FARGO - A Moorhead, Minn., man serving a life sentence without parole in the death of his former baby sitter is making another bid for a third trial.

Michael Gianakos, 33, has twice been convicted in the death of AnneMarie Camp, 22, of Fargo, seven years ago. Last December, U.S. District Judge Patrick Conmy in Bismarck denied his request for a new trial, rejecting Gianakos' argument that a new witness who put the blame for Camp's death on Gianakos' wife was credible.

Gianakos' lawyer, Richard Henderson, has taken the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals in St. Paul, Minn., where a hearing is scheduled Monday. He plans to argue that there are numerous reasons for a judge to grant a third trial, including alleged juror misconduct, improper jury instructions and prejudicial evidence.

Camp's father, Doug Camp, said he wants to see court proceedings come to an end.

"After two trials, I think our family has gone through enough," he said.

Gianakos initially was convicted of murder in Clay County, Minn., district court in 2000, but the Minnesota Supreme Court threw out the verdict because Gianakos' wife, Jamie Dennis-Gianakos, was allowed to testify against him.

Gianakos then was indicted in federal court, where rules allowed Dennis-Gianakos to testify. A jury in May 2003 found Michael Gianakos guilty of kidnapping Camp, resulting in her death in May 1997.

Authorities say Camp was given a drugged wine cooler and taken to an abandoned farmstead near Sabin, Minn. She was shot in the head and her throat was cut.

Prosecutors said Camp was killed because she knew about a motel robbery that Gianakos and his wife had staged about three months earlier.

Dennis-Gianakos testified during the federal trial that her husband killed Camp and that her only involvement was helping move the body. She is serving a 25-year prison sentence in exchange for pleading guilty to helping to kill Camp, and for agreeing to testify against her husband.

Drew Wrigley, the U.S. attorney for North Dakota, said he does not think a third trial is warranted.

"I believe the (federal) trial was conducted fairly, and the jury reached a just conclusion," he said.

Gianakos' sister, Tracy Lowrance, said her brother maintains his innocence and has been training to become a minister.

"This might have been a calling for him, who knows?" she said.