PRESS RELEASE TO ALL MEDIA ON POSITION BY THE IMPERIAL WOMEN RELATIVE TO THE DEATH PENALTY AND THE ANTHONY SOWELL CAPITAL MURDER TRIAL, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN THE STAGE OF JURY SELECTION, GOING FORWARD AS TO THE RAPE AND MURDER OF 11 BLACK WOMEN ON IMPERIAL AVENUE IN CLEVELAND

The Imperial Women support any request by all 11 families of the 11 women murdered on Imperial Ave. in Cleveland for Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor Pinkey Carr and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason to accept the offer by Accused Serial Killer Anthony Sowell for life in prison without the possibility of parole, and with the stipulation that the death penalty be removed. But if one family objects, as is seemingly the case, we must continue our request for the trial to move forward so that the truth might be told and so that Sowell can be brought to justice and any malfeasance and neglect around the murders that is the subject of the trial can become public record. 

We will not take a position as a group on the moral judgment of the death penalty at this time. We want a trial unless all families agree otherwise and we want Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson to be called to the stand to testify to explain his role, how his niece lived with Sowell at the time of the murders and went free and is not charged in the case, and why police and city officials released Sowell from police custody in 2008 on a credible attempted rape complaint by Gladys Wade, that he is now charged with, where six of the 11 Black women murdered on Imperial Ave. were murdered thereafter.

On Behalf of The Imperial Women,

Kathy Wray Coleman (216-932-3114) and Roz McAllister (216-577-0466)

(Please contact us if additional information is needed)