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Cops Find 6 Bodies at Rapist's House

He's arrested as search in Cleveland continues

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 31, 2009 3:27 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Cleveland police have arrested a convicted rapist and discovered the remains of six bodies in and around his house. They're asking relatives of missing persons to bring them anything with DNA evidence to help identify the victims, reports the Plain Dealer. Anthony Sowell, 50, has lived at the house since 2005, when he was released from prison after serving 15 years for rape.

"He apparently is a serial rapist," a police spokesman tells CNN. Police found the first two bodies yesterday hidden on the third floor when they went to Sowell's house to charge him with an unrelated rape. Subsequent searches turned up others in the basement, crawl space, and in a shallow grave outside. They're still searching for more.

This photo released by the Cleveland Police Department shows Anthony E. Sowell.
This photo released by the Cleveland Police Department shows Anthony E. Sowell.   (AP Photo/Cleveland Police Department)
Patricia Warren of Cleveland holds up a missing persons poster of her cousin Janice Webb outside the home of Anthony Sowell.
Patricia Warren of Cleveland holds up a missing persons poster of her cousin Janice Webb outside the home of Anthony Sowell.   (AP Photo/The Plain Dealer, John Kuntz)
A Cuyahoga County coroner van leaves Anthony Sowell's home on the east side of Cleveland Friday.
A Cuyahoga County coroner van leaves Anthony Sowell's home on the east side of Cleveland Friday.   (AP Photo/The Plain Dealer, John Kuntz)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 12 comments
grassisntgreener
Nov 1, 2009 8:06 AM CST
and serial killer!
grassisntgreener
Nov 1, 2009 8:05 AM CST
i agree,kill him then study his sick brain!
Sayyiduna
Nov 1, 2009 6:50 AM CST
It's a very interesting question. We know that gangs are typically violent because they're expressing the us vs. them mentality that is a staple of human psychological processes. We know that many members see themselves as disadvantaged and discarded by "affluent" society and compensate for it with violence and force. There's many things that play into the whole "gang culture" and given the circumstances, it's not entirely surprising that they would be willing to end a life. The rapist is a much more complex animal, because the sex is traumatic and displeasing to the woman, there's very little about the act of rape that's even all that pleasing to a man. The act of sex is also relatively easy to obtain, there's loads of easy girls and whores to have sex with, so the study of rape motives is one I'd really like to see pursued. I don't anticipate we can "help" these people, but at least we can get an idea as to what social constructs contribute to the formation of rapist thought processes and maybe campaign for awareness thereof.

 
crime • Cleveland • bodies • rapist

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