DISQUS

storm529 · 1 month ago

Poignant post.

This story is terribly horrific.

Some heads should roll in the Police Department behind this.

Two points:
--Relatives of the several of the missing women have spoken out about being "ignored" by the PD when they called in missing persons reports.
--About smell of decomposing bodies being ignored, in NYC, a few months ago, a badly decomposed dead body was discovered in a public housing project. It was discovered that the man had been dead for months. Meanwhile, his neighbors had repeatedly called the police, the board of health and the housing authority about the terrible stench emanating from the apartment and were ignored.

baratunde · 1 month ago

Amazing, comprehensive, thoughtful and damning post! wow.

CPL · 1 month ago

Once again, Black Women aren't valued enough for the general public to be concerned when WE go MISSING.

Let me guess - that 11th body belonged to Snowflake and that's why it's making headlines NOW.

SMH

trose1 · 1 month ago

I live in the Cleveland suburbs. I listen to the local news daily. I was not aware that so many Black women were missing.
Cleveland, Ohio has been voted as one of the most segregated and most impoverished cities in the US at some point in my lifetime. Nothing surprises me about that city.
This situation is sad. I am hoping heads roll.

lc16 · 1 month ago

I agree that there are a lot of people who didn't do their jobs for this to happen. The only thing I think should be noted is that these women were probably not all reported missing to the Cleveland police department. The one woman who has been identified was reported missing to the Warrensville Heights PD. From what I've been told by a friend who's father is a Cleveland police officer, is that the the system isn't set up for cops to talk across departments about missing adults. I'm not saying this absolves them of not figuring this out sooner, but the fact that this guy lived in an area that is close to multiple cities (Cleveland & a number of suburbs), these women could have been reported missing all over the Greater Cleveland area with different police departments.That, in addition to the awfulness that is missing adult cases - cops don't pay as much attention, in general, because of an adult's right to leave whenever they chose, and in particular for poor/alcoholics/drug users/POC - helped majorly contribute to this happening. Also, I think it should be noted that Cleveland has been in a major financial crisis for years, and if I remember correctly, have been firing a TON of police officers, the suburbs of Cleveland, as well, which also I'm sure didn't help figuring this out sooner

Wendy Norris · 1 month ago

The more one examines this horrific situation the worse it looks for the Cleveland PD.

There are two police stations within one mile of Sowell's house. Map.

And there's certainly enough crime in the neighborhood to presumably demand a heavy police presence and close relationship with the residents. Crime map.

Sadly, it doesn't appear that the situation in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood has changed much since I taught in a middle school there 20 years ago. I once called the police after getting into a car accident on Kinsman Ave. The police told me I was on my own because "we don't go in that neighborhood. Get out of there as soon as you can." I'll never forget that.

blksista · 1 month ago

At ThisBlksistasPage: To Cleveland Cops, The Lives of Black Women Were Cheap.

rikyrah · 1 month ago

good post, and this is tragic.

southernbelle · 1 month ago

this is immensely disheartening. the checks & balances weren't there on several levels. the lack of response from authorities is a blatant testament to the mentality that seems to permeate far too often.

ChrisChambers · 1 month ago

This is going to sound boot-strappy but hell, gentrification does have an effect. Me and my white neighbors would have been all over this while the more rooted locals--for whatever reason (nihilism or utter frustration w/powers that be) --might not have done so? Or this is an argument for forcing cops to live in certain communities and.or sustain old fashion beat foot patrols.

Amaya · 1 month ago

Too much of a parallel with Jeffrey Dahmer, and Dahmer's victims.

God help and bless the families of the victims.

AxelFoley · 1 month ago

Menace 2 Society quote FTW!

rikyrah · 1 month ago

AFTERNOON OPEN THREAD IS UP

CraigHickman · 1 month ago

I'm from Milwaukee. So much of this story reminds me of the crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer.

CPL · 1 month ago

You not lying - those documentaries on A&E show one sista actually commenting on the fact that "Jeff was always cooking something, but you never saw him bringing home any groceries."

Dude was cooking up brothas body parts and they actually caught him in the street with one of his victims, a young Asian kid who was naked and drugged. Dahmer persuaded the cops that he and the young man had had an argument and were trying to reconcile.

I believe those Milwaukee cops are no longer on the force. I wonder what's going to happen in Cleveland?

Funny how I never had a desire to visit Cleveland...

caligirl · 1 month ago

i wonder if there would have been a stronger response had animal control been called??

que lastima.