Nobody’s Women Found Among Possessions of Newly Discovered Cleveland Serial Killer?

Michael Madison charged today

 Michael Madison, and his neighbors, are reportedly chattering about a fascination with Anthony Sowell, whose crimes I chronicled in a book last year, Nobody’s Women: The Crimes and Victims of Anthony Sowell.

The first thing I wondered was if he had simply followed the Sowell case via the local media, which did a terrific job, or if he had read one of the two books about his supposed inspiration. I’d like to know when law enforcement releases the evidence list. If I were there, I would ask the cops. Yes, I am curious.

Madison, 35, born in New Castle, Penn., lived a mile from the East Cleveland home in which Sowell grew up. He had three felony drug charges over the years in Cuyahoga County before being popped for attempted rape. Madison pleaded guilty and got four years with 121 days credit for time served.

The first victim was identified as Angela Deskins, 38, who had

a host of driving violations and little else. Police are still seeking information on the other two victims, and fear there are more. Like the remains of most of Sowell’s 11 victims, they were wrapped in trash bags.

The urge is to ask what’s up with Cleveland, where in May it was discovered that former school bus drive Ariel Castro kept three women hostage in his home for up to a decade.  Lumping these three cases together is irresistible for most of the media – you know, what is it about the city? A story with little to hold it together save for a batch of “soul searching” quotes.

It’s ridiculous to blame the usual inner city woes, as Cleveland doesn’t have that market cornered.  That would be just another money grab excuse for race hustlers. It’s perhaps more of an indictment of the justice system in Ohio. I’m no authority on that system at this point, but it’s certainly the first stop in any investigation I would do.