How did Billy Chemirmir die? Suspected serial killer, 50, who allegedly slayed 22 elderly women murdered in prison
DALLAS, TEXAS: Billy Chemirmir, the notorious convicted murderer who was accused of killing dozens of elderly women, was killed by a cellmate in prison.
On Tuesday morning, September 19, 2023, the 50-year-old man was discovered dead in his prison cell at a Texas state prison. The news was confirmed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, according to the Daily Mail.
The cellmate, who was identified as the "assailant," currently serves a murder sentence. The name of the cellmate or Chemirmir's cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
What were the charges against Billy Chermirmir?
Chemirmir, who was a former healthcare worker, had been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for two counts of capital murder at Tennessee Colony's Coffield Unit in Texas.
The alleged serial killer's name first gained notoriety in connection to the brutal murders of 22 elderly women in Dallas and Collin Counties.
How did Billy Chemimir get caught?
The murders took place between 2016 and 2018 and an investigation into the suspect began when 91-year-old Mary Bartel told investigators she survived one of Chemirmir's alleged attacks.
In March 2018, Bartel told the officials that the suspect forcibly entered her apartment at a senior living center and attempted to smother her with a pillow before he fled the scene with her jewelry.
A day after the attack, police spotted Chemirmir holding stolen jewelry and cash in the parking lot of his apartment complex.
A significant break in the murder case came when he discarded a red jewelry box that contained incriminating documents, which led the investigators to the home of Lu Thi Harris, 81, who was discovered dead in her bedroom. Her lipstick was found smeared on her pillow.
Who were Billy Chemirmir's victims?
The majority of Chemirmir's alleged victims met a similar fate as he allegedly forced his way into apartments of seniors who were living in an independent community center under the pretense of being a maintenance worker.
He was charged with killing elderly women, including Diane Delahunty, 79, Ann Conklin, 82, Marilyn Bixler, 90, Mamie Miya, 93, and Helen Lee, 82.
In the press conference held in March 2018, the then-Plano police chief Gregory W Rushin said, "Chemirmir used his healthcare experience to his advantage, targeting and exploiting seniors, some of the most vulnerable people in our community. This is terribly disturbing."
He was convicted of capital murder in the death of Harris in April 2022, reported WFAA. Shortly thereafter, he was found guilty of murdering Mary Brooks, 87.
However, Chemirmir was not tried in connection to the other alleged serial killings.
