( CNN ) -- Convicted Ohio serial killer Anthony Sowell wo n't be eligible for parole after being classified as a `` sexually violent predator , '' court officials in Cleveland said Wednesday . Sowell was found guilty of 11 counts of aggravated murder and more than 70 other charges Friday in a string of deaths of Cleveland-area women from 2007 to 2009 . Officer Ryan Miday , a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County prosecutor 's office , said Sowell 's classification as a sexually violent predator guarantees that he can only receive life in prison without parole or the death penalty when the sentencing phase of his trial begins August 1 . The jury could have recommended parole if members believed Sowell could be rehabilitated , according to Greg Popovich , the Cuyahoga County court administrator . During the sentencing phase , Sowell will be able to make a statement on his own behalf without being under oath or facing cross-examination , Miday said . The defense also can call expert witnesses to discuss Sowell 's background , including his childhood and military service . If jurors decide to recommend death , the judge can intervene and impose a life sentence -- but if the jury recommends life , the judge can not impose a death sentence , according to Popovich . Jurors found Sowell guilty on a total of 84 counts , including abusing corpses and kidnapping . The sole not-guilty verdict came on an aggravated robbery charge . The convictions ended a saga that began for investigators in October 2009 with the discovery of the first two sets of victims ' remains inside Sowell 's home . Eventually , they blamed him for the slayings of at least 11 women , ages 25 to 52 . Sowell had served 15 years in prison for attempted rape before being released in 2005 . People who met him after his release described him as `` a normal guy , '' known locally for selling scrap metal . His inconspicuous two-story home sat in a dilapidated neighborhood known as Mount Pleasant , where one in five homes was in foreclosure and at least a third of residents got food stamps , according to a 2010 study by Case Western Reserve University 's Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development . Neighbors and even a city councilman had failed to realize that the stench wafting in the area around Sowell 's residence was from human flesh and not a byproduct of a nearby sausage factory . The disappearances of the women -- many of whom lived nearby -- went largely unnoticed for almost two years , with only four of them even being reported missing . Many of his alleged victims struggled with drug addiction at some point in their lives , with court records showing that many resorted to stealing and prostitution to support their habits . In late 2008 , Gladys Wade told police that a man in a gray hoodie offered her beer , and when she declined , he punched her in the face several times . Wade said that he then tried to rape her , dragging her toward his home , adding that she got out only after `` gouging his face . '' Police investigated Wade 's complaint , with one police report noting blood droplets on Sowell 's walls and steps . But officers told CNN affiliate WKYC that the case was dropped after Wade declined to press charges . Six more women disappeared after her complaint . Authorities discovered the bodies after a 36-year-old Cleveland woman told police a story eerily similar to those of Wade and the woman whose 1989 account led to Sowell 's first conviction for attempted rape . She said he 'd invited her into his home for beer , punched her in the face , then began performing oral sex on her -- releasing her only after she promised to return the next day . Most of the women whose remains were found in and around Sowell 's home were strangled by ligature -- which can include a string , cord or wire -- and at least one was strangled by hand , officials said . Seven still had ligatures wrapped around their necks . A skull is all that remains of one victim . It was found wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed in a bucket in the home 's basement . Sowell 's lawyers have declined previous requests by CNN to explain their case , and the suspect has not been interviewed . CNN 's Chris Perry contributed to this report .
Sowell was declared not eligible for parole Friday . Sowell was convicted August 1 on 84 counts , including murdering 84 women from 2007 to 2009 . His sentencing hearing begins Friday .