CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Judge Dick Ambrose, agreeing with a jury which this week had recommended the death penalty for serial killer Anthony Sowell, imposed the sentence of death this morning.

The jury had the power to recommend the death penalty or life in prison without parole, but Ambrose had the final call. He could not have sentenced Sowell to die, however, without the jury first recommending it.

Sowell, wearing an orange jumpsuit as he had on Wednesday, also had to listen to

members of his victims.

Ambrose read off the sentences for each of his crime – the death penalty for all of the murders themselves and various sentences regarding dozens of other charges for abuse of a corpse, rape and other crimes. While a formality in light of the death sentence, they added up to more than 250 years in jail.

The judge said Sowell would have an automatic appeal for a death sentence before the Ohio Supreme Court.

Family members spoke for nearly an hour this morning.

Don Smith, father of murder victim Kim Smith, cried when he told the court that the families would never forget what happened.

“He took my heart, my life,” Smith said. “And I might as well die, too because he killed a part of me.”

Others spoke angrily directly to Sowell, who remained silent with his eyes closed -- until he was ordered to stand at the time of his sentencing. Even then, when Ambrose asked if he understood the details of his sentence, Sowell did not respond.

Anthony Sowell sentenced 9 Gallery: Anthony Sowell sentenced

Several family members said they were angered by Sowell's demeanor during the course of the six-week trial.

“In my opinion you’re going to hell for your actions,” said Donnita Carmichael, daughter of murder victim Tonya Carmichael. “Anthony you are an animal and hell awaits your arrival.

“I won’t stand up here and tell you that I’m not bitter, because I am. I’ll never forgive you.”

Carmichael read an impact statement for her entire family and said some members had forgiven Sowell.

A stream of victims began making statements around 10:45 –revealing a similar mixture of pain, bitterness and some forgiveness..

Sowell had been given his turn to speak earlier in the week to address the jury, saying: "The only thing I want to say is that I'm sorry. I know that may not seem like much. And I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart.

"This is not typical of me. I don't know what happened. I can't explain it. But I know it's not a lot, but that's all I can give."

Sowell had addressed the jury under the guidance of his attorneys, who asked him prepared questions.

Ambrose had asked the jury earlier this week to weigh the murders against testimony over the last week that said Sowell’s violent acts stem from post-traumatic stress, obsessive compulsive disorder, cognitive dysfunction and psychosis worsened by a 2007 heart attack.

Then, he had to do the same over the last two days before rendering his decision this morning.

Sowell was convicted July 22 of multiple counts of aggravated murder and offenses for the deaths of the women whose remains were discovered in and around his Imperial Avenue home in 2009. He also was found guilty of attempting to kill three other women.

Sowell's attorney John Parker told jurors in his closing remarks of the mitigation phase on Tuesday that Sowell and the crimes he committed were products of his childhood.

But county Prosecutor Rick

"Where’s the punishment? You’re sending him home to a place where he does well. A place where he can become the best of friends with child rapists."

Bombik was referring to Roosevelt Lloyd, a convicted sex offender and Sowell’s former cellmate at the Grafton Correctional Facility. Lloyd testified on Sowell’s behalf last week and told jurors Sowell is a "nice, loving, caring person."

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