MY SISTER'S KEEPER-CD Newton

Strangler's Best Kept Secrets revealed. A man fights for justice and closure for an ex girlfriend, an unknown survivor the first to report to authorities her brutal attack by the then nameless emerging Cleveland Strangler. Sadly, her case was suspended within four months. A year later, Anthony Sole would begin his killing spree, the infamous eleven women of Imperial Avenue, all strangled and stashed in and around his home. Why

didn't Cleveland police take this woman's case serious? Did the city of Cleveland fail to comply with the federal Megan's Law? Was their community notification of a register's sex offender in the neighborhood? Is the county psychiatric.

Welcome to the program, and thank you very much for agreeing to this interview.

should be in the interest of full disclosures. She does have a problem with addiction and mental health issues, and basically those are the type of victims that Anthony Sill will target it. But what's fascinated about this particular case Bernice Crutcher. At that time, June eighteen, two thousand and six, she was lured and forced inside of an abandoned house where she was attacked by then after me so well and unfortunately, he resumed that he had killed her and

abandoned her inside the house. I presumed dead, but miraculously, fifteen hours later, Britany s Puerto Rican consciousness. She staggered over to her friend's house, where he immediately called nine one one. She was rushed to the r and that's where I received the phone call. And from that day forward June nineteen, two thousand and six, then an interesting ordeal to get her justice and closure. Sadly, unbeknownst to us, four months after her attack, her case, as you mentioned,

it was suspended. I believe it was due to the fact that when they didn't receive a match inside of COTUS, which is the national database of sex offenders, the case was suspended. And unfortunately that was a very terrible decision

for the residents of Cleveland. And about two and a half years later after her attack, about the fall of November two thousand and nine, the bodies eleven bodies were discovering in and around Anthony soul was home, and as he continued, evidence and facts and information continued to come

out of that Imperial Avenue tragedy. Bernie and I noticed some similarities with some of the other survivors in her case, and I actually showed her a dew Scrutcher, an earlier photograph of mister Sowell and asked her is this your attacker? And within a flit second she said to me, yes,

that's him. So from that point four we went to the sex crime unit at Indy Victim Wood and we tried to say justice enclosure for but unfortunately constant adventure by it indifferent those have been hurt as that we've been trying to overcome in order to get her justice and closure, and we've been at as better ever since. And now we're on that third prosecutor. They try to present this case to this cold case, to him that he does have overwhelming facts and evidence to indict Anthony Sowell.

And that's where we are.

people with loved ones that care well. This is the most fantastic story about the reality of people that are vulnerable and have drug problems. Then, as you say, mental health issues, but as we do as you do in this book, let's go back to the attack for people to understand again the signature that you compared this with when you get the phone call after she's attacked, tell us about what you experience going to visit Vernice, and like you say, from that moment on, you're inextricably involved.

But tell us about the attack and what she told you about the attack, and what did Anthony Sowell do to Vernice cruture.

this was a very vicious and heinous attack. She had suffered multiple lacerations, beating, and she had a very pronounced visible white ring around her throat which I later discovered a cord was used to strangle her, which they later found in the crime scene. Now, that particular injury, little did I know, will become a signature calling card for future attacks that the later victims would also suffer strangulation.

became his signature matter of attack. And then these will fit the profile of subsequent victims, women who suffer from drug addiction, prone to solicitation, and those who also have mental health issues, because these are very vulnerable moments of our society, as you mentioned. But this is where I fought the city of Cleveland County when it comes to sex offenders. Anthony saul As the September of two thousand and five, nine months before her attack, was a registered

sex defender. He had just served fifteen years in prison for rape, and he moved into Impure Avenue on June of two thousand and five, which is about three miles away from where he met Bernice, on East seventy ninth Street in Cleveland's on the east side so even though he was a mystery to her, he wasn't a mystery

to law enforcement. And for some strange reason, the County Psychiatric Court, as you mentioned in the introduction, when they did their evaluation on Mississau, they determine his predictability of repeating his offense again. The psychiatrist came to the conclusion that he would be a six percent chance to reoffend within five years. My research reveals that the questionnaire that was used for mister Solwell, which contains SAT questions, it's

referred to as Static ninety nine. Nineteen ninety nine was a year that did some particular instrument was introduced, but the creative over a course of time roleized that it was inadequate, so they introduced a static two thousand and two.

For some strange reason, the city of Cleveland was still using in two thousand and five Static ninety nine one that was determined to be flawed and inadequate, So as far as I'm concerned, they did not issue the proper In addition to the fact that in nineteen ninety six, then President William Jefferson Clinton signed into law which is called Megan's Law, the Community Notification Act which required that states and local municipalities informed communities when they registered sex

offender move into their neighborhood, and often that's done through posts paid postcards which contains the regissex defender's photographs, his address, and a brief description of was his defensive sone work. Well, that was an issue for that community, for the Guard Valley area and the Mount Pleasant area. And so now

you have this volatile cocktail mix. You have women who are prone to drug addiction, but then you also have these civic failures and so for a period of time between two thousand and five and two thousand and nine, those women were vulnerable. And unfortunately, the reality is the

city that's want to take responsibility for it. And I think that also comes in a place that the reason why her case is not swiftly being given justice and closure because unlike some of the other survivors, Pernice actually reported gave a physical description. And here's another fasceting twist to this, because you didn't expect for the survivor and

she did. She went forward provided a physical description and right on the front cover of my book, I have a digital lineup that I created the drawing of the suspect that appeared in our city's largest newspaper on June thirty of two thousand and six, So that means close to a million people actually saw Anthony Soula's description he's a registered sex defender nine months previously, but no one

would bother to connect the dots. Any unfortunate reason is because the victims that were primarily attacked came from a disenfranchised community. But had there been a more as student investigation that didn't rely solely on DNA, a DNA hit, and a more thorough investigation, the chances are they would have apprehended him and those eleven women will still be alive today.

now she's physically mutilated. She without her right eye, now she had to look at the world through just her left eye, and now she has these private scards and lacks of race. So psychologically the aftermath, she's been having a hard time dealing with that, and even though the wounds did begin to heal surprising really quickly within a

few months, the emotional scars last a lifetime. And to add more insult to injury, the fact that she's been victimized by the criminal justice system and law enforcement where they're reluctant to give her her constitutional justice and closure. So that certainly has had a devastating impact on her

mentally and emotionally. Because Renice also suffers from chronic depression, So the fact that other survivors who had not reported their case, exciving their attack at the time that they occurred, or were skipped swiftly given indictments, that's also weighed very heavily upon her psyche as well. So it's been a very try romantic ordeal for her, and it would certainly give her justice enclosure to be in that courtroom to express her outrage to him and at the same time

holds the system and it's missteps accountable. It would completely change the narrative, and I think that's one of the reasons why the prosecutor this office in the city is reluctant about doing it. But be bit as it may, the law of the law, and so rule of law has to prevail instead of bias or conflict adventures, because it in fact in her life dramatically physically, mentally, and emotionally, and that healing will not take place until she has her day in court. I was there those initial months

of the horrible nightmares of her relibity attack. You know, for some reason, Vernice wanted to spend her recuperation with me, so I, you know, open up my home tour allow her to have the bad room. I took the sofa for months. I would apply the necessary treatment to her wounds, change her un bloody gauzes with fresh on gauzles before I went off to work, and that transition period where I can remember vividly it was very difficult for her and so the real healing will take place as it

would any rape survivor. It's when it can look they're selling in the eye and express what he did to her, how he changed her life, and simultaneously let the cystem know. When you make the steps, you also have to take responsibility. You have to be accountable as well. There's no such thing as a disposed to human beings, whether with the person that is disenfranchised of limited means of life or

wall off, or an entertain or celebrity. Every person who is a victim is entitled to the proper healing process. They're entitled to justice.

with it, but it had far too much hair. And then you discover through your investigation what could have happened when she looked at a photo, and because of when that photo was taken, tell us about the photo controvert, she as you do explain in.

the gears in her mind turning. But after she stared after inside of the foot for a while, she said to me, No, that's not him. Now, mind you. I've been reading every piece of day I can get my hands on about this gentleman, and I'm saying to myself, this got to be him, based upon what I knew transpired her attack two and a half years earlier. So I said to myself, there's got to be something wrong here.

So I took to the internet, did a little more research found an earlier photograph of him, which of course I provide on the front purp of the book, the two photographs of the writer's action photographs, the f one of the far right. I showed that to her sometime later, actually, it was about February two thousand and ten, and within a split second she said to me, that's him, that's my attacker. Really excitedly, I said, Ernie, this this is the same man I showed to you and the Plane Dealer.

She said, well, why is it do it so different? Well, once I pulled his psyche evaluation from September two thousand and five, I realized why he looked so differently from the front page of The Plane Dealer from the photographs that I found the earlier photographer found for the Internet.

Anthony stillwell. Like many of his victims, he was also a crack addict as well as he drained heavily himself, so between the time that he was released from June of two thousand and five to the time of this Catcher, Anthony Soa actually lost nearly forty pounds. The psych evaluation described him as being six feet tall one hundred and ninety five pounds, but he was down to one hundred and fifty five pounds at the time of his catcher.

What man loses forty pounds in the span of four years. Well, that was the reason why, and that explained why she couldn't place him from the front page photographs used by the playing diller as opposed to the one that I retrieved from the Internet. So then all the pieces of the puzzes came together. And that's where I also relized.

Not only did she not place him because my instincts were telling me this has to be the man, But then I realized the day that I was searching for Within hours of her disappearance, Anthony Sowell and I crossed paths wow, because I told her, I said the photograph that I'm showing you, this is the man that briefly joined me at the bus shelter the evening. I was looking for you because I reached her her neighborhood about seven thirty in the evening, and I stayed precisely one

thirty in the morning. I could not pull myself to leave the area because I knew something was wrong because we had just talked by phone about an hour and a half or so before. I reached her neighborhood and she didn't mention she was going anywhere. And most of the locals that I told that I am talked to and asking them had they seen her, they always telling me the same thing, Well, yeah, she's around here somewhere.

And when I left at one thirty in the morning, that's when I got the call roughly about nine to nine thirty from metro Er that she had been involved in a very brutal assault and she's asking for me to come to the emergency room. And that's where all the pieces of the puzzle came together, that that man was actually leaving a crime scene, and because he didn't own a car, he took the number fourteenth of which travels up and down Kinsmen and from each seventy nine

to his home. I looked it up in less than ten minutes. It goes right pat to the Impuire Avenue. And I never knew that until two and a half three years later, and then I realized this is the same man now. I provided under oak scorn Affidavid to the Premean Police Department, says crime units, to the Chief of Police, to the Prosecutor's office, to the Police Review board, and he's completely ignored it. The review board for some strange reasons just simply rubber stamped it in sufficient evidence,

like are you kidding me? However, the other survivors who did not report their attacks, in some cases until years later after the bids was discovered, they received swift indictments. Why is that? The simple answer is because there's no police liability there, whereas over these case she did report it. And here's another sound fascinating to us to this story.

I don't know if I'm getting ahead of myself or if he had intend to raise this question, but one of Anthony Soaud was signature moves with practically all of his victims in addition to this, well, prior to this trangulation, he would say, take off your clothes. That's how I knew. That really got my interest. And the second signature action

was to take their jury. Now I'm thinking, okay, well, he knows he's going to kill Vernice, leave her body behind her course, behind his side in the abandoned house, take her first in facts, take her valuebooks and perhaps sell them upon them. Little did I know that will become his trophies of his victims. And another author by

the name of Robertson Burnham. He published a book in October twenty and twelve, I believe on the Cleveland Strangler, The Shocking true Story the Treatment because the Cleveland, Cleveland Strangler. And inside his publication he has a photograph taken by the corner of some of the jury that they retrieved from Anthony Soulall's home from his bedroom George to be exact, and Lord and behold, this had to be another miracle,

a blessing. Lord behold. Bernice Crusters two thousand and six, jewed her watch in her ring in this particular photograph is right among the Pure Avenue Dead Victims. Photograph the Pure Avenue Victims. Their tideline is from June two thousand and seven to the fall of two thousand and nine. There's only one explanation as to why Bernice's gray watch and her ring is inside that photograph. Anthony Sowell, the emerging Cleveland Strangler, was the one that Lord enforced her

insigned that abandoned house, and he took her jury. And when he and I crossed paths, and I looked at him, and I received this very bad vibing energy from him. That's what they ex planned to me. Why he's carrying upon him a gift that I bought her, bought for her a year earlier. He's carrying it on his person.

He's taking it home with him and her jury probably was the first to lace his bottom drawer, and he just started to add more jury to it at the lord and attack more victims and with heart renting Now I'm sorry, go ahead, go ahead that I was going to say, what's very heart wrenching and disappointedness. Although this overwhelming facts and evidence and the photographs of her wearing

the watch before it was taken. This has been submitted to the Cludion Police Department, to the sex Crime Unit, and per their own manual all new leads, they're supposed to follow up on it. Furthermore, according to Ohio constitution, It's Bill of Rights Section ten A is a section called the Rights of Victims of Crime. It clearly says that the bustiness of crime or are supposed to have access to any information that would help solve their crime.

That's the law the Constitution. The fourteenth Amendment officer says no US citizens shall be deprived of their property or be denied due process. Well, I've approached the Corners numerous times through emails, phone communication, but the sex Crime Unit is trying to have discredit everything I've said. So instead of upholding rule of law, honoring and protecting her rights, they're not cooperating. So we're trying to come pursue other

legal means to get her justice enclosure. Because as I mentioned, the other survivors simply provided eyewitness testimony, there is no DNA as a matter of fact, Ohio versus so well, there was no DNA on any of the eleven remains. It was simply circumstantial evidence. And Bernice CRUSH's case, as I just enumerated, there's an overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence that implicate Anthony Soul as an attacker and he should,

by law be indicted for attacker. On June eighteenth of two thousand and.

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and seems like understanding from some people. And I guess say, I understand, and I applaud you that you went everywhere you possibly could, implored people everywhere, and you included that in the media, the media contacts that seemed to be you talked about the plain dealer being very good about this story and your version and cooperating with you and

Vernice and telling that story. So tell us some of the things that seemed to be optimistic and were in your favor, and then the things that seemed to be that just were dashed hopes after promises of progress and even promises of taking this to the grand jury.

and he was fascinated by some of his content. And the detective, as a recall, who had charge of the case, he was promoted to sergeant in two thousand and eight, so his assistant took over the case. And so as I was pretty much doing my own investigation, playing Sherlock Holmes, I began to connect the docs. And then I also realized that I'm an eye witness because he and not cross path and he has her jury, and so the jury is in the corners. You now have a physical

connection there. So and none of that's the sketch at this point in time, It's three and a half years have passed, so pretty much everybody's gotten a box the sketch. But like I said, I did a digital lineup, and you can clearly see there's a resemblance between the sketch and Anthony sell photograph, with the exception of the artists

drawing too much here, But that's okay. The forensic artist son has never seen mister Solwell and will, being him African American, maybe he just assumed that he wore an app for I don't know. But the physical features are there, the resemblance is there, the circumstantial evidence is there. They have a chord that was used to scrangle her. The very first of the eleven Impuire Avenue victims. As I shared with the detective, I said, do you know that

the very first one was Crystal Dojer. She disappeared a year after Bernice and she was found two and a half years later in Anthony Soul's bankyard. But I said, do you know where she lived? There is a very interesting link between her the very first one in Britney's Scrutcher. I said, that link is the abandoned house that Berney Scrutcher was lured to within the sixty nine hundred blocks of Kainston Avenue, just a few doors away is where Crystal Dojer lived. And I said, do you think that's

a random coincidence? Of course not. Anthony Solwell came down to the Garden Valley estate area as dress rehearsal. This is the fact that most people don't know that was dress rehearsal before he started luring the eleven women to his home and killing them there. And fashion abody's either inside his home or in the backyard. It's started in the bankyard, I believe, with five six bodies, but Anthony Sowel ran out of room, so he started stashing it

inside his home. But going back to your question, the rail light that we thought we had. After I got the news station involved, they questioned her and he said that it seems like mister Newton and Berndey Scruncher has credible evidence that her case could have prevented that tragedy. And the detective had talked it over with the then director of the Special Bureau of Investigation, and he gave the detective inscruptions for her to bring Bernice in for

a lineup, and she said, which I have. I believe in chapter twelve of the book, our conversation were for word. There's a transcript, and she said that I'm on furlough, but when I get back, I'm going to have Bernice do a lineup, which of course was including mister Silwell, and she was confident that Bernie would pick out so well and that the case would go before grand jury. Now, certainly is this after at that point, I think it's about five years. At that point, we were excited, We

felt that this things would go well. But someone else, while this detective who now had charged the case was away, said something completely different to the media. He told the media that Miss Crutcher was mistaken that science had cleared mister Sowell from the two thousand and six case, and that when we eventually came in later that month, there was no line up and they was pretty much telling Miss Krutcher that until we have DNA, which I think is kind of strange for them to say that knowing

full well that the trial was not about DNA. It was about acclivating circumstances that got Anthony so were convicted, not DNA. So someone took it in a different direction. And she actually said to me, someone of a high paygrade is saying something different than me, and that other that someone can only be the original lead detective of release case. He now has received a couple promotions within

the unit. Certainly it would be a conflict of interest if it was known he made a critical mistake and number one not showing Britney's crutcher a registered recently registered sex defender at that point it was just nine months in and he lived less than three miles away. Plus he fits the description of the sketch she provided, and had they went to his home, they would have found her jery there. The case would have been solved in June two thousand and six. Plus I would have came

forward and said, yes, I crossed bath with him. I'm an eyewitness. He bought it the number fourteen east bound buds. That's the man. You have a jury. And furthermore, the last rations. Here's another thing that's fascinating about that trial. Patrolman Charles Lockey arrested so well with a backpack. Inside that backpack, one of the items were a box cutter. That explains the source of the lacerations, the razor sharp

cuts on Nissa's head and face. They would have had had this case blusted wide open, had there been a more thorough investigation. And this is another reason why I really wanted to get this case down, so that police officers detect us when they hadn't in cases I know DNA especial when it comes to trial, it's pretty much slammed dunk. But any events that you don't have DNA, then there has to be a thorough investigation, especially if

the community at large lives are at stake. I get the distinct depression when they rolled the dice and they didn't get a match in CODIS and they simply told us an unknown profile not in CODs. This, this would be held in abeyance until a hit in CODs was the exact word. Well, that doesn't sound like an investigation. And furthermore, you're pretty much enabling this, this unknown attacker, giving him a pass to continue to be at large

until the next person gets attacked. And unfortunately, this particular heinous attacker repeated his attack over and over and over again to the tune of eleven bodies found in and outside his home. And I really believe that bernica survival is the reason why Anthony sou would change the strategy. He presumed he killed her. I mean, think about it. Technically, she was dead for fifteen hours from six pm and regained consciousness the next morning at nine pm. So he

changed his strategy. Instead of learning him to the abandoned house, He'll lure to his home. He'll bury them in his backyard. That way he makes sure they'll regained consciousness and wander off.

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everyone was reported that her body was found. Her new body was found on the train tracks which was nearly hit by a trained operator off of East seventy ninth Street. And yet if you recognize that street again, that's the same street that Bernice met her attacker on East seventy ninth Street. Now, unfortunately, her new body was also beaten and had lacerations, and two weeks later Bernice excuse me, lucky to come to her injuries so that she died.

But what's interesting is she survived for two weeks, so certainly she was able to talk to her family and the authorities and provide a description of her attacker. But to this day, her case is unsolved. And I do know because, like I said, with my personal acquaintance with her, she pretty much had the same profile as Bernice Cruncher, a drug addicted female prone to solicitation. In order to support

that happen. But we're not here to pass judgment. Law enforcement is here to solve cases and to prevent a harm or threat to the community. And I'll also offer help in a very compassionate way to victims. But what's fascinating is this is August two thousand and five, Anthony so Well moving into Impure Avenue. June of two thousand and five, just a couple months earlier, there had been no attacks on the women in the area, and sadly,

again that case is unsolved. And like I said, ten months later, Bernie's crutcher, who's also on East seventy ninth Street, she meets her attack her and this he lures her to an abandoned house. Now what I find fascinating between Magdalia and Ernie's scruncher, as I mentioned, with their injuries. The injuries are all about the heads in their face, and again you have lacerations, and then again the victims

are nude. So as I depict on the back cover before, from two thousand and five to two thousand and six, you have two cold cases, one result of the murder, the other attempted murder. And then after are the eleven murders between two thousand and seven and two thousand and nine. I'm thoroughly convinced had there been in a more astute and engaged investigation with these two cold cases, the eleven

murders would have never occurred. And I'm pretty confident. I'm willing to bet the farm the description that Lucky gave in August two thousand and five before she passed away. I'm willing to bet the farm that it matches Anthony Saula's description.

their names than we should. We talked about Chris, Jill Dozier, Toushuna culver And June two thousand and eight, Lshanda Long August two thousand and eight, Michelle Mason October two thousand and eight, Tanya Carmichael November two thousand and eight, Kim Smith January two thousand and nine, Nancy Cobb April two thousand and nine, Amelda Hunter April two thousand and nine, Janie Webb two June two thousand and nine, Talaysia Fortson June two thousand and nine, Dyan Turner September two thousand

and nine. You talk about the trial, It's been told before, but you have a different perspective. Tell us about some of the what you write about about the trial itself.

destroyed their lives. Certainly, my heart goes out to them because I now know, with the amount of research that I've done and of course been acquainted with her niece's case inside announced that that human loss could have been prevented had there been a more like I say, engaged and compassion to the fact that how do you suspend this case when you know, looking at the extent of

Bernice's injuries, this particular assailing is still out there. He's still at large, sens because you didn't get a hitten colder it should have told you that, okay, And he's an interesting twisted Bernice's break kit. She told him she had consent you with sanctious hours before. So those profiles don't belong, they don't have no relevance to the attack.

But somehow the set time unity, which as far as I'm concerned to hide their mintsteps and their failures, has gone so far as to say, well, your attacker is still out at large, which is ridiculous given the fact that it's been over ten years. When you look at the hateous nature of her attack, you can tell this person has an appetitite of violence. He has to just disappeared off the face of the earth, and the evidence

of that is the Impure Avenue tragedy. Now, I looked at that trial just to see if I could really make some correlation between those two thousand and seven to two thousand and nine attacks, and the evidence is there, particularly with patrolling Charles N's Lockeye officer Charles Lockeye. As I mentioned earlier, the box cutter. Here you have a strangler, but then he's carrying a box cutter. That has to be the source of the last ovation with Riney's crutcher.

But then there was another witness for the state that lived with Anthony so well, his lived in girlfriend, Lorie Fraser, who was actually the mayor's niece, and she testified that there were times when mister Soul would come home with very suspicious looking wounds. And I remember specifically then assistant prosecuted Lorii Fraser on the witness stand about what time about when did you begin to notice these wounds on mister Sowell, And what she said chills up my spine.

I have that in the book as well as an audio at my website cdnet dot com. She clearly testified that she's begin to notice those wounds in two thousand and six. For the discrepancy is the Imperial Avenue tragedy started with Florid Fraser occurred in June two thousand and seven, and so Laurie goes on to testify that tone, which was so Anthony Sowell said that he got those wounds from somebody inside of an abandoned house who grabbed him right away. That sufficient evidence to use in a grand

jewelry for Brindie's purchase. Times when he told Lorie Fraser, well, not to worry, I killed their ass the person who granted him and signed an abandoned house. That right there has direct correlation to release two thousand and six. Attacked inside in an abandoned house. It has no relevance whatsoever to the Impure Avenue murders. And I brought that up to the prosecutor as well as the Sex Crime Unit and the officer professional standard, and again they brother stands

it as insufficient evidence. But as I said it earlier, the jury didn't reach their decision not based upon DNA, but according to the trans the court transcript, aggravating circumstances an unquote far outweighed and mitigating factors beyond a reasonable down Well, there's an overwhelming abundance of aggravating circumstances in

nice case. And like I said, you could actually look at that the Ohio versus so Well trial and in the case of the arresting officer and Laurie phrases statements that has a direct connection to really Scirtu's case and not the Inperior Avenue murders, and that needs to go before grand jury. And it was completely changed the narrative for what the city and the world knows about the Cleveland strangler. And I believe that's the thing, that's what

the Sex Crime Unit will find. It's a conflict adventures, but the laws of law, she is in time to do justice enclosure and these facts and evidence that I'm sharing with you and your listeners need to go before grand jury. And that's what we're pushing for because, after all, there's been a lot of time discussion in the national

discourse about police reforms and the criminal justice system. As long as there are cases like mine out there, and I'm sure there's probably thousands of them out there that have been silent having given the light of day, it undermines our confidence and our trust in this system. You can't just have press conferences and say well, we're doing the best we can and things are looking better and things are doing well when citizens and residents actually know

the truth. These are just pr spinds. These are just still good messages that you're feeding to the public. Whereas in reality we know the status quo prevails, and that when there are cases that are show a conplint of interest or biased towards protecting officers misconduct, that no, we

can't have confidence and trust. We're going to respect I'm sorry, hello, we still there, Yes, absolutely, so for us to have confidence and trusts, all we're asking for is accountability and integrity, the facts of the evidence that they're she's in time to do justice, enclosure and in addition to the circumstances around her case, that officer as well as Lorie Fraser's statements,

which now is public record in her court transfer. Excuse in court transfer they haven't the right bearing in her case. That person that anthemusilla said that, well, I killed their ass that attacked me inside of an abandoned house. That's not another than Bernice Crutcher, if not another victim and another abandoned house. That whod's case is just a forgotten code case.

on the front page of the Playing Dealer. But if we back up as a September two thousand and five, the court Psychiatric Clinic, even though the evaluation was way off the mark when it said it was a six percent chance to reoffend, that evaluation was way off the mark, they still had his photograph, his address on record, because after all, he's now a register and sex offender and Anthony Solwell knows that. So the Sex Prime Unit they

also had to know that. And I to this day do not understand why they did not, and let me repeat, they did not show Bernice Cruncher Anthony so was registered sex offender photograph from September to two thousand and five. I found an earlier photograph before he lost the weight, before he lost the forty pounds, and right away she

made the connection. And it's my understanding from reading the other two other authors that did their story on the Anthony Sowell they also described the officers also had the same problem between the photograph they had on record and the man standing before them, because he had lost a substantial amount of weight. Anyone lose forty pounds, they're going to look physically different. But once again, a registered sex offender,

all of his information is in a database. They had access to it, which also means that that photograph, it's a matter of record. This is a sex crime unit. Why they did not show her a photograph was a serious critical misstep. And given the fact that he's new to the area, because that's one thing Bernice Crutcher said, Now she's nearly a twenty year resident of Garden Valley,

and this is where good detective work comes in. So that means practically an active living in that area for nearly twenty years, you know practically everyone in the area, all the locals. She reported, I've never seen this guy before. That should have tipped him off. He's new to the area. She also said, he's on foot, so he's within walking distance a jury to five mile radius. And the fact that this was a sexual assault that she had a

lesend right away. Less check our regilar sex offenders within three to five miles and who feeds the description of an African American male with a mustache and small facial beard that would have legend in the Anthnue Silver who had just moved in June of two thousand and five in the area. Six feet tall, mustache, facial beard, registered

sex offender. Strangler carries a box cutter, and he may have her jewelry which after they had issue of warning went to his house, he would have found a jury in his bedroom, only her jury had not the later eleven women of Impuire Avenues jury.

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get kick this addiction. Finally at least it pays off. And you describe that when she goes to the police,

he's finally set up that meeting that seems optimistic. You think that there's going to this may lead to the grand jury that and yet they tell her that the DNA is not important or a pardon me is the important thing, like you say, despite them not having any of that at the trial, and this is a super emotional setback for Vernice at that time, I know we're going backwards, but that was a big setback for Vernice. She comes out there crying, she's hysterical. That's a big setback.

And it's a setback for you as well, because they've led you along, it seems for a fair amount of time with this, haven't they.

The lead detective has gone on to receive multiple promotions, so he if he's if he's doing well within the unit, and he's very ambitition he's moving up in the ranks. This is the last thing he wants to be known or associated with that. Actually, you, your failures are in missteps, your lack of communication and a thorough investigation is what enabled to Cleveland strangler. He doesn't want that to be

associated with him. So she said to me point blank, and I really didn't grasp it at the time that she said it to me. Somewhat of a higher pay grade is saying something different than me. But if I had this information several years ago, she would be up in upstairs in the courtroom with the other victims excuse me, the other some vibors. Rather so now it becomes a

matter of politics. And I think that this is another reason why I wrote the book and why I want to get this story up, because they really served as a cautionary tale. When you have missteps such as this, it results in a community tragedy. And now the victim comes forward, Now we can get a real test, a real test of integrity and accountability and trust and confidence in our law enforcement and our criminal justice system. I mean,

let's be real. Prosecutors, assistant prosecutors and detectives and the police. They have a working relationship their colleagues in order to build cases against defendants. So now if your colleagues who you have a close knit relationship with if they have if they're being accused of some sort of misconduct, what do you do. Do you stand up for the victim and their rights or do you side with this long standing colleague you have a working relationship with. That's the

narrative that would have changed have r in THEE. Cruster's case been brought into the corporal and it still can be and until we actually I'm sorry, go ahead, no, I was just gonna say, until we actually allow cases like this to see the light of day and receive the proper justice enclosure, then we really not being genuine about police reforms and criminal justice reforms. I mean, this case code case really speaks to an abuse of power

and authority. When I approached the assistant prosecutor and I said to him, I've told him about the facts and evidence of case after we received such a very heart breaking disappointment when we left the Crime Sex Crime Unit Act. He told me, well, we had to retrieve her freak kit and you're gonna have to wait sixty days until

we get the results. Now. Little did I know he already had the two survivors that I mentioned earlier, who reported their attack five minus or so, what after the bidens were discovery and in one case like a year and a half, So that really isn't a prerequisite in order to get an indictment. He knew that, but he didn't tell me that. So this leads me to think that, well, what's the difference between bernicas the survivor and these other two that receive indictment within days? And who has no

rape kit? Miami? Though one was raped by Anthony Sowell, but because she reported it a year and eight months later, certainly there's no rape kid So he's only charged for colonia saw attempted murder and kidnapping. So they could do the same with Bernice. But the difference between Bernica and survivor and the other two survivors, as I said earlier,

no police liability. I find it very difficult to accept the fact that I submit a police complaint, but that then prosecutor gives the same detective a prestigious law Enforcement of the Year award. Now I submit a complaint, a very detailed complaint about pretty much abscrection of justice, a cover up. However, Anice left the sex time unit promised one thing a line up grand jury, and she gets something completely different, and that complaint was just versely dismissed.

But then the prosecutor turns around a short time later and this same detective receives a prestigious law enforcement at the year award. How could that be? He pretty much contradicted glowing words that she handed her cases with such compassion and empathy and with diligent and so many other outstanding and glowing words. But my complaints specifically detailed completely

the opposite based upon the experience that we had. So again, you can't have the community stand one thing and yet law enforcement and their partner at the prosecutors are since that's been entirely different.

You talk about the community demanded answers and things were supposed to change, and that's what the sex crime Unit was supposed to be. And then so at least that's what was reported that there was going to be a dramatic change in the way things the way rape victims statements were handled and missing persons cases were handled. There was supposed to be a change.

Plus we're also under the US Department of Justice consent decree as of May fifteenth, twenty fifteenth, which also requires dramatic changes and how they approach missing persons cases. But what's unique about Pernice case is this goes back before the imperi Avenue tragity, and for some years it was dormant because, like I said, the case was suspended. So this is one of those situations where this is coming back to haunt them and they don't want it to.

And as far as I concerned, this cold case actually puts the Cleveland Consent Decree and the Mayorage Commission for Missing Persons in the sense crime investigation to the test, and it's a very challenging one for them, I'll lamit. That's like I said, it brings the life that these were the mistakes that you made before you had these revisions and reforms. But be that as it may, you can't deny her lawfully what she's entitled to justice enclosure. Yes,

it's it's probably painful. And like I said, you you have to recognize too, this particular detective, the lead detective. I mean, if you look at where he is now compared to where he was in two thousand and six, he's had a rapid rise within a police division from ordinary detective to now he is over especially Bureau of Investigations, which includes multiple on divisions under him, which he includes the sex crime unit. So certainly, uh, he doesn't want

this flying ointment with its sting career right now. But we do we g give into personal preference careers, pensions, awards or does rule of law for vail. And that's what it comes down to, and that's what the narrative is about about this go cause.

and eight. Now, the comparison that I made between Vanessa Kay and Bernice Crutcher is really it's just it's interesting and it's also mind boggling. One within days because then Judge Timothy mcinthe's recommendation to then Prosecutor William Mason, she

received indictments. Now, when you look at the fact that she called into the police station in April of two thousand and eight that she was attacked by so at his own they recommended that she come in and make an official police report, but she was afraid to do it because I think she had some previous uh judge chargers of offenses, So she was afraid to come forward and she didn't until a year and eight months later

when she was before then Judge Timothy mcginje. Now what fascinated to me is why did did he believe her without any physical evidence, and why did she receive such swift indictments against Anthony Silwall that did not include rape although he raced her. As I said that earlier, that the indictments were for felonious assault, attempted murder and kidnapping. But this is simply based on her eyewitness testimony and

she served as a witness for the stake. Now, Vernice Crutcher had an overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence, but they refused to hear from her and give her the same justice enclosure. And like I said. The only reason that that stands out right away is Vanessa Gay had not reported to the police for the cruncher did so Vanessa Gay in her situation, sure she can be a survivor because now I had a draw. She's not really saying that, well,

I told the authorities. I handed them Anthony Sowell. But now that's different with Gladys Wade, who was attacked December of two thousand and if you recall, she and Anthony

so are both now at the police station. But because of some arrangement they had with a straight release within two days, Anthony Sila was released and they really don't believe her, although she has all the physical evidence, the scratches, the evidence of the bruises, and so I think tell some some lines that well, she was just some girl. He was, I think having a girlfriend or a woman he met and they were having sex and things got

in hand and she stole something from him. That's the reason why she find out on the roof and drop to the ground. And so they released him. But little did they know he already had five bodies bear in his backyard and he would go on to kill six more until they called him. And I told we're two

thousand and nine. So when you take a coastal look as the survivors and that trial, you really see some serious discrepancies, inconsistencies, double standards, and it just sort of really undermines the process that if prosecutors and the authorities want a slat things, or I wouldn't say slam pot, perhaps manipulate the process where reduces their liability or their culpability, then they can do that. They have done that, and it gives the appearance to the community, Okay, well we've

done the right thing. We've got this man off this street. Of one size justice fit's all. Because I find it really odd that then Prosecutor William Mason publicly said in the meat in the press, there's just no way that the bodies at the Imperial of An found on the

Imperier Avenue are all the victims. There has to be some more more out there well for these question is one And if you recall in the books, on August twenty seven, twenty twelve, I submitted a letter to Prosecutor Mason, and in that letter I mentioned the challenges that I was having with the sex crime unit. They even mentioned Ernissa's detective by name. Now he had just for a few months earlier, given her that prestigious law Enforcement of

the Year award. Okay, see that as a man. But I mentioned in that letter, I said, and I quote, there's a possibility that Bernice crushes jewelry is right among

the impure Avenue victims. Do you know? Three weeks later, the middle of September, out of nowhere, Prosecutor Mason announced his resignation that he was stepping down, and their interim prosecutor was Timothy McGuinty, the same one the Vanessa Gay who mentioned that Anthony soul Will attacked her and he believed her, and he recommended her case to then prosecutor. With a Mason, it just rereaks with me a system of politics, and I don't know, it just leaves a

bad tation in your mouth. Put it lightly you.

Although I communicated with the other assistant prosecutor at that time was our Richard Bombeck. He and I had email communications for him to tell me, well, we have to run a DNA test on the cord that was used to stranger her and her rat kid. Where if you already know you have two survivors who serve in as witness with a stake. They had no DNA confirmation, but yet their eyewitnesses for the state excuse me, so why

the inconsistency? So once again, because these ladies didn't come forward at the time of the attack, and this wasn't some time later, and again just removed any police culpability or liability. And like I said, it's right, Ontario.

motivated with the book would act the same despite your logical reason for being involved with this. Was there any Again, they didn't mention it to you. I didn't read in the book that they mentioned that too specific specifically. But did you feel any of that when encountering these people that they were they were trying to to please you or to have you believe that they were cooperative and that there might be some hope in having it you

achieve what you were demanding. But did it seem like they didn't appreciate what they might think as your interference in this?

would go before grand jury. But after Cleveland nineteen News aired the story, I really believe that someone else, which was probably her originally detective who now, like I said, has received a couple promotions. I think he was a captain at that time. It's a conflict defensis for him, so he pretty much steered it in a different direction. He pretty much discredited the our account. He even went to a far As War concert to engage his slander because he told another author that my book had no

merit and that what Rinie Schirscher was saying was not true. Wow. So, but at that time, we hadn't discovered the jury yet, because those particular officers hadn't published a book until the following year. The following the next year, and so when I found it, when I came across the coroner's photographs and I saw her jury on money and pure Avenue victims.

There we had it. And what's fascinating too is the chiefs of then Chief of Police did send me a letter and in part he said, until we actually have physical evidence linking the two of them, then the case will go before a prosecutor. Well, that following year we did get that physical evidence the jury which I had thought he probably had sold or gave away or something.

He actually collected it and it was there. But I think, like I said, it really comes down to a bit of embarrassment conflict of interest because it raises the question. This lead detective was promoted while the body count was increasing. His first promotion to sergeant was two thousand and eight. The Imperial Avenue murder started in two thousand and seven with Crista Dosia, actually a neighbor of any Scrutcher, who

wasn't discovered until two and a half years later. So the body count was increasing, and simultaneously he was moving up the ranks within the end the unit. So that presents a bit of an authority issue for them. But again I emphasized take the politics out of it. For these was beat within inches of her life. The interest of death door by law, and morally speaking, she's entitled

as a brutally beaten great survivor justice enclosure. The other survivors were given that was just a fraction in compassion to the amount of fact and evidence in her case, they were given just as enclosure. She's incited to that as well.

with the prosecutor's office and the sex crime geting. So I was hoping that, hoping against hope, that he would have a change of mind and heart and would be willing to come forward about this particular attack that he knows he was he was never charged for, and I do believe initially he did kind of slip up and covertly give me a confessional admission to his involvement with this June eighteen, two thousand and six attack, because he said to me in one of our opening noncommunications, but

with prison email. Uh, mister Newton, you're fishing, and ericantly he said to me, and you're not very good at it. I don't need you, you need me signed death row, So well have a nice tact. Now, as far as I concern, that's tangible evidence. Who are graduated to consider? Why is it convicted serial killer telling me or telling

this man? After he specifically said were you involved with this June eighteen, two thousand and six attack and scientists abandoned house within the sixty nine hundred blocks, he has an avenue and for him to give that response, he's arrogantly saying, I know what you're after. I don't need you, you need me. And then another corresponds, he says to me in so many words that until I hear or see something that interests me, I'm just not gonna give

it to you now. A deserning brand you remember, I'm sure can read between the lines and say this arrogant self, this self granded, eying grande iss a man knows he did this, but because he's still has this miniacal sense of control and manipulation, he still wants to control his victims while he's in prison on death row. But he's letting me know in so many words, I know what

you're after. You need me, I don't need you. And indirectly as far as a concern, that is a covert confession to his involvement to his attack on Brittany's crutcher. And then that also matches up with as I said earlier, with Lori Fraser. She did say in that drial, he told me the wounds which were probably defensive wounds from a his victim that he's attacking, is trying to fight him off. He did say, I was insigned in an abandoned house. I had a physical exchange with someone. Not

to worry I killed there. As in the quote, you put all of these pieces of the puzzle together, you have Anthony Sowell from the sketch, the jury, the arrested with the box cutter, Lori Fraser's statement, the the his comment that he made to me in our prison email exchange, plus my eyewitness account. I know because I looked at him, but two to three minutes before he boarded a bus, I wasn't there to kiss the bus. I was just simply sitting there because it was at an intersection. I

was waiting for Pernice to resurface. I know that was him. So you take all of this in his totality, you have a case, and as far as I'm concern, it's even stronger. It's much more error tight and solid than the other survivors. Yes, there's no DNA here, but again there was no DNA on the remains of the eleven i Puire Avenue und victims because their bids was so badly decomposed. And the survivors they didn't have physical evidence either. But the jury looked at the facts and the evidence

and they came to the right conclusion. I'm sure if our knew Prosecutor Michael O'Malley, who gave the campaign promises that he would restore integrity, trust and confidence in the office of kyu Hooly County on Practicut, his office if the active the deducted a campaign promise and took an honest look at the body of evidence, that he can only come to one conclusion. Anthony saw what was her attacker. He should be induided And as a matter of fact, I sent him a competity on the publication. So he

has it all. He has it be for him.

into on the program. But be that as it may, she still wants I mean, do not be mistaken. She still wants justice, enclosure, She wants to be able to stand in that courtroom and expressed to mister Sowell the impact that this living nightmare has had on her life. And as far as I'm concerned, this is bigger than

she and I and we both understand that. You know, there's probably other victims out there that are going through the same ordeal, and they may not have to be the type of trying to be with the impure Avenue murders, but just other victims who are finding it difficult trying to work within the system to get the justice and the closure they deserve. And so I'm hoping that this would also inspire others when they read the account to keep fighting. Yes, I've been turned away practically all the

prestigious civil rights attorneys in Cleveland. I do have another agency looking into it, do a High Crime Victims Justice Center. They're looking into a case and it's looking very promising that they're going to pursue it on her behalf. And I'm also keeping the option open to approached to the NAACP again now that we have new evidence. But again, I really want to see better relations between the police

department and the community. And one way to do it is to make sure that there is integrity and how these cases are processed, coming out with fresh conferences saying that well, we have reforms and we've changed this, we've modified this, we have a new consent to free in place.

That's all finding good, but we need to make sure that it's implemented, that it's given real world applications, so that when people's ordinary people like ourselves come in, we should not have to have a high powered law firm behind us or a longstanding civil rights institution to get justice and closure. The prosecutor is the people's attorney. There

needs to be a consistency. If you tell these survirus what DNA is not required, then why do you want to turn around and require from her and victims' rights which are the law. They should be put first and foremost over some detective or police officer's career or reputation. And I think that's where the tough call is for officials.

But once again, if you really want the community, they have the integrity, excusing, the confidence and the trust in law enforcement and the criminal just assistant, you have to make those tough calls. Otherwise you have it. Where we are now, the relations are very strained.

gonna make a special offer for your listeners. Well, they'll be able to download a free copy that'll be just for a couple of days so that they can become engaged in the story and perhaps want to read some of the various accounts and take the story in for

themselves directly. But I also want to encourage your listeners if you're convinced based upon the facts and the evidence that I've mentioned, and of course after reviewing it at my website and person in book, if you would like to help us in our pursuit for justice inclosure, you can call Prosecutor Michael Emley at this number two one six four four three seven eight zero zero that's two one six four four three seven eight zero zero and simply say justice Enclosure for Renie's Crutcher.