Omaha, NE.- Roy Ellis has been sentenced to death, but will his execution ever be carried out?

Ellis, who was convicted earlier for the 2005 murder of 12-year-old Amber Harris, now joins 10 others on Nebraska Death Row.

But executions in the State are on hold. Last year the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that the electric chair, the state's only means of execution, is unconstitutional.

Amber Harris' mom knows the legal fall-out.

"He'll (Ellis) probably die before he ever gets executed."

Many top state officials, including the Governor are pushing to replace the electric chair with lethal injection, arguing that murderers like Roy Ellis deserve to die.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine, the man who led Ellis' prosecution, will leave the future of the death penalty to the lawmakers.

"What we're saying is whatever that maximum penalty is we felt Roy Ellis deserved it."

When Ellis gets to death row, he'll join among others Carey Dean Moore. Moore shot and killed two Omaha cab drivers over three decades ago. He's been on death row since 1979.

Reported by Joe Jordan, joe@action3news.com