Ohio man charged with killing 11 meets jury pool

CLEVELAND (AP) — Prospective jurors were introduced behind closed doors today to a man charged with killing 11 women and dumping their remains around his property and home.

Anthony Sowell, 51, said a single word, "Hello," according to court administrator Greg Popovich, who apologized for keeping the jury orientation secret.

Sowell is accused of luring vulnerable women, often homeless or living alone and battling drug or alcohol addictions, to his home and attacking them. Prosecutors say he killed 11 of the women and hid their bodies in his home or buried in the yard.

The bodies were found after police went to arrest Sowell in October 2009 on a sexual assault allegation. He has pleaded not guilty and faces the death penalty if convicted.

The meeting between potential jurors and the defendant, a standard prelude to jury selection in criminal cases, was a surprise.