US Supreme Court rejects appeal by convicted killer of 11

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal by a Cleveland man sentenced to die for killing 11 women and hiding the remains in and around his home.

At issue were arguments by 58-year-old Anthony Sowell (SOH’-wehl) over the closure of an evidence hearing during his trial and his rejected offer to plead guilty.

Sowell lost the argument in the Ohio Supreme Court and appealed to the nation’s high court, which turned down the appeal Monday.

The trial judge closed a pre-trial hearing to the public about the admissibility of Sowell’s 11-hour videotaped police interrogation. Sowell’s attorneys objected to the move.

The judge ultimately allowed the use of the video.

Defence attorney Jeff Gamso called the ruling disappointing and said he’s determining how to proceed.