Amber Harris killer back in court

A sex offender sentenced to death for killing a 12-year-old girl whose body was found buried in an Omaha park in 2006 says his jury was tainted by testimony about his previous sexual assaults.

Roy Ellis Jr. argues in his appeal that two women should not have been allowed to testify at his murder trial that he repeatedly raped them when they were ages 14 and 12, respectively, and fathered a child with each of them.

Ellis was convicted of first-degree murder for killing Amber Harris. Prosecutors have said Ellis killed the girl during a sexual assault.

State attorneys say there were no witnesses to Amber's death, so testimony of Ellis' prior assaults was needed to show similarities to Amber's killing.

The high court will take up Ellis' case on Tuesday.