( CNN ) -- An Ohio jury on Monday began the sentencing phase for convicted serial killer Anthony Sowell , ultimately deciding whether he should receive life in prison or the death penalty for killing 11 Cleveland-area women between 2007 and 2009 . Jurors on July 22 convicted Sowell of 11 counts of aggravated murder and more than 70 other charges , including abusing corpses and kidnapping . The sole not-guilty verdict came on an aggravated robbery charge . On Monday , they heard from prosecutors asking for the death penalty and from defense attorneys trying to save Sowell 's life . `` We believe that , at the end of the day ... at the end of all the evidence , that you will decide that death is not the appropriate penalty in this particular case , '' said John Parker , who is representing Sowell . During the sentencing phase , the defense could call up to 28 witnesses -- among them family members , acquaintances and five expert witnesses -- according to Cuyahoga County court administrator Gregory Popovich . They are expected to wrap up their case in four to five days . The prosecution expects to call two or three witnesses of its own , during the rebuttal phase , Popovich said . Sowell will be able to make a statement on his own behalf without being under oath or facing cross-examination from prosecutors , said Ryan Miday , a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County prosecutor 's office . Sowell has been classified as a `` sexually violent predator , '' meaning parole is not an option , Miday said . If jurors decide to recommend that Sowell die for his crimes , the judge can overrule that recommendation and impose a life sentence . But if jurors decide to spare Sowell 's life , the judge can not impose a death sentence , Popovich said . Sowell 's convictions ended a saga that began in October 2009 with the discovery of the first two victims ' remains inside Sowell 's home . He eventually was accused of killing at least 11 women ranging in age from 25 to 52 . He grew up in East Cleveland , joined the Marines at age 18 and traveled to California , North Carolina and Japan , authorities said . Sowell 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 . '' He was known locally for selling scrap metal . Sowell 's inconspicuous two-story home sat in a dilapidated neighborhood known as Mount Pleasant . At one point , one in five homes there was in foreclosure and at least a third of the residents received food stamps , according to a 2010 study by Case Western Reserve University 's Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development . A stench hovered around the area , but no one realized it was the scent of decaying human flesh , instead assuming it was a byproduct of a nearby sausage factory . Many of Sowell 's victims struggled with drug addiction at some point , and court records showed many resorted to stealing and prostitution to support their habits . The disappearances of the women -- many of whom lived near him -- went largely unnoticed for two years , with only four women being reported missing . In late 2008 , a woman named 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 he then tried to rape her , dragging her toward his home , and that she escaped after `` gouging his face . '' Police investigated Wade 's complaint , and one police report noted the presence of 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 . The first bodies were discovered after a 36-year-old Cleveland woman told police a story similar to Wade 's . It was also similar to the story of the woman whose 1989 account led to Sowell 's attempted rape conviction . The Cleveland woman said he had invited her into his home for beer , punched her in the face and began performing oral sex on her -- letting her go only after she promised to return the next day . Most of the women whose remains were found in and around Sowell 's home had been strangled by ligature , which can include a string , cord or wire , and at least one had been strangled by hand , officials said . Seven women still had ligatures wrapped around their necks . A skull was all that remained of one victim ; it had been wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed in a bucket in the home 's basement . At Sowell 's trial , his defense rested without calling any witnesses or presenting any evidence , according to CNN affiliate WOIO . His defense attorneys have declined previous requests by CNN to explain their case .
NEW : A defense attorney says he feels jurors will agree ` ` death is not the appropriate penalty '' Anthony Sowell was convicted of killing 11 Cleveland - area women between 2007 and 2009 . He has been described as a ` ` sexually violent predator '' The defense is expected to take 3 to 5 years for its part of the appeals process .