MILWAUKEE -- A judge granted the request of 49-year-old Walter Ellis for a new attorney.

 

Ellis is charged with killing seven women in Milwaukee over a 21 year period.

 

DNA that had been misplaced was finally located and he was charged in the killings just last year.

 

Ellis had been represented by private attorney Russell Jones.

 

Jones would not say whether he was working for free on the case but did say he had committed several lawyers and legal interns and was confident that he would have won the case during trial scheduled for May.

 

Ellis complained that Jones wasn't spending enough time with him and that he believed Jones should have asked for a delay because of tens of thousands of pages of discovery.

 

Judge Rebecca Dallet warned Ellis that his only option was a public defender who would not have the same resources as Jones.

 

Ellis insisted on the new attorney and the judge relented.

 

Family members of murder victim Tanya Miller said they would be coming to court no matter how long it takes to see justice and they actually thanked Ellis because they believe he won't get as good an attorney the second time around increasing the likelihood of a conviction.