Trial for man accused of killing 11 women

CHICAGO (AP) — Jury selection has begun for the murder trial of Andre Crawford, a Chicago man accused of the rapes and murders of 11 women between 1993 and mid-1999.

Jury selection began Monday in Cook County Circuit Court, but attorneys quickly dismissed about 30 of 100 potential jurors because they said they couldn't serve for a trial that is expected to take from four to six weeks.

Crawford was arrested in January 2000 and gave a videotaped statement admitting to 10 murders and rapes. He was later charged with an 11th murder after he confessed to it and prosecutors dropped charges against a man who had been wrongly convicted of the killing.

Police said Crawford told them that most of his victims were women who agreed to swap drugs for sex.

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Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com