Hear Dr. Frank Miller and Chief Michael McGrath's 11/4 news conference

(Cleveland) - It's a gruesome job, but Cuyahoga County Coroner Dr. Frank Miller's team is working to identify the 11 bodies removed so far from Anthony Sowell's home on Imperial Avenue.

On Saturday, the coroner's office positively identified the fifth, sixth and seventh victims.  47-year-old Amelda Hunter, who lived in the 3200 block of East 137th Street, had not been reported as a missing person at the time of the discovery of the bodies at Sowell's home.  Her family reported her missing on November 3, indicating that she was last seen in April.

38-year-old Crystal Dozier lived in the 6900 block of Kinsman Avenue.  She was reportedly last seen in October, 2007.   Like Hunter, she also had not been reported missing at the time of the discovery of the bodies.

45-year-old Michelle Mason, lived in the 2900 block of East 121st Street.  Her mother reported her missing in October, 2008, a week after she had last been seen.  Police say they searched all over Cleveland for her, including area hospitals, knowing she suffered from bipolar disorder, and that she was not taking her prescription medications.

On Friday, the coroner identified the fourth victim, Nancy Cobbs.  She was born on April 20, 1966 and lived in the 11900 block of Griffing avenue. 


Nancy Cobbs

While no missing persons report was filed with Cleveland Police until this week, Cobbs' family says she has been missing since April 24th.  Her family had reported her missing to CMHA Police in June, 2009.

Mayor Frank Jackson visits the crime scene.

Mayor Frank Jackson made an unexpected visit to the Sowell house Friday morning. He inspected the crime scene, walked around the property, and went inside the sauage factory next door. Jackson also spoke with residents at the missing person's wall erected across the street from the Sowell House.



Jackson says he waited until a week after the tragedy to visit, because he did not want to get in the way of investigators, or create a circus-like atmosphere.

The identities of the second and third victims were confirmed Thursday. Detectives from the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit, assisted by a team from Mental Health Service’s Violent Loss Response Team, notified the families of Telacia Fortson and Tishana Culver that their identities had been established.

Ms. Fortson, who was born on March 21, 1978, lived in East Cleveland and was reported as a missing person in that city on October 31, 2009. The family reports last seeing Ms. Fortson on or about June 1, 2009.

Ms. Culver was born on August 31, 1978.  She was a neighbor of Anthony Sowell, living in the 12300 block of Imperial Avenue in Cleveland.  She was not reported as a missing person.

The first victim was identified Wednesday as Tonia Carmichael, missing for a year. A DNA test from Carmichael's mother confirmed the identity. Hers was the first body recovered from the back yard.


Michael McGrath

Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath, speaking Friday afternoon at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, indicated two more identifications may be forthcoming this weekend.

Dr. Miller says there are 11 victims so far, ten bodies and one partial skeleton. Six were in the house and five in the back yard. Dr. Miller says none was there for less than a few weeks, and it's hard to determine how long some may have been there. Some could have been there since Sowell was released from prison in 2005.

All of the victims were African-American women.  Seven were strangled with an item (like a rope or tie), two were strangled by hand, two died of homicidal violence and one autopsy continues.

Cleveland Police Homicide Detectives, accompanied by a representative from Mental Health Services Violent Loss Response Team ,made a notification to the family of Tonia Carmichael at 2:00 pm Wednesday. Ms. Carmichael was reported missing in Warrensville heights on November 10, 2008. Police Lieutenant Thomas Stacho says she was 52 years of age when the report was made.

“There is still a lot of work that needs to be done and a lot of unanswered questions that need to be addressed. Until the family of the victims get the closure they seek and ultimately the justice they deserve, this case will continue to be our focus. My thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences go out to the Carmichael family, friends and relatives,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson.

The Division of Police will execute a warrant to take DNA from Sowell to be entered into the national CODIS database. Sowell’s DNA will be compared against known suspect DNA profiles to determine whether or not he is a suspect in any other criminal matter.

At the request of Dr. Miller, Cuyahoga County Coroner, a Cleveland Police Officer will be assigned to the Coroner’s Office to work with investigators to determine the identity of remaining victims.

Detectives will evaluate intelligence gathered from Dr. Miller’s examination of the victims to determine what additional steps will be taken at the home before returning.
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