Though a rotting, unpleasant smell permeated this neighborhood, residents blamed Ray’s Sausage Co. One neighbor stated, "We used to think that it was coming from out of Ray's Sausage, but you smell these smells, and I live right there and...we used to come out here and oh, these smells would just be horrible.” The company replaced a sewer line and grease traps, attempting to get rid of the stench, but to no avail. Police now say that the odor was from the rotting bodies found in Sowell’s residence. 

   The bodies were all found in different degrees of decomposition: all that was left of one was a skull wrapped in a paper bag. Six of the victims were found buried outside, while five others were found in various parts of the house. Seven of the victims have strangulation as their confirmed cause of death, and although the others have been too decomposed to determine, strangulation is most likely the cause of all eleven deaths.

   The alleged murderer, Sowell, had been charged with rape in 1989.  He pled guilty to two counts of attempted rape in a plea bargain. He was in prison for 15 years, from 1990 until 2005. The Cleveland Police became suspicious of Sowell when he was reported to the police for attempted murder. Tanja Doss was attacked in April, after returning to Sowell’s house where he began choking her and threatened to kill her. However, Doss did not come to the police with this information until recently. Due to a past drug conviction she believed she would not be taken seriously.
  
   Sowell is currently facing five counts of murder, rape, assault, and kidnapping, although as more evidence appears, the charges may be increased. He has been denied bond due to the severity of his crime, as well as the fact that he had already been jailed for rape. County Assistant Prosecutor Brian Murphy said, "The state believes he's an incredibly dangerous threat." His concerns did not fall on deaf ears. The judge in Sowell’s  bail hearing said, “This is without question the most serious set of allegations I have faced. Given the gruesomeness of what's facing you ... you are being remanded without bond." 

   The public defender representing Sowell, Kathleen Demetz, is asking that her client receive a psych evaluation. In his defense, she has stated that Sowell, an ex-marine, has a heart condition and wears a pacemaker. If convicted, Sowell will face the possibility of the death penalty.