In October 2009, the bodies of 11 black women were found in a home owned by alleged serial killer Anthony Sowell. The home is now known as the "Cleveland House of Horrors." All of the victims had ties to the quiet neighborhood of Mount Pleasant in the eastern part of Cleveland. They were all mothers, some grandmothers, some second cousins. Almost all struggled with a drug addiction at some point in their lives. Court records show that many resorted to stealing, and some turned to prostitution to support their habits. Police believe the women were easy prey for Anthony Sowell, a convicted sex offender who served 15 years for the attempted rape of a woman in 1989. Sowell, now 51, had moved to the home on Imperial Avenue in 2005, after his release from prison. If Sowell is guilty, then this will dispel the myth that there is no such thing as black serial killers. CNN is exploring the horrible case and raising the issue of how 11 women from the same area could disappear over the course of two years with no fanfare. We've been asking that same question in Rocky Mount, N.C., where nine black women have disappeared — six of whom were found murdered — in the last four years, also with no fanfare. We know — not everyone can make it into the news cycle.
Read more at CNN.