Cleveland house comes down where remains of 11 bodies found

CLEVELAND (AP) — The home where a serial killer dumped the remains of the 11 women he murdered was torn apart today by a demolition crew, a move that neighbors and victims’ relatives said would help bring closure and stop gawkers from seeking out what some have dubbed a “house of horrors.”

Heavy equipment began clawing at the former home of Anthony Sowell just before dawn, a day after family members of those who died were hand-delivered letters notifying them of the demolition.

Video from WEWS-TV showed that the work commenced as several people stood across the street, chanting “Tear it down!” and “Hallelujah!”

By late morning, the home was almost completely leveled, and the crew was hauling away the remnants in a huge dump truck.

Razing the house will help the families move forward, said Frances Webb-Speed, the sister of victim Janice Webb.

“A lot of the families still live in the neighborhood and it will be good for it to be gone,” Webb-Speed told The Plain Dealer of Cleveland. “The place is an eyesore and some people have tried to use things from the home for personal gain.”