Cleveland victims' relatives view memorial ideas

CLEVELAND (AP) — A children’s play area and a reflective pool are among proposed designs for a memorial at the site where the remains of 11 women were found in a serial killer’s home.

A coalition of pastors, community leaders and others showed potential designs to relatives of some of the victims at a meeting Thursday.

One coalition member, the Rev. Jimmy Gates, told The Plain Dealer newspaper that the victims’ families will help decide which design is selected.

Public and private funding would be used for the memorial at the former property of Anthony Sowell, who was convicted and sentenced to death. He appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court, seeking a new trial or sentencing hearing.

Sowell’s two-story house has been torn down and the memorial would be built on the vacant lot.