Ohio court won't reopen case of convicted killer of 11

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court has declined to reopen the death-penalty case of a Cleveland man sentenced to die for killing 11 women and hiding the remains in and around his home.

At issue were arguments by attorneys for 58-year-old Anthony Sowell that he had poor legal assistance from the attorneys handling his case before the state Supreme Court.

His current attorneys said his past lawyers should have brought forth a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that found Florida's death-penalty sentencing law unconstitutional.

Prosecutors argued against reopening the case. The state high court rejected Sowell's request without comment today. A message was left with the Ohio Public Defender's office, which represented Sowell.