PITTSBURGH -- A Highland Park man whom Pittsburgh police suspected to be the so-called "East End Rapist" was sentenced Wednesday to 80 to 160 years in prison after his convictions in four out of five cases.

Judge Jeffrey Manning told Keith O. Wood that he deserved a sentence that is severe and without mercy, because anything less would reward him for his vicious attacks.

"If the defendant sees the light of day again as a free man, it will be too soon," one of Wood's victims said.

"I am happy to end this phase of my life -- a phase of sadness, anger and pain -- and I'm happy to move on to a new phase of brightness, light, happiness and hope," another victim said.

At the trial in June, alleged victims testified against Wood, 51, who was accused of raping five women in Swissvale, Edgewood, Forest Hills, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill during 2000 and 2001.

The method was always the same, police said, adding that the rapist would enter his victims' bedrooms through unlocked windows, threaten to kill them, then rape them.

Wood said he's sorry for what happened to the women, but he maintained his innocence in court on Wednesday.

"I'm not guility," said Wood, vowing to appeal, even though investigators said DNA evidence links him to four out of the five cases.

"I am very offended that, in the face of such definitive scientific evidence, he continues to deny responsibility for his behavior and demonstrates no remorse," one of the victims said.

"The DNA evidence overwhelmingly proves the defendant committed the rapes," assistant district attorney Janet Necessary said in her closing argument in June. "The chances of someone else matching the DNA is one in 56 quintillion. That's a billion, billion. And that is beyond a reasonable doubt."

Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on the single count of rape that was not supported by DNA evidence. Prosecutors have the option to retry Wood on that count at a later date.

Wood denied the charges in each case, saying Allegheny County police had it in for him.

"We have pieces of a puzzle that look like they fit, but they don't," said defense attorney Lisa Phillips, who suggested the DNA evidence might have been tampered with.

"Who had access to these kits? How were they secured? Where were they secured?" she asked.

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