One of 11 Murder Victims Identified; Police Chief Rebuts Criticism

Wednesday, November 4, 2009
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The Cuyahoga County Coroner has released the identity of one of 11 victims whose bodies were found at the home of accused killer Anthony Sowell. ideastream®'s Rick Jackson reports.

The identified victim is 52 year old Tonya Carmichael, reported missing from Warrensville Heights in November, 2008.

Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller says ongoing tests of DNA that’s been supplied by families of other reported missing women could lead to other identities in a matter of days, but he is requesting still more samples.

And though DNA has been taking from suspect Anthony Sowell, Miller says it likely won’t be of much use in his investigation.

CORONER FRANK MILLER: “I’m not expecting to find a lot of DNA evidence from the suspect. The condition of the bodies may very well preclude that test working… Had their been biological evidence it may be it absent at this point or unable to be recovered.”

Meanwhile, Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath is defending his department against a backlash of criticism that 11 African American women were killed --- and that investigators had not connected their disappearances.... nor had they investigated Sowell, a registered sex offender, on numerous occasions when they had cause or opportunity. 

McGrath says chances are high that the women did not all vanish in a short period of time.

POLICE CHIEF MICHAEL McGRATH: “Currently those black females that meet this profile - we have 14 active reports in the 4th district - i also know that because of the state of these particular bodies, some of these females that we have discovered here over the course of the last few days, could have been missing for the last five years.”

Sowell is being held without bond in Cleveland.