TONIA CARMICHAEL, 52
The first victim in the Cleveland case is identified as 52-year-old Tonia Carmichael. Her body is among the 11 found inside the “house of horrors” on Imperial Avenue in Cleveland, OH. Investigators say Tonia was last seen on November 8, 2008 in Warrensville Heights, a Cleveland suburb near Sowell’s home. Mourners gathered last night at a local church to pray for the victims, and for Sowell. You can see video of last night’s service right here at FOX 8 Cleveland.
The Cuyahoga County Corner’s office spoke out at a press conference yesterday afternoon, and asked for any family members of missing loved ones to please come forward to submit DNA samples. Right now, investigators say they have DNA from some of the other bodies located, but they don’t have anything to match it to. Some of the victims are so badly decomposed that it is impossible to use fingerprints and visual recognition to identify them. Dr. Frank Miller with the Cuyahoga County Corner’s office said the best samples need to come from the maternal side of the victims family, meaning mothers, grandmothers, and even children. The Cleveland Police department also announced a search warrant served to Anthony Sowell to retrieve his DNA, and compare that to thousands of other crime cases across the country.
If you have a loved one missing, and would like to submit your DNA, please contact the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s office: (216) 721-5610
My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the victims, and survivors in this case.
Tags: Anthony Sowell, body identified, cleveland, murder, tonia carmichael
