Charges made in serial killing investigation
Milwaukee man arrested, suspected in killings of nine women in two decades
Ryan Haggerty and Meg Jones (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Issue date: 9/10/09 Section: World News
MILWAUKEE (MCT) - Authorities on Monday charged a 49-year-old man suspected in the killings of as many as nine women over 21 years in Milwaukee, officials announced at an evening news conference.
Walter E. Ellis was charged Monday with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths of Joyce Mims, 41, and Ouithreaun Stokes, 28, who were strangled a decade apart.
He was arrested around noon Saturday at a motel in Franklin, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward A. Flynn said.
"This search was about shoe leather and science," Flynn said Monday evening.
Ellis' DNA has been found on at least nine females killed between 1986 and 2007, according to the criminal complaint. That is two more than had been previously stated by authorities.
Police officials have said they think someone else killed one of those victims, Jessica Payne, a 16-year-old runaway whose throat was slashed. The other victims, all prostitutes, were strangled.
The State Crime Laboratory processed DNA found on two dozen slain prostitutes to see if there was a match with Ellis and discovered two other hits on Irene Smith, 25, killed in 1992, and Carron D. Kilpatrick, 32, killed in 1994, authorities said Monday. Both women were strangled.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said Monday evening he anticipates more homicide charges to be filed against Ellis in the other slayings in the next day or so.
"We intend to bring justice to these victims and their families," Chisholm said.
Police declined Monday evening to release a photo of Ellis so it could be shown to possible witnesses for identification.
Authorities announced in May they had discovered that a serial killer was murdering prostitutes in Milwaukee over two decades and was typically dumping their bodies in vacant houses.
Other victims linked to Ellis are Shelia Farrior, 37, strangled in 1995; Tanya L. Miller, 19, killed in 1986; Deborah L. Harris, 31, killed in 1986; and Florence McCormick, 28, strangled in 1995.
Walter E. Ellis was charged Monday with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths of Joyce Mims, 41, and Ouithreaun Stokes, 28, who were strangled a decade apart.
He was arrested around noon Saturday at a motel in Franklin, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward A. Flynn said.
"This search was about shoe leather and science," Flynn said Monday evening.
Ellis' DNA has been found on at least nine females killed between 1986 and 2007, according to the criminal complaint. That is two more than had been previously stated by authorities.
Police officials have said they think someone else killed one of those victims, Jessica Payne, a 16-year-old runaway whose throat was slashed. The other victims, all prostitutes, were strangled.
The State Crime Laboratory processed DNA found on two dozen slain prostitutes to see if there was a match with Ellis and discovered two other hits on Irene Smith, 25, killed in 1992, and Carron D. Kilpatrick, 32, killed in 1994, authorities said Monday. Both women were strangled.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said Monday evening he anticipates more homicide charges to be filed against Ellis in the other slayings in the next day or so.
"We intend to bring justice to these victims and their families," Chisholm said.
Police declined Monday evening to release a photo of Ellis so it could be shown to possible witnesses for identification.
Authorities announced in May they had discovered that a serial killer was murdering prostitutes in Milwaukee over two decades and was typically dumping their bodies in vacant houses.
Other victims linked to Ellis are Shelia Farrior, 37, strangled in 1995; Tanya L. Miller, 19, killed in 1986; Deborah L. Harris, 31, killed in 1986; and Florence McCormick, 28, strangled in 1995.
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