Billy Chemirmir: Trial begins for serial killer who murdered 87-year-old woman in Dallas
Warning: This article contains distressing information. Readers' discretion is advised.
DALLAS, TEXAS: Billy Chemirmir will go on trial again on Monday, October 3, for the murder of one of the nearly two dozen women he allegedly killed. The murder case dates back to 2018 when 87-year-old Mary Brooks was found dead on the floor of her Dallas-area condo. As the police continued with their investigation, charges against Chemirmir grew following his arrest after the examination of the deaths of older people that were considered natural, and four indictments were added this summer.
Chemirmir, 49, was first convicted of capital murder in the smothering death of 81-year-old Lu Thi Harris in April and sentenced to life in prison without parole. If convicted of killing Brooks, he will receive the same sentence. The alleged serial killer's first trial in Harris' death ended in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked in November 2021. Since then, Chemirmir has maintained his innocence. Two months after Brooks' death, Chermirmir was arrested in connection to the attempted murder of Mary Annis Bartel, 91, by suffocation. Bartel survived and her interviews with the police led them to Chemirmir.
READ MORE
Man who smothered elderly woman and robbed her suspected of killing 11 others
Most of the victims that Chemirmir targeted were older people who lived in independent communities, as per Fox News. The outlet also reports that in a video interview, Chemirmir told a detective that he made money by selling jewelry and that he also worked as a caregiver and a security guard. Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot sought a life sentence instead of the death penalty on two of his 13 capital murder cases in the county. Since June, Chemirmir faces four additional capital murder charges in the deaths of Marilyn Bixler, 90; Diane Delahunty, 79; Helen Lee, 82; and Mamie Miya, 93. All four women were killed in 2017, as reported by NBC.
Chemirmir said in a lengthy interview with The Dallas Morning News in March, "I’m 100% sure I will not go to prison. I want you to write this down, because we’re going to talk about it again. I will not go to prison. I am not a killer. I’m not at all what they’re saying I am. I am a very innocent person. I was not brought [up] that way. I was brought [up] in a good family. I didn’t have any problems all my life." He believes that there is another reason he is being framed for these murders. He said, "I don’t even believe the medical examiner. I think he was under pressure from politicians, people’s families and that changed his mind." Lead prosecutor Glen Fitzmartin said in closing arguments of Chemirmir’s first trial, "We have proven this beyond all doubt, because it is just not possible. What are the possibilities of this taking place and this being the most unlucky man? It’s not possible."