Milwaukee Man Charged In 7 Slayings Due In Court

A man accused of killing seven women over a 21-year period in Milwaukee is due in court for a hearing that prosecutors say may provide resolution in the case.

Fifty-year-old Walter E. Ellis is due in court Thursday morning. Prosecutors have hinted that his case will be resolved during the appearance.

Ellis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree murder in the deaths. The women were killed between 1986 and 2007.

Prosecutor Kent Lovern issued a vague statement Wednesday saying the hearing could produce resolution. Neither he nor Ellis’ defense attorney immediately returned messages Wednesday.

Ellis’ case exposed flaws in the state’s DNA database. He had avoided submitting a DNA sample during an earlier prison stint. Police said if his DNA had been in the database they may have been able to arrest him before the 2007 killing.