Inmate connected to 2004 Johnson County murder found dead in El Dorado prison

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas Department of Corrections says an inmate with ties to a Johnson County murder was found dead in his El Dorado prison cell Tuesday.

A KDOC spokesperson said Andrew Ellmaker, 39, died Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Jail staff and medical personnel administered life-saving measures but were unable to revive him.

The cause of death is pending an autopsy.

Ellmaker was serving a 565-month sentence for convictions of first-degree murder and aggravated battery in Johnson County.

Teri Zenner, a case manager for the Johnson County Mental Health Center, was killed Aug. 17, 2004, when Ellmaker attacked her in his Overland Park home.

Ellmaker had a lengthy history of mental illness, but Zenner had been working with the then-teenager for nearly a year to develop life skills.

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