A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction and death sentence of a Washington man who confessed to raping and killing his 14-year-old stepdaughter in 1995 . The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed that the Washington Supreme Court did not act unreasonably when it rejected Clark Elmore ’ s claim his constitutional rights were violated at trial . Elmore , who was convicted of killing Kristy Ohnstad in Bellingham after he said she threatened to reveal he had molested her as a child , received the federal court 's ruling on Wednesday . Clark Elmore ’ s conviction for killing and raping his 14-year-old stepdaughter in Washington in 1995 was upheld . The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed the Washington Supreme Court 's ( above ) decision was correct . Ohnstad , a middle school student , was the daughter of Elmore ’ s live-in girlfriend , the Seattle Times reported . After she went missing , Elmore pretended he was grieving and helped organize a search party to find her . Elmore is the second-longest serving inmate on the state 's death row after being sent there in 1996 . He eventually admitted killing her in a graphic taped confession . Elmore claimed his rights were violated during the trial because his attorney gave him bad advice and the jury saw him in shackles . The three-member panel 's ruling against the 63-year-old convict was unanimous . The panel wrote : 'We hold that the Washington Supreme Court ’ s resolution of Elmore ’ s constitutional claims was not unreasonable . 'The district court did not err in denying Clark Elmore ’ s challenges to his conviction and death sentence , and we therefore affirm the district court 's decision . 'Clark Elmore committed a truly monstrous crime . ' A state that has chosen to impose the death penalty can surely reserve it for such an offense . ' The ruling does not mean Elmore will now be executed as Governor Jay Inslee has declared a moratorium on the death penalty . Elmore is the second-longest serving inmate on the state ’ s death row - he arrived there in 1996 - although he is now effectively serving a life sentence due to the moratorium on executions . He may still ask the US Supreme Court to review the 9th Circuit court ’ s opinion .
9th US Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed Elmore 's conviction Wednesday . Appeals court rejected claim that constitutional rights were violated at trial . Convicted in 1995 of killing and raping Ohnstad in Bellingham . Said girl threatened to tell on him for molesting her when she was younger . Elmore has been on death row since 1996 but executions are suspended .