CHICAGO (AP) — A man once described as one of Chicago's most prolific serial killers was sentenced to 80 years in prison after 12 murder charges against him were dropped.

Gregory Clepper, 33, who once bragged to police that he killed 40 women, instead admitted Tuesday to killing one woman — Patricia Scott — in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

In the cases that were dropped, new evidence either excluded Clepper as a suspect or pointed to other suspects.

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Assistant State's Attorney William O'Brien said Clepper remains a suspect in 15 other murders for which he hasn't been charged. DNA samples from those murders are being examined.

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