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Bail Set For Man Granted New Trial In Death Of Boston Officer

BOSTON (CBS/AP) — A man convicted of killing a Boston police detective in 1993 who was granted a new trial on appeal was allowed bail on Tuesday.

Judge Carol Ball set bail at $50,000 for Sean Ellis, who appeared in Suffolk Superior Court on Tuesday. Ellis must wear a GPS monitoring device.

The 40-year-old old Ellis was convicted at his third trial in 1995 of shooting Detective John Mulligan. Mulligan was shot five times in the face while he slept in his car while on a security detail in September 1993. Ellis' first two trials ended in hung juries.

Detective John Mulligan
Detective John Mulligan. (File Image)

Prosecutors opposed the bail request, arguing that Ellis was involved in the heinous murder.

The same judge last week granted Ellis a fourth trial, saying authorities withheld information from Ellis' trial lawyer.

Prosecutors noted that there was nothing in the judge's decision that contradicted or undercut evidence that led to Ellis' conviction.

Ellis' mother, Mary Ellis, cried tears of joy.

"All I could do was just gasp," she said.

But Mulligan's brother, Richard Mulligan, was angry.

"I don't think it was right. I think that Sean Ellis deserves to be behind bars," he said.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports: 

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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