The infamous Milwaukee, Wisconsin serial killer, nicknamed the "North Side Strangler" died of natural causes Sunday after serving only three years of his seven consecutive life sentences.
Walter Ellis, 53, died at Sioux Falls hospital according to officials at the South Dakota Maximum-security prison where he was being held. For two decades he was responsible for terrorizing the women of north Milwaukee until he was captured in 2009 when advances in DNA technology connected him to the murders of seven young African-American prostitutes.
According to DailyMail, Ellis was supposed to have his DNA sample in a state database, which would have led to his capture much sooner. However, when he was supposed to submit a DNA sample when he was serving time for beating his girlfriend with a hammer in 2001, he reportedly persuaded another inmate to give the DNA sample instead.
He was finally brought to justice when investigators got an accurate sample from Ellis' toothbrush, they were able to match his DNA with semen found on six of the victims, as well as a pepper spray can that was discovered at the seventh scene. He was brought up on first-degree murder charges for his first two victims, 31-year-old Deborah Harris on Oct. 10, 1986 and 19-year-old Tanya Miller who was found dead the next day. For the five following victims, Ellis was charged with intentional homicide. Those victims included Irene Smith, 25; Florence McCormick, 28; Sheila Farrior, 37; Joyce Mims, 41 and Ouithreaun Stokes 28.
In addition to the crimes he was convicted of, police tied Ellis to additional murders, one for another prostitute, 32-year-old Carron Kilpatrick and the white runaway Jessica Payne, 16, in 1996.
While Ellis' death is believed to be from natural causes, standard procedure dictates that the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation conduct a full investigation on the matter.
