Anthony Sowell
| Anthony Sowell | |
|---|---|
Sowell in the wanted flyer issued by the Cuyahoga County sheriff office, November 2009
|
|
| Born |
Anthony Edward Sowell August 19, 1959 Ohio |
| Other names | The Cleveland Strangler The Imperial Avenue Murderer |
| Conviction(s) | Death sentence for murder |
| Killings | |
| Victims | 11 |
|
Span of killings
|
May 2007–September 2009 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Ohio |
|
Date apprehended
|
October 31, 2009 |
Anthony Edward Sowell (born August 19, 1959) is an American serial killer, identified in press reports as the Cleveland Strangler. He was arrested in October 2009 as a suspect in the murders of eleven women whose bodies were discovered at his Cleveland, Ohio duplex at 12205 Imperial Avenue in Mount Pleasant neighborhood.
Anthony Edward Sowell was raised in East Cleveland, one of seven children born to single mother Claudia "Gertude" Garrison. Seven other children belonging to Sowell's sister also lived in the household, having moved in after the death of their chronically ill mother. According to Sowell's niece, Garrison subjected the siblings to physical abuse while her own children watched from adjacent rooms. In one incident, Garrison forced her to strip naked in front of the other children, then whipped her with electrical cords until she bled. Sowell himself began raping his niece on an almost daily basis for two years, starting at the age of eleven.
At the age of 19, Sowell entered the United States Marine Corps on January 24, 1978. He attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina, then was further trained as an electrician at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. On July 13, 1978, he was assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, also in North Carolina. In 1980, Sowell spent a year overseas with the 3rd Force Service Support Group, then returned to Cherry Point. He was then ordered to Marine Corps Base Camp Butler in Okinawa, Japan on January 20, 1984. A year later, he transferred to Camp Pendleton in California for three days until his discharge on January 18, 1985. During his seven-year Marine Corps career, Corporal Sowell received a Good Conduct Medal with one service star, a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, a Certificate of Commendation, a Meritorious Mast, and two Letters of Appreciation.
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