Alleged Ohio serial killer is a former SoCal Marine

November 6, 5:29 PMLA Military Headlines ExaminerMark Nero

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Former Marine and suspected serial killer Anthony Sowell. (Photo: Ohio Attorney General's Office)

Anthony Sowell, the convicted rapist from Cleveland who was arrested after several rotting corpses were found in his house, is a former U.S. Marine who was once stationed at Camp Pendleton, records show.

According to the Associated Press, Sowell joined the Corps in January 1978 at the age of 19. As a Marine, he did stints in Cherry Point, N.C., Okinawa, Japan, and Camp Pendleton. He earned a rifle sharpshooter badge and received two good conduct medals during his time in, according to the AP. In 1985, when he left the service, he held the rank of corporal.

Four years later, he was living back in Cleveland when he committed his first known attack. Records show that in 1989 he took a 21-year-old woman to his home, pushed her down, began choking her on his bed. and sexually assaulted her. He was later arrested, convicted and spent 15 years in prison.

Twenty years later, Sowell, now 50, stands accused of being a serial killer. Eleven bodies have been found so far at his home - six inside and five outside.

For more info: Associated Press story.