Convicted murderer Billy Chemirmir killed in prison by his cellmate, officials say

Billy Chemirmir, a convicted murderer accused of killing about two dozen aged ladies and one guy throughout North Texas, used to be killed by his cellmate in a state prison Tuesday morning, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice showed to The Dallas Morning News.

Chemirmir, 50, used to be indicted on 22 capital homicide fees: 13 in Dallas County and 9 in Collin County.

He used to be convicted by Dallas County juries remaining yr in the 2018 slayings of 2 ladies and used to be given two lifestyles sentences with out the potential of parole as Dallas County prosecutors didn’t search the dying penalty. The Collin County district lawyer’s workplace mentioned remaining month it additionally used to be now not in quest of capital punishment.

The Dallas County DA’s workplace prior to now wrote in a remark that the concurrent lifestyles sentences would be certain that “there will be no chance for Mr. Chemirmir to die anywhere except in a Texas prison.”

Hannah Haney, a spokeswoman for the TDCJ, mentioned Chemirmir used to be discovered useless in his cellular Tuesday on the Coffield unit in Tennessee Colony, about 85 miles southeast of Dallas.

Haney mentioned his cellmate, who’s serving a sentence for homicide out of Harris County, used to be the assailant. The cellmate’s identify used to be now not launched.

The Office of Inspector General is investigating, and no further main points had been instantly to be had.

Chemirmir’s lawyer Phillip Hayes mentioned the news of his consumer’s dying used to be stunning, including that he had spoken to Chemirmir’s circle of relatives, who had been “obviously very upset.”

“Regardless of what people think you did or didn’t do, no one deserves to be killed in prison,” he mentioned.

Justice, redefined

Relatives of 4 folks Chemirmir used to be accused of killing held a news convention in Farmers Branch on Tuesday afternoon — lower than 5 hours after studying of his dying in early-morning telephone calls from Dallas County DA John Creuzot and the TDCJ.

Shannon Dion, the daughter of Doris Gleason, who used to be killed on the The Tradition-Prestonwood in October 2016, mentioned the news will take time to procedure.

“It’s shocking, but there is a relief that this part of my nightmare — our nightmare — is over,” Dion mentioned.

While the family members mentioned they don’t condone homicide, they do imagine Chemirmir’s killing its personal roughly justice.

“My mother died in fear,” Dion mentioned. “This man did not have a peaceful passing.”

“We’ve heard everything from ‘karma’ … to ‘I’m sorry, how are you?’” mentioned Loren Smith, daughter of Phyllis Payne. “There’s such a wide range of emotions about it.”

When requested if there used to be resentment in regards to the solutions Chemirmir took with him when he died, Robert MacPhee, whose mom Carolyn MacPhee used to be killed in December 2017, mentioned the households by no means anticipated him to take accountability.

“He always said he was innocent, so it doesn’t make any difference,” MacPhee mentioned. “He got his justice at the end, so it all worked out.”

Looking ahead, the family members agreed they need to put their power into their nonprofit, Secure Our Seniors Safety, which objectives to beef up transparency at senior residing communities.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned in this whole journey is that we treat our seniors worse than any other class of citizen in this country … from petty theft to murder,” mentioned Dan Probst, who misplaced his aunt, Catherine Probst Sinclair.

“We owe it to our seniors to take care of them,” Smith mentioned. “We cannot stand the thought of this happening to anybody else in the future.”

Killing spree started in 2016

Authorities consider Chemirmir, a former senior-living caregiver, started his killing spree in April 2016. Prosecutors have mentioned he targeted elderly women, stole their jewellery and bought it to make a residing.

According to court docket information, he used to be accused of killing no less than 3 ladies at Dallas’ high-end Edgemere neighborhood and no less than 9 folks at The Tradition-Prestonwood in Far North Dallas. Many of the sufferers’ deaths to start with looked to be from herbal reasons, prosecutors mentioned.

Chemirmir used to be arrested March 20, 2018, the day after an aged lady, Mary Bartel, survived an assault at Plano’s Preston Place Retirement Community and reported that jewellery used to be lacking.

At the time of his arrest, Chemirmir tossed a jewellery field belonging to 81-year-old Lu Thi Harris in a dumpster. Harris used to be discovered useless in her house previous that day with lipstick smeared on a close-by pillow.

Harris’ case used to be the primary to visit trial. It to start with ended in a mistrial in 2021 when the jury couldn’t achieve a verdict, however Chemirmir used to be later convicted in each her slaying and the dying of 88-year-old Mary Brooks.

Authorities have mentioned Chemirmir pulled right into a Walmart parking space and picked a place with a view of the handicap spots. He then adopted Brooks to her Richardson condominium, the place he killed her.

Chemirmir maintained his innocence all through his trials. In March 2022, he advised The News he used to be “100% sure” he would now not move to prison.

“I am not a killer,” Chemirmir advised The News. “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.”

Statewide lockdown

Earlier this month, Texas carried out a statewide lockdown of its 98 correctional amenities to struggle an building up in “dangerous contraband” and killings in the back of bars.

In a remark, the dept mentioned it might restrict the motion of inmates, in addition to their touch with folks outdoor the amenities. The division mentioned inmates and personnel would additionally go through “intensified” searches to intercept contraband, together with the deployment of specialised seek groups and narcotic canines.

As of midday Monday, nearly 70 facilities had resumed commonplace operations. The Coffield unit used to be nonetheless on lockdown.