1598
01:19:46,266 --> 01:19:49,166
in a show of defiance
for the cameras
1599
01:19:49,166 --> 01:19:51,166
as he's being lead out
of the courtroom.
1600
01:19:51,166 --> 01:19:54,333
I always wondered what was
going on in his mind
when he did that.
1601
01:19:55,367 --> 01:19:56,600
If he was saying, like,
1602
01:19:56,600 --> 01:19:58,867
congratulations, you got
your pound of flesh,
1603
01:19:58,867 --> 01:20:02,266
but look at
all the things that I was able
to accomplish beforehand.
1604
01:20:02,266 --> 01:20:03,467
You could just tell
1605
01:20:03,467 --> 01:20:06,200
there was
a vacuum there where,
1606
01:20:06,200 --> 01:20:07,867
uh, a soul would normally be,
1607
01:20:07,867 --> 01:20:11,667
where his empathy
for other people
would normally be.
1608
01:20:11,667 --> 01:20:14,166
"We therefore unanimously find
that the sentence of death
1609
01:20:14,166 --> 01:20:17,000
should be imposed
upon the defendant,
Anthony Sowell."
1610
01:20:17,266 --> 01:20:20,300
[crowd clapping]
1611
01:20:21,667 --> 01:20:24,300
[Lynette] Today my sister
can rest in peace now.
1612
01:20:24,300 --> 01:20:26,467
That's all.
She can rest in peace,
1613
01:20:26,467 --> 01:20:28,000
along with
all the other ladies.
1614
01:20:28,000 --> 01:20:29,600
[Doniesha crying]
It feels good.
1615
01:20:30,300 --> 01:20:32,367
It feels really good.
1616
01:20:32,367 --> 01:20:33,900
[Lori] I really don't want
to say this out,
1617
01:20:33,900 --> 01:20:37,000
but Anthony needed
the death penalty
after what he did,
1618
01:20:37,000 --> 01:20:39,033
because them 11 women
didn't deserve that.
1619
01:20:45,066 --> 01:20:46,266
[Mark] The house was
eventually torn down.
1620
01:20:46,266 --> 01:20:48,367
It's now a memorial
to the victims.
1621
01:20:48,367 --> 01:20:50,667
But I don't think
Anthony Sowell
1622
01:20:50,667 --> 01:20:53,433
will ever disappear
in Cleveland.
1623
01:20:54,100 --> 01:20:55,567
I still think the lore
1624
01:20:55,567 --> 01:20:57,867
of a serial killer
in this quiet,
1625
01:20:57,867 --> 01:21:00,066
working-class neighborhood
won't ever go away.
1626
01:21:00,066 --> 01:21:01,400
I still think
1627
01:21:01,400 --> 01:21:04,667
his crimes will haunt
that corner for eternity.
1628
01:21:04,667 --> 01:21:07,467
To me, he turned
into a monster,
1629
01:21:07,467 --> 01:21:09,767
didn't care about
nothing but his self.
1630
01:21:09,767 --> 01:21:11,100
Nobody.
1631
01:21:11,100 --> 01:21:12,600
He wanted what he wanted.
1632
01:21:13,367 --> 01:21:15,500
And he wanted to hunt,
and he got it.
1633
01:21:18,900 --> 01:21:21,400
[Lemmy] What is so frightening
about this case is
1634
01:21:21,400 --> 01:21:23,400
that he embedded himself
1635
01:21:23,400 --> 01:21:25,367
within the community,
1636
01:21:25,367 --> 01:21:27,200
and they would never believe
1637
01:21:27,734 --> 01:21:29,400
that he would be the culprit.
1638
01:21:30,367 --> 01:21:31,900
Never.
1639
01:21:34,000 --> 01:21:36,800
[Katie] He is scary
because nothing
was gonna stop him.
1640
01:21:36,800 --> 01:21:38,767
He was gonna continue
targeting women.
1641
01:21:38,767 --> 01:21:41,000
He was going
to continue acting out
1642
01:21:41,000 --> 01:21:42,967
exactly as he did.
1643
01:21:42,967 --> 01:21:44,600
It's how he got off sexually.
1644
01:21:44,600 --> 01:21:48,033
It's how he coped
with his childhood trauma.
1645
01:21:50,200 --> 01:21:51,266
Without any intervention,
1646
01:21:51,266 --> 01:21:53,000
it would have
continued onward.
1647
01:21:56,567 --> 01:21:58,800
[Vanessa] Is it justice
or is it just us?
1648
01:21:58,800 --> 01:22:00,567
And I think it's just us,
1649
01:22:00,567 --> 01:22:02,900
'cause he got away with it.
1650
01:22:02,900 --> 01:22:05,533
They let him slip through
the crack, you know?
1651
01:22:06,166 --> 01:22:08,900
He was allowed to kill women.
1652
01:22:14,500 --> 01:22:17,266
Anthony Sowell
was never executed.
1653
01:22:17,266 --> 01:22:20,100
His case was
under appeal until 2021,
1654
01:22:20,100 --> 01:22:23,300
when he died in prison
at the age of 61.
1655
01:22:23,300 --> 01:22:25,500
But the shocking revelations
of his case
1656
01:22:25,500 --> 01:22:27,867
still resonate
throughout the city.
1657
01:22:27,867 --> 01:22:30,200
If disappearances
hadn't been ignored,
1658
01:22:30,200 --> 01:22:33,266
if survivors' accounts
hadn't been shrugged off,
1659
01:22:33,266 --> 01:22:35,500
lives could have been saved.
1660
01:22:35,500 --> 01:22:38,667
Today, there is
a Garden of Eleven Angels
on Imperial Avenue,
1661
01:22:38,667 --> 01:22:41,967
where
The Cleveland Strangler's
house of horrors once stood.
1662
01:22:41,967 --> 01:22:43,467
It's a tribute to the memory
1663
01:22:43,467 --> 01:22:45,867
of the 11 women
Sowell murdered.
1664
01:22:45,867 --> 01:22:48,300
But it also serves
as a painful reminder
1665
01:22:48,300 --> 01:22:49,600
of a damaged man
1666
01:22:49,600 --> 01:22:52,600
who preyed on the city's
most vulnerable women,
1667
01:22:52,600 --> 01:22:56,000
in a system that failed to
protect them from a monster.
1668
01:22:56,667 --> 01:22:58,000
I'm Donnie Wahlberg.
1669
01:22:58,000 --> 01:23:00,066
Thanks for watching.
Good night.