After Mary Brooks was discovered lifeless on the ground of her Dallas-area condo, grocery baggage from a buying journey nonetheless on her countertop, authorities determined the 87-year-old had died of pure causes.
Even after her household found jewelry was lacking — together with a coral necklace she cherished and diamond rings — it took an assault on one other girl weeks later for police to rethink.
The subsequent capital homicide trial for Billy Chemirmir, 49, begins Monday in Dallas within the dying of Brooks, one among 22 older girls he's charged with killing.
The fees towards Chemirmir grew within the years following his 2018 arrest, as police throughout the Dallas space reexamined the deaths of older those who had been thought-about pure, despite the fact that households raised alarm bells about lacking jewelry. 4 indictments had been added this summer season.
Chemirmir, who maintains his innocence, was convicted in April of capital homicide within the smothering dying of 81-year-old Lu Thi Harris and sentenced to life in jail with out parole. He'll obtain the identical punishment if convicted in Brooks' dying. His first trial in Harris' dying resulted in a mistrial final November when the jury deadlocked.
Loren Adair Smith, whose 91-year-old mom is amongst these Chemirmir is charged with killing, shall be among the many many kinfolk of victims attending the trial, which, she mentioned, brings a “enormous bag of combined emotions.”
“On the similar time of getting that dread feeling, we're actually glad to return and convey this chapter to a detailed,” Smith mentioned.
It was Mary Annis Bartel's survival of a March 2018 assault that set Chemirmir's arrest in movement. Bartel, 91 on the time, informed police that a man had compelled his method into her condo at an impartial dwelling group for seniors, tried to smother her with a pillow and took her jewelry.
Earlier than Bartel died in 2020, she described the assault in a taped interview that was performed at Chemirmir's earlier trials. She mentioned the minute she opened her door and noticed a person sporting inexperienced rubber gloves, she knew she was in “grave hazard.”
Police mentioned they discovered Chemirmir the subsequent day within the car parking zone of his condo advanced. He was holding jewelry and money, and had simply thrown away a big crimson jewelrey field. Paperwork within the field led them to the house of Harris, who was discovered lifeless in her bed room, lipstick smeared on her pillow.
At trial, prosecutors introduced proof that Harris and Chemirmir had been testing on the similar time at a Walmart simply hours earlier than she was discovered lifeless.
In a video interview with police, Chemirmir informed a detective that he made cash by shopping for and promoting jewelry, and that he had additionally labored as a caregiver and a safety guard.
Most of Chemirmir's alleged victims lived in flats at impartial dwelling communities for older folks. The ladies he’s accused of killing in personal houses embrace the widow of a person he had cared for whereas working as an at-home caregiver.
Brooks' grandson, David Cuddihee, testified that he discovered her physique on Jan. 31, 2018. He mentioned she had typically used a cane however was nonetheless wholesome and energetic.
“She would stroll to church, she would stroll to the dentist down the road," Cuddihee mentioned.
Police testified that grocery receipts confirmed Brooks was at Walmart the day earlier than her physique was discovered. Surveillance video from the shop confirmed a automobile matching the outline of Chemirmir's leaving simply after Brooks, getting into the identical path.
Dallas County District Legal professional John Creuzot, a Democrat, determined to hunt life sentences quite than the dying penalty when he tried Chemirmir on two of his 13 capital homicide circumstances within the county. His Republican opponent has criticised that call as he seeks reelection within the nation's busiest dying penalty state.
In an interview with The Dallas Morning Information, Creuzot mentioned he’s not towards the dying penalty, however amongst issues he considers when deciding whether or not to pursue it are the time it takes earlier than somebody is executed, the prices of appeals and whether or not the particular person would nonetheless be a hazard to society behind bars. Chemirmir, he added, is “going to die within the penitentiary."
Prosecutors in neighbouring Collin County haven’t mentioned if they may attempt any of their 9 capital homicide circumstances towards Chemirmir.
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