Michael Madison: The East Cleveland Strangler
Overview
Michael Madison is a convicted serial killer from East Cleveland, Ohio, sentenced to death for the murders of three women between the autumn of 2012 and the summer of 2013. The discovery of his victims' bodies, wrapped in plastic garbage bags and discarded near his apartment, horrified a community still reeling from the crimes of another notorious Cleveland serial killer, Anthony Sowell. Madison, a registered sex offender with a history of violence against women, preyed on vulnerable individuals, strangling them and disposing of their bodies with a chilling lack of remorse. His capture in July 2013 concluded a nine-month span of terror. A jury found him guilty on multiple counts, including aggravated murder, kidnapping, and rape, and recommended the death penalty, which a judge subsequently imposed.
Early Life and Background
Michael Madison was born on October 15, 1977, in East Cleveland, Ohio, to Diane Madison and John Baldwin. His father denied paternity and played no role in his life. Madison's childhood was described in court as toxic and profoundly abusive. His mother, who had herself experienced a neglectful upbringing, reportedly subjected him to severe physical abuse, as did a series of her boyfriends. During his trial's mitigation phase, a forensic psychologist testified about documented instances of this abuse, which included being beaten with belts and extension cords, scalded with hot water, and force-fed until he vomited. In one incident, a beating by one of his mother's boyfriends was so severe that it caused permanent hearing loss in one ear.
Social services were involved with the family, and Madison was eventually sent to live with his grandmother, who was reportedly a heroin addict and sex worker. The pattern of neglect and abuse continued. By his teenage years, Madison had begun to exhibit disturbing behavior and had encounters with law enforcement for sexually abusing women.
His adult criminal record began with drug-related convictions in 2000 and 2001. A more serious offense occurred in 2001, leading to a conviction for attempted rape. He was sentenced to four years in prison and upon release was designated a registered sex offender. After serving his sentence, he returned to East Cleveland. At the time of the murders, the 35-year-old was living in a second-floor apartment on Hayden Avenue.
The Murders
Over approximately nine months, from September 2012 to July 2013, Michael Madison murdered three women. He disposed of all their bodies in a similar manner: wrapping them in multiple layers of plastic garbage bags and dumping them in concealed locations near his apartment building.
The first known victim, Shetisha Sheeley, 28, disappeared in September 2012. During a police interrogation following his arrest, Madison confessed to choking her in his apartment. He told investigators he left her body there while he went out drinking, then later returned to "fold her up" into trash bags. He stored her body in his garage for a period before moving it to a brush pile behind the building.
Angela Deskins, 38, was last in contact with her family in May or June 2013. Madison claimed to have no memory of killing her, attributing his memory loss to the effects of drugs and alcohol. However, forensic evidence, including her DNA, was discovered inside his apartment.
The final victim was 18-year-old Shirellda Terry. She disappeared on July 10, 2013. Madison admitted to police that he had communicated with Terry via text messages, lying about his age and family situation to persuade her to come to his apartment. While he claimed he could not recall the act of killing her, he admitted to placing her body in the garage. Autopsies later confirmed that both Terry and Deskins had been strangled, likely with a belt. Due to advanced decomposition, a precise cause of death for Sheeley could not be determined, though the medical examiner found evidence of a deep bruise on her face that was inflicted before her death.
The Victims
- Shetisha D. Sheeley, 28 — Last seen in September 2012, her body was found in a brush pile behind Madison's garage. Her obituary described her as the loving daughter of Kimmetta Sheeley and the cherished mother of her daughter, Angel.
- Angela H. Deskins, 38 — Missing since May or June 2013, her body was discovered in the basement of a vacant house near Madison's apartment. Her family released a statement describing her as a "beautiful, sweet, kind-hearted woman" and a "wonderful daughter, sister and aunt who truly cared about her family and friends."
- Shirellda H. Terry, 18 — Last seen on July 10, 2013, after leaving her summer job at an elementary school. Her body was the first to be found, located in the garage Madison used. Her grandmother, Rosetta Terry, remembered her as a "good girl" and a "hugger" who frequently attended Bible study.
Investigation and Capture
The investigation that led to Michael Madison's arrest began on July 19, 2013. An employee at the cable company located on the ground floor of Madison's apartment building reported a persistent, foul odor emanating from a shared garage. Responding East Cleveland police officers entered the garage and discovered a large, sealed garbage bag jammed next to Madison's car. Inside, they found the decomposing body of a woman, later identified as Shirellda Terry.
The grim discovery prompted a wider search of the area the following day. Investigators soon located two more bodies. The remains of Shetisha Sheeley were found inside another trash bag hidden in a brush pile behind the garage. The body of Angela Deskins was found in a third bag in the basement of a nearby abandoned house.
Police immediately identified Madison as the person of interest and tracked him to his mother's house in Cleveland. A brief standoff ensued before he was taken into custody without incident on July 19, 2013. Over several days of interrogation, Madison provided a four-page signed confession. He admitted to killing one woman and to his involvement in disposing of all three bodies. East Cleveland's mayor, Gary Norton, later told reporters that Madison had made statements suggesting he was influenced by Anthony Sowell, another Cleveland-area serial killer convicted of murdering 11 women.
Trial and Sentence
Michael Madison was indicted by a grand jury on a 14-count indictment that included six counts of aggravated murder (two for each victim), three counts of kidnapping, three counts of gross abuse of a corpse, one count of rape, and one count of having a weapon under a disability. Prosecutors announced their intention to seek the death penalty.
His trial began on April 4, 2016. The defense attorneys did not contest his guilt but focused their efforts on sparing his life during the penalty phase. On May 5, 2016, after deliberating for less than a day, the jury found Madison guilty on 13 of the 14 counts. During the mitigation phase that followed, the defense presented evidence of the profound psychological damage caused by the severe abuse Madison endured throughout his childhood. However, on May 20, 2016, the jury recommended that he be sentenced to death.
On June 2, 2016, Madison appeared for his formal sentencing before Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy R. McDonnell. As the victims' families gave their impact statements, Madison was seen smirking. This prompted Van Terry, Shirellda Terry's father, to cry out, "Right now, I guess we're supposed to, in our hearts forgive this clown," before he lunged across a courtroom table to attack Madison. Court officers immediately intervened and restrained Mr. Terry, who was not charged. The hearing resumed after a short recess. Judge McDonnell, stating that the horrific nature of the crimes far outweighed the mitigating factors, formally sentenced Madison to death. She also imposed a consecutive prison sentence of 51 years to life for the non-capital offenses.
Aftermath and Appeals
Following his conviction, Michael Madison began the lengthy appeals process afforded to death row inmates. On July 21, 2020, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously upheld his convictions and death sentence. The court affirmed that the death penalty was appropriate for his course of conduct involving the murder of three women. While the court reversed two of his kidnapping convictions due to insufficient evidence that the victims were held against their will before being killed, it ruled that this did not invalidate the death sentences, which were supported by other aggravating factors.
An execution date was initially scheduled for May 15, 2024. However, in March 2024, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a stay of execution. The court ordered that the stay would remain in effect until all of Madison's state post-conviction proceedings, including any subsequent appeals, are fully exhausted. He remains on death row at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution in Ohio.
In a tragic and violent postscript to the case, Madison's mother, Diane Madison, was murdered on June 22, 2019. The 62-year-old was stabbed to death in her home by her 18-year-old grandson, Jalen Plummer, who was Michael Madison's nephew. Plummer also stabbed and injured three other children in the home. In June 2021, he pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and was sentenced to life in prison.
