Police identify one of Cleveland victims

CLEVELAND — The number of women found dead in the home of a Cleveland sex offender rose to 11 Wednesday, and the police announced the first identification of one of the victims.

The victim, Tonia Carmichael, 52, disappeared last November, police said.

Carmichael's mother, Donnita Carmichael, told The Cleveland Plain Dealer: "We expected the worst when these bodies starting popping up."

The remains were buried in Anthony Sowell's backyard, the police said, and it appeared Carmichael had been strangled.

Lt. Thomas Stacho, a police spokesman, said the coroner's office had determined that a skull found in a bucket in the basement of Sowell's home belonged to an 11th victim, not to one of 10 other women whose bodies had been found.

In his initial court appearance, Sowell was denied bond Wednesday. He faces five murder charges and one charge of rape, with more charges likely, police said.

Sowell, 50, is likely to be charged with capital murder and could face the death penalty, an assistant county prosecutor, Brian Murphy, said.

Kathleen DeMetz of the county public defender's office requested that Sowell be listed as a psychological and medical case; Sowell has a pacemaker and requires regular heart medication. He held a job until two years ago, when he was laid off and began receiving unemployment benefits, DeMetz said.

Sowell was convicted of attempted rape in 1990 and spent 15 years in prison, according to court records. Concerned that they might find more bodies, police officers and sheriff's deputies planned to search unsecured abandoned houses within a half-mile radius of Sowell's house, Tomba said.

There have been foreclosures in the neighborhood and many homes stand empty and are boarded up.