BBC News - US man charged with 11 murders in Cleveland

A former US marine has been charged with 11 murders after the remains of 10 bodies and a separate skull were found in his Ohio home.

Anthony Sowell is also charged with kidnapping, rape and abusing a corpse, among other indictments.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the 50-year-old if he is found guilty.

Mr Sowell has denied carrying out the attacks and killing the women in Cleveland.

Mr Sowell is also alleged to have attacked a further three women on three separate occasions in 2008.

Prosecutor Bill Mason said that the suspect lured vulnerable women to his home before attacking them, Associated Press reported.

He said: "The Cuyahoga County grand jury has returned an indictment against this monster for brutalising three women, two of whom were raped, and murdering 11 more."

Most appear to have been poor black women with drug addictions.

'Vulnerable'

The case has prompted calls for Cleveland police to respond faster and devote more resources to missing-person cases.

Human remains were found in his home following a complaint to police by a 36-year-old who said she was attacked by him.

He has already pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, kidnapping, attempted murder and felonious assault in relation to that attack.

Mr Mason said investigators are examining whether the former US marine was connected to unsolved killings elsewhere.

He said the 11 victims were, in general, strangled.

Mr Sowell had already been charged with five counts of aggravated murder.