No Human Involved by Cheryl L. Neely

Author:Cheryl L. Neely [Neely, Cheryl L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Beacon Press
Published: 2024-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Additionally, since the year 2003, Cleveland police had not reported even one death by strangulation, even though records maintained by police indicate that there have been thirty such homicides.105 This is significant, since unsolved slayings of women by strangulation provide a strong indication that a serial killer is at play.106 Thomas Hargrove described the underreporting (and, in some cases, nonreporting of homicides) by police agencies in Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County as being “among the worst,” and his algorithm detected unsolved murders that were “flashing ‘red alert’ for serial killers.”107 To make this stunning assessment, Hargrove collaborated with reporters from Cleveland’s Plain Dealer newspaper as well as the medical examiner’s office to get a more accurate count of unsolved murders (particularly strangulation deaths) in the city that were indicative of serial homicides. His research led to two areas that suggested that victims in those communities—the East Ninety-Third corridor and Euclid Avenue—were killed by serial predators.108

In my interview with the self-described “homicide archivist,” Hargrove specified these same areas as being veritable “playgrounds” for serial killers, especially when the clearance rate drops lower than 50 percent. His concern was that a high rate of unsolved homicides “inspires” others (such as Michael Madison by Anthony Sowell) and provokes vigilante justice by families of victims frustrated by police inaction. “In Chicago,” he explained, “a very significant number of murders are committed because of revenge. Murder and unsolved murder, especially.”109

It is important to note that Hargrove pointed to the small number of homicide investigators assigned to an overwhelming number of cases as one of the reasons why so many homicides go unsolved, especially in East Cleveland and in the predominantly Black neighborhoods on the east side of Cleveland proper. Due to this lack of manpower and investigative resources, homicides that are not solved in a matter of days, expeditiously become “cold cases,” making them even more difficult to resolve.

While I agreed with Hargrove’s explanation, I found myself questioning why there is such a small number of investigators given how much revenue is provided for public safety in Cleveland’s municipal budget.

According to data provided by Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit research institute, for the year 2021, $371.5 million or 56 percent of Cleveland’s General Revenue Fund (GRF) of $665 million was spent on public safety (which encompasses police, fire, emergency services, and animal control). And, of the allotted public safety funding, police received the largest share—a whopping $281.2 million.110 Even in the impoverished city of East Cleveland, more than half of their piteous budget is spent on public safety. In a meeting with city residents who complained about the lack of streetlights and increasing violence in their neighborhoods, mayor Brandon King explained, “I go to these groups, and I say, ‘Look! Here’s our annual budget. Out of the $10 million, $6 million automatically goes to police and fire.’ Out of what we have left, I’ll spread this around so that everyone gets something.”111

Aware that more money is needed to curb violent crime in East Cleveland, the mayor and

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