The bodies of three missing women have been found in East Cleveland: Angela Deskins, 38; Shetisha Sheeley, 28; and
The man who is believed to have murdered them, Michael Madison, 35, is under arrest and "being held on a $6 million bond after being charged Monday with three counts of aggravated murder and three counts of kidnapping. ...If convicted of the murder charges, he could face life in prison. The kidnapping charges each carry a possible sentence of three to 10 years in prison."
Madison is a registered sex offender who, in addition to various drug and disorderly conduct charges, "was arrested in 2001 on charges of attempted rape, gross sexual imposition, and kidnapping. He pleaded guilty as part of a plea bargain to attempted rape in 2002, and was sentenced to four years in prison."
Which obviously wasn't enough.
I don't know what the solution is for repeat sexual offenders, but I do find it curious that there are all kinds of popular proposals to keep repeat drug offenders (who may only be personal users) off the streets forever, but none of the same political will to seriously curtail the freedoms of men who repeatedly abuse women, even when there is evidence their crimes are escalating.
I feel helpless in these moments. There is one killer, but there is an entire culture that abets violence against women, and I am part of it. I am tasked with dismantling it, if I want it to change.
My sincerest condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of Angela Deskins, Shetisha Sheeley, and
And my heart is with the women of greater Cleveland, many of whom must feel absolutely terrorized by the quick succession of very public cases of harm done to women, especially women of color, by terrible men.
[Note: The post has been updated to reflect the name of the third victim now that she has been identified. My thanks to Von for the heads-up.]
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