November 4, 2009 Alleged serial killer, rapist appears in Cleveland court Play video

(NECN/WEWS: Cleveland, OH.) - Anthony Sowell faced a judge this afternoon for the very first time, and we got our first look at man police are calling a serial killer.

The clicks of the camera were the only noise when Sowell walked in the room. This slight man was heavily escorted, but didn't appear a threat -- until you heard the charges.

This 50-year-old man in a blue jail jumpsuit is charged with 5 counts of aggravated murder and accused of killing five more people.

If those accusations aren't heinous enough, police says he buried the bodies of his victims inside his Eastside home.

The state asked for no bond, but Sowell's public defender fired back asking for leniency because of his health.

Today we learned a little more about the man whose arrest stirred up a community. Sowell was laid off from his job two years ago and is currently on unemployment, but it was his criminal record that made an impact today: 15 years in prison for rape, a registered sexual predator and police say the body count of victims may still rise.

In the end, this hearing lasted just six minutes. But it means this suspect won't return home anytime soon.