Anthony Sowell methodically targeted the most vulnerable residents of his impoverished Cleveland neighborhood. Most of his 11 known victims lived on the fringes of a society plagued by drug addiction and economic instability. Their tragic fate might have been avoided had they lived in more prosperous and privileged circumstances. Such is the subject of The Cleveland Strangler, a gripping new documentary that offers a narrative that will appeal to all true crime fans, while also delivering valuable and chilling social commentary.
Crafted by VICE, the film follows the story of former Cleveland resident Wilbert Cooper, who documented the events that led to the rape and strangulation of 11 women, and the role race and poverty may play in a slow law enforcement response. Role.
Cooper vividly paints a vivid picture of what it was like in his hometown at the time of the murder, rife with desperation, gang violence and the threat of a growing cocaine epidemic. This proved to be the perfect breeding ground for Sowell. He preyed on the desperate and the nameless, luring each of his victims to his premises and burying their bodies within or near his premises.
Warning signs were in place but largely ignored. The film argues that any new announcements of missing women generate little investigative work. In part, given their precarious daily lives, these women are wrongly seen as responsible for their own downfall. Sowell’s two-year reign of terror could have been thwarted more quickly had certain leads and clues been pursued more tenaciously.
The film features a series of gruesome and emotional interviews with many of the key players in the incident, including the lead investigator who took control of the case when the body was discovered, the shopkeeper who complained about the stench of death across the street and, to no avail, the rape victim who escaped with his life. Exit Sowell’s apartment.
Ultimately, justice was served when Sowell was convicted and sentenced to death for his horrific crime. As The Cleveland Strangler so devastatingly illustrates, the path to justice is rife with too many missed opportunities and costly biases.
