THOMAS J. SHEERAN Associated Press Writer
CLEVELAND October 31, 2009 (AP)

A convicted rapist who fled before police arrived to arrest him on new rape charges was arrested Saturday in his inner-city neighborhood after police found six decomposing bodies at his home.

Police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho said Anthony Sowell was walking down the street on the east side of Cleveland when authorities spotted him and took him into custody.

Sowell initially denied he was the man authorities were looking for but admitted his identity as officers began fingerprinting him, Stacho said. Charges against him are pending.

Officers initially identified three bodies at Sowell's home, Stacho said. Powell Caesar, a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County coroner's office, said additional remains were found and confirmed Saturday as three more bodies, for a total of six.

As of Saturday, autopsies had been performed on all six bodies but no cause of death or names were announced. Two autopsies were done Friday.

The first two bodies were found Thursday night when police went to Sowell's home to arrest him on charges of felonious assault and rape. Police say he had spent 15 years in prison for a 1989 rape.

Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller identified two bodies as black females and said one had died of a violent death ruled a homicide. No race or gender was determined for the others.

Police established a command post in the neighborhood to take missing-person reports and additional information on outstanding missing persons in the neighborhood.

Teresa Hicks, 48, was among the neighbors who said they were relieved about the arrest but left with a heightened fear of crime. She said she has known Sowell since high school.

"He was crazy," she said from her porch Saturday. "Sometimes he would just go off if he didn't have his way."

Darren Dunlap, 38, frequently visits the neighborhood to see his brother or friends. He said Sowell was known for borrowing money and looking for scrap metal to sell.Hicks said she didn't think Sowell had a job but understood from conversations with him that he lived on a monthly check. She said she didn't know its source.

Police were checking crime reports to find matches for similarities to the 1989 rape or the most recent allegation against Sowell.

Minutes before the arrest was made, police Chief Michael McGrath tried to reassure parents that it was safe for their children to go trick-or-treating in the neighborhood if they followed standard precautions like avoiding strangers and staying in a group.

How sick is this? There was also a story in my area about a Middle School teacher who got arrested for having 200,000+ pics of child porn!

I can't even get myself to read 200 pics or regular porn! 8-P

Oh, that's where all the kids in my class went on Monday!  ;D

Well, so much for the theory that cereal murderers are all pasty-faced doughy white guys.

;D ;D

Well, so much for the theory that cereal murderers are all pasty-faced doughy white guys.

;D ;D


I only skimmed the article but I didn't see any mention of his race.

I only skimmed the article but I didn't see any mention of his race.


It's mentioned in other news articles. Race aside, this story is really bad. I wonder how many more bodies they will find.

Ant

It's mentioned in other news articles. Race aside, this story is really bad. I wonder how many more bodies they will find.

Ant


It's up to seven now.  I think they discovered another one last night or today.

It's mentioned in other news articles. Race aside, this story is really bad. I wonder how many more bodies they will find.

Ant


thanks... guess it wasn't sick enough to make news in Cali  ;D

Up to 10 now.  This guy is one sick SOB!

thanks... guess it wasn't sick enough to make news in Cali  ;D


I saw this on ABC News.

And his place was right next to a sausage shop! They thought the smell was coming through there.

If I was his neighbor, I would be concerned because decaying bodies attract flies, rats, and other things. 8-P

I saw this on ABC News.

And his place was right next to a sausage shop! They thought the smell was coming through there.

If I was his neighbor, I would be concerned because decaying bodies attract flies, rats, and other things. 8-P


he lived in an inner city neighborhood... chances are the rats were there before the bodies...

Up to 10 now.  This guy is one sick SOB!


Now at 11.  They have 10 intact bodies.  Plus a head that they found in a bucket.

Now at 11.  They have 10 intact bodies.  Plus a head that they found in a bucket.


Good God.

How many bodies did Jeffrey Dahmer have?

How many bodies did Jeffrey Dahmer have?


He murdered 17 men, but apparently disposed of most of their bodies.  He kept a few skulls and body parts as souvenirs

He murdered 17 men, but apparently disposed of most of their bodies.  He kept a few skulls and body parts as souvenirs



Two were 14.  Remember the kid the cop carried back into the house for him because he had drugged the kid, the kid escaped, but Dahmer told the cop it was just a lovers quarrel

Two were 14.  Remember the kid the cop carried back into the house for him because he had drugged the kid, the kid escaped, but Dahmer told the cop it was just a lovers quarrel

now that was truly sad!

he lived in an inner city neighborhood... chances are the rats were there before the bodies...


It may be certain, especially with the change of season.

Now I'm thinking about the Torso Murderer....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Torso_Murderer

These murders happened during the 30's in the slums of Cleveland by the Flats.

But on the subject, wow...just wow. And he lived next to a sausage shop too.

he gave out free barbeque to neighbors.