Wisconsin Man Sentenced to Life for Killing 7 Women

MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee man convicted of killing seven women over a 21-year period has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.

Fifty-year-old Walter E. Ellis was sentenced Thursday to seven consecutive life terms on charges of first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree murder.

The charges carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Judge Dennis Cimpl had the option of allowing the possibility of parole but declined.

The case drew extra scrutiny after it was revealed that Ellis' DNA had been missing from a state database from an earlier prison stint. Police have said if they had that sample they may have been able to track Ellis down before the last slaying, in 2007.

Ellis was convicted last week after he pleaded no contest, avoiding a trial.