Cleveland police arrest suspect in killings of six

By MARK PUENTE

The case appears to be one of the worst mass killings in Northeast Ohio history.

CLEVELAND — Although Anthony Sowell eluded police for nearly two days, authorities didn’t believe he would stray from the city’s southeast side.

They were right.

Sowell was arrested while walking on Mount Auburn Avenue on Saturday afternoon, about one mile from his home on Imperial Avenue, where police had spent two days digging up the remains of six people. It appears to be one of the worst mass killings in Northeast Ohio history.

Police celebrated the arrest of the man authorities think could be a serial killer.

“We got him,” Sgt. Lori Boyd said, high-fiving people in the station. “Our guys got him!”

The arrest came after someone walked into the 4th District police headquarters on Kinsman Road about noon Saturday and said a man matching Sowell’s description was walking down Manor Avenue. Patrol officers raced to the area and arrested him one block away, Police Chief Michael McGrath said.

Sowell, 50, did not put up a struggle. Police had been confident he was still in Cleveland because he does not drive. While being fingerprinted at the station, Sowell admitted he was the man being sought, police said. More than 100 officers had joined in a massive manhunt that started Thursday after police discovered two decomposing bodies in Sowell’s house.

Police and coroner’s investigators then found the remains of four more people Friday. Two of the six victims are black females, but investigators know nothing else about them. The others have not yet been identified, authorities said.

Sowell has not formally been charged with a crime related to the bodies.

People in Sowell’s neighborhood said they were afraid to leave their homes Friday night and are glad he is no longer on the loose.

“I am relieved, but this still doesn’t seem possible,” one woman said.

Relatives of several missing people flocked to the Imperial Avenue home Friday, hoping to learn if the bodies of their loved ones were inside.

On Saturday, police established a mobile command center at East 123rd Street and Soika Avenue where they asked people with missing relatives to bring anything with potential DNA evidence. They hope it will help investigators determine the identity of the dead people found inside Sowell’s home.

Investigators used a cadaver dog to search for bodies at the house Friday. Police believe they have recovered all the bodies but are still guarding the house until they finish questioning Sowell.

Mayor Frank Jackson expressed remorse for the families of the dead and lauded the people who provided tips to police.

“This will help bring justice to the families,” he said. “I was confident the public would help.”

Sowell is being held on an arrest warrant for a case last month in which a woman told police Sowell punched, choked and raped her inside the home where police found the bodies.

He previously served 15 years in state prison for choking and raping a woman in East Cleveland.

As a registered sex offender, Sowell had to check in with the county sheriff every 90 days. He last did that on Sept. 2.