Man jailed for 445 years for murder, rape
The West Australian
STAFF REPORTER and AP The West Australian January 1, 2014, 12:25 pm
A US man who admitted raping children and killing two women cried when confronted by victims. AP A US man who admitted raping children and killing two women cried when confronted by victims.
A sex offender has been sentenced to 445 years in prison after leaving a "wake of emotional wreckage" for his victims.
Elias Acevedo, 49, was accused of killing two women more than 15 years ago and raping children.
He pleaded guilty on Monday to 297 charges and cried when some of his surviving victims addressed him in court in Cleveland in the United States.
Acevedo accepted a life prison term under the plea deal.
Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Blaise Thomas said Acevedo would never be paroled from prison because he had left a "wake of emotional wreckage" for his victims and could have easily been deserving of a death penalty.
Acevedo also admitted raping his sister-in-law in 1993 and sexually assaulting his three daughters repeatedly for years, The Plain Dealer reported.
"I'm not a monster," Acevedo said in the hushed courtroom as some of his child-rape victims, now adults, and relatives of the women watched, some wiping away tears.
"I feel a lot of remorse.
"I love you all, and God bless you."
The two 20-years-to-life sentences for aggravated murder and sentences for other crimes added up to 445 years, the judge said.
The murder charges involve a Cleveland neighbour, Pamela Pemberton, who was killed in 1994, and 18-year-old Christina Adkins, who was pregnant when she disappeared in 1995.
Acevedo also was charged with rape and sexual assault involving attacks on minors, some dating back more than 25 years.
He folded his cuffed hands together as Judge Michael Donnelly read the terms of the plea deal and explained it.
Acevedo's case is the latest among a group of high-profile cases involving violence against women in and around Cleveland.
