Chris's Crime Forum

Milwaukee police: DNA links man to 9 slain women


MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man authorities say is linked by DNA to the slayings of nine women since 1986 had shown angry tendencies in the past, but nothing that suggested he was responsible for deaths that terrorized local prostitutes for more than two decades, police said.

Walter E. Ellis, 49, has been charged in the deaths of two of the nine victims, and more charges are expected this week, prosecutors said Monday.

Ellis had been in trouble with the law before. He pleaded no contest in 1998 to a reduced charge of second-degree reckless injury and served three years of a five-year sentence, police Chief Edward Flynn said. That wasn't enough to raise red flags, he added, without providing additional details about that crime.

"Yes, he does have a criminal history," Flynn said. "His criminal history, however, does not lend one to immediately say, you know, 'prime suspect.'"

It was only in recent years that DNA technology evolved enough to connect the cases to the suspect, the chief said.

"Good police work and good police science led us to Walter Ellis," Flynn said.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm did not know whether Ellis had an attorney. A message left with Ellis' previous attorney was not returned Monday.

Police said Ellis' DNA was found on the bodies of nine women, ranging in age from 16 to 41. They were killed between 1986 and 2007 on the city's north side. Investigators believe eight of the women were prostitutes and one was a runaway.

Police previously have speculated that the person whose DNA sample they recovered on the runaway had sex with that girl but that someone else killed her. But Chisholm would not say Monday whether anyone else would be charged in the killings.

Flynn and Chisholm announced the arrest and charges at a brief news conference and left a number of other questions unanswered, as well.

Flynn wouldn't speculate on a motive, characterize Ellis' childhood or describe a possible relationship to the victims.

"I don't think it's possible for me to speculate what would cause someone to engage in these horrific acts," Flynn said.

Ellis is charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, charges that each carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. Additional charges will be filed after prosecutors have a chance to review more evidence, Chisholm said.

Ellis was arrested Saturday, days after police matched a DNA sample from his toothbrush to samples from the victims.

One victim was Joyce Mims, who was strangled in 1997 at the age of 41. On Monday, her brother said his family has carried a great burden since Mims' death.

"We just hated that it had taken so long for them to find her killer, those women's killer," said Terry Williams, 49, of Madison. "But you know, justice one day is better than no justice at all."

The overall investigation produced breaks in other unsolved cases after detectives resubmitted numerous DNA samples to the state crime lab. The work led to progress in at least 10 unrelated killings, authorities said.

"This is a phenomenal feat," Mayor Tom Barrett said. "The lesson here is there is never a totally cold case in the city of Milwaukee."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090908/ap_on_re_us/us_serial_killings_milwaukee

DNA trail leads to arrest in Wisconsin serial killings
Using "shoe leather and science," police in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have arrested a suspect in the serial killings of nine women over 21 years.
Police said Monday that investigators matched Walter E. Ellis, 49, with DNA found on each of the bodies of the nine women killed from 1986 to 2007.

Police used a search warrant Friday to obtain a DNA sample from Ellis' home. He was arrested Saturday in the Milwaukee suburb of Franklin.

"This case was solved with shoe leather and science," Police Chief Edward A. Flynn said at a news conference. "Continuing advances in DNA technology have enabled us to link these homicide cases, and it was good work pursuing numerous leads that led to the arrest of the suspect."

Flynn said the Milwaukee Police Department's Homicide Task Force Cold Case Unit pored through evidence that included more than 700 names contained in the nine homicide files, 15,000 sexual assault investigations spanning 23 years and 6,000 prostitution-related cases. They searched the state DNA databank of 125,000 people and a national databank of 6 million people. Video Watch where cops got DNA sample »

Ellis has been charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, said Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. More charges are expected.

Investigators said eight of the women were prostitutes and one was a runaway who was "involved in the drug trade." Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett applauded law enforcement officials for taking a huge step forward in solving the cold case.

"This is a wonderful day," he said. "Our hope is that this will move forward through the courts and will result in a conclusion that is just for all."

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/08/wisconsin.serial.killing.arrest/

Milwaukee man ordered to trial in serial killings.

MILWAUKEE — A judge has ordered a Milwaukee man accused of killing seven women over 21 years to stand trial.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Dallet ruled after a preliminary hearing Wednesday that there was enough evidence to try 49-year-old Walter Ellis. He is charged with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of first-degree murder.

Prosecutors say Ellis' DNA was found on the women and two others, all of whom died between 1986 and 2007. Ellis has not been charged in the two other slayings.

All nine women linked to Ellis ranged in age from 16 to 41.

After the hearing, defense attorney Russell Jones entered not guilty pleas for Ellis.

Dallet set the trial to begin May 3.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... QD9ATBLT80

Accused North Side Strangler's Attorney Asks for Separate Trials

OMG!! PLLLEEASSSEEE

Suspected serial killer Walter Ellis is charged with killing seven women between 1986 and 2007. His semen was found on all seven of the victims. But motions filed on Wednesday by his attorney Russell Jones say that's not enough to prove he's a killer.

"There is not a commonality between any of these homicides. In other words, these women weren't killed the same way. The only thing that links any of them is the DNA that might establish that Mr. Ellis had sex with these women," Jones said.

Jones admits Ellis slept with all the victims, but said they were all prostitutes and had sex with several men.

"There is not enough evidence right now that the state can establish that Mr. Ellis committed any of these homicides. And frankly I think the state's only way of trying to do that is to have all of them tried at the same time," Jones said.

That's why on Wednesday Jones filed a motion asking that all seven brutal murders be tried separately.

"Any potential juror might be overwhelmed by coincidence. The law doesn't require coincidence, it requires 'beyond a reasonable doubt,'" Jones explained.

Jones also wants more information on other "people of interest" and for any additional DNA evidence.

"His DNA is not on any of the devices used to strangle these women. All they have is that they had sex," Jones said.

The distinct attorney and police are confident Ellis killed all seven of the women.

Ellis will find out in December if he will have one trial, or seven different trials.

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/69819202.html

Gaps in DNA databanks have led to tragedy

Authorities in Wisconsin say a man accused of a 20-year killing spree in Milwaukee left his DNA everywhere but the one place where it might have saved a life.

Walter Ellis should have given a DNA sample to the state crime databank during a prison stint earlier this decade. But authorities say he had another inmate take his place. As a result, analysts struck out when they tried to match DNA found on a victim in 2003.

The case is an example of the tens of thousands of DNA samples missing from state databanks nationwide because they were never taken or were lost. Investigators say the missing evidence has prevented them from cracking untold numbers of cases.

In Milwaukee, investigators didn't connect Ellis to the crimes until this fall. By then, it was too late for the woman police say was his seventh and final victim.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... wD9CJ16VO0