Man sentenced to life for killing spree

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - A man has been sent to prison for the rest of his life after pleading guilty to four killings during a crime spree that targeted drug and gambling houses in Indianapolis and Evansville.

A federal judge in Evansville sentenced 28-year-old Jarvis Brown on Tuesday to five consecutive life sentences plus 20 years.

The Evansville Courier & Press reports Brown apologized in court to the victims' families and said he hoped his sentence gave them closure.

Authorities say that during an 18-day period in 2005 Brown and two other men carried out the attacks that killed one person in Evansville and three in Indianapolis, including one accomplice who was shot to prevent her from talking to police.

Prosecutors dropped the death penalty against Brown in exchange for his guilty plea.