How 11 Black Women Fell Victim to the Cleveland Strangler

Read more about this case in the column “The Cleveland Strangler.”

At least 11 black women were raped and killed on Cleveland’s East side between 2007 and 2009 by a man named Anthony Sowell. It’s one of the worst cases of serial murder in recent history and has been largely left untold.

For Wilbert L. Cooper, who was born and raised in Cleveland, the real story lies in how Sowell was able to get away with these heinous acts for two years. These crimes say as much about the depraved killer as they do about race, class, and law enforcement in the city of Cleveland.

In part two of our series, Wilbert meets with witnesses and survivors of Sowell’s crimes. He retraces the timeline of when the victims went missing and chronicles law enforcement’s missteps along the way.

To support the survivors of rape and their families, donate to the Cleveland Rape Crises Center. To support greater awareness around missing persons of color, donate to the Black and Missing Foundation.