Foul Odor Led Cleveland Cops to Bodies

Police responding to a report of a foul odor ultimately discovered three women's bodies in East Cleveland—one in a garage, another in a backyard, and the last in an empty home's basement, say police. But after a weekend spent hunting for more—and searching 40 abandoned homes in the process—police have halted the search, at least for the time being. "We officially found nothing," chief Ralph Spotts said, per the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Police earlier arrested Michael Madison, a 35-year-old man known to spend time in the neighborhood, following a two-hour standoff. He hasn't been cooperative, Spotts said, noting that Madison will probably be charged today.

Police don't think bodies will turn up far beyond the local area: "We don’t think he took anything he couldn’t carry," Spotts said. This would be the second time in three months and third in four years that Greater Cleveland has dealt with a serial murderer or kidnapper of women, the Plain Dealer notes. The county medical examiner says it will take a few days to ID the bodies and determine cause of death, adds the AP. (More Cleveland stories.)