CLEVELAND—An Ohio man sentenced to death for killing 11 women and hiding their remains in and around his home has died in prison.
Convicted serial killer Anthony Sowell, 61, was receiving end-of-life care at Franklin Medical Center for a terminal illness when he died Monday, the Ohio Department of Corrections said. The death was not related to COVID-19, the department said.
Cleveland police were investigating a rape case in October 2009 when they searched Sowell’s house and discovered two bodies. They eventually uncovered the remains of 11 women.
Sowell was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to die for killing the women. He was also convicted of raping two other women and attempting to rape another.
He continued to appeal his case. As recently as May, a three-judge panel with the 8th District Court of Appeals unanimously held that Sowell failed to present enough evidence that he did not receive a fair trial and that his trial attorneys ineffectively represented him during the penalty phase. The panel also upheld a lower court ruling that dismissed Sowell’s petition for post-conviction relief.
