NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) — An East Coast drifter who killed seven people in Connecticut in 2003 is set to be sentenced to life in prison.

A state judge in New Britain is expected to hand down a 360-year prison sentence Friday for William Devin Howell, who pleaded guilty to six murder charges in September. He’s also serving a 15-year prison sentence for manslaughter in the seventh victim’s death.

The Hampton, Virginia, native is believed to be the most prolific serial killer in Connecticut history — not counting mass shootings. The bodies of six women and a man were found buried behind a strip mall in New Britain.

Police say Howell called his van the “murder mobile” and told a prison cellmate there was a monster inside him. Authorities said three victims were sexually assaulted.

(Copyright (c) 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)