CLEVELAND — A jury on Wednesday recommended that a serial killer who hid the remains of 11 women in his Cleveland home and yard be put to death, and the panelists later told reporters that the defendant’s courtroom apology did nothing to sway them.
Anthony Sowell, 51, was convicted last month of aggravated murder in the deaths of the women, whose remains were unearthed in his home and yard in 2009. The same jury that convicted Sowell deliberated for less than a day before deciding to recommend execution.
The final decision will be up to Judge Dick Ambrose, who will impose the sentence Friday. He is permitted to reduce a death penalty sentence to life without parole, but such changes are rare in Ohio.
As the final verdicts were read, Sowell’s eyes narrowed. Relatives of the victims seated in the court sobbed quietly and hugged one another.
The Associated Press
