Three decomposing bodies were found in the East Cleveland home of a registered sex offender. Police had searched through a poor Ohio neighborhood along with volunteers on Sunday. According to the Huffington Post, police chief Ralph Spotts told neighborhood volunteers assisting the police to steady themselves, as they could find several victims. 40 abandoned houses were searched, but no bodies were found there. Searchers had been warned about the stench of rotting bodies, and to watch for any kind of trash bags that may be used to hide the remains.
Someone had reported a foul odor coming from a particular house, and the bodies were discovered. On Friday, one body was found in a garage, and the next day another decomposing body was found in the backyard, with another in the basement. The three women were thought to have been killed in the last 6 to 10 days. Their bodies were wrapped in layers of plastic bags.
The suspect is 35 year old Michael Madison. According to Mayor Gary Norton, Madison may have been influenced by Cleveland serial killer Anthony Sowell, who murdered 11 women. Sowell was found guilty and sentenced to death. The mayor suspects there are more victims, but the suspect hasn’t indicated a yes or no answer to that question. Suspect Madison was sentenced to four years in prison for attempted rape, and was classified as a sex offender in 2002. He has had previous convictions for drug related charges.