This week on Mayhem Diaries, we are unpacking the absolute nightmare of 12205 Imperial Avenue and the crimes of Anthony Sowell. But we aren’t just talking about the monster. We are talking about the complete, catastrophic failure of the justice system that allowed him to operate in plain sight, and the marginalized Black women who were aggressively ignored when they went missing.

The Crime Scene & Forensic Diagrams

• Unseen (2016) Documentary: A harrowing documentary that visually maps out the Mount Pleasant neighborhood, the Imperial Avenue house, and the spatial reality of his crimes. Unseen on Rotten Tomatoes.

  
  

• The Supreme Court of Ohio (State v. Sowell): The official 2016 slip opinion (Case No. 2016-Ohio-8025) that clinically breaks down the timeline, the forensic evidence, and Latundra Billups' exact testimony. Read the full PDF court opinion here.

• Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts: For listeners who want to dig into the raw, day-to-day legal filings and defense motions. Cuyahoga County Docket Search (Instruct listeners to search for "Anthony Sowell").

• Black and Missing Foundation (BAMFI): The premier non-profit dedicated to bringing awareness to missing persons of color and providing vital resources to their families. blackandmissinginc.com

• Our Black Girls: An award-winning journalism platform created by Erika Marie that tells the stories of Black women and girls whose unsolved cases are often ignored by mainstream media. ourblackgirls.com

• The Journey Center for Safety and Healing: A localized organization providing emergency shelter, domestic violence intervention, and support for vulnerable women right in the Cleveland/Cuyahoga County area. journeyneo.org

The Court Transcripts & Legal PaperworkOrganizations Fighting for Missing & Murdered Black Women