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DALLAS (AP) — A Texas prisoner accused of killing 22 older women over two years, preying on them so he may just scouse borrow jewellery and different valuables, used to be slain Tuesday by his cellmate while serving a life sentence, jail officers mentioned.
Billy Chemirmir, 50, who used to be convicted remaining yr within the slayings of two women, used to be discovered lifeless in his cellular at a jail in rural East Texas, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson Hannah Haney mentioned. He used to be killed by his cellmate who used to be additionally serving a jail sentence for homicide, consistent with Haney.
Chemirmir’s loss of life comes about two weeks after Texas’ 100 prisons have been put on an extraordinary statewide lockdown as a result of of a upward push within the quantity of killings throughout the amenities, which prisons officers have mentioned have been associated with medication.
Haney didn’t unencumber the title of the cellmate, how Chemirmir used to be killed or what can have resulted in the slaying.
Family contributors of the ones he used to be accused of killing expressed surprise and reduction on the news.
“My mother died in fear. This man did not have a peaceful passing. There’s some relief in feeling that he didn’t get off easily,” Shannon Dion, whose 92-year-old mom, Doris Gleason, used to be amongst the ones Chemirmir used to be charged with killing, mentioned at a news convention.
Time after time, the deaths in Dallas and within sight towns have been to start with made up our minds to be from herbal reasons, whilst members of the family raised alarm about lacking jewellery.
Chemirmir used to be stuck after a 91-year-old girl survived a 2018 assault and advised police a person had compelled his manner into her rental at an impartial residing group for seniors, attempted to smother her with a pillow and took her jewellery.
Police mentioned they discovered Chemirmir day after today within the car parking zone of his rental complicated protecting jewellery and money, having simply thrown away a big purple jewellery field. Documents within the jewellery field led them to the house of Lu Thi Harris, 81, who used to be lifeless in her bed room.
After Chemirmir’s arrest, police around the house reexamined deaths, and the fees towards him grew. Many of the sufferers’ kids have mentioned they have been left at a loss for words by the deaths on the time, as their moms, even though older, have been nonetheless wholesome and lively.
The first capital homicide trial of Chemirmir for the slaying of Harris resulted in mistrial in Dallas County. He used to be later convicted in a retrial for Harris’ loss of life and used to be then convicted of a 2nd killing within the loss of life of Mary Brooks, 87.
(*22*) his 2nd conviction, members of the family of the ones Chemirmir used to be accused of killing accrued in a Dallas court to stand him. Ellen French House confirmed Chemirmir two footage of her mom: one of Norma French alive, the opposite after the 85-year-old used to be killed.
“This is my beautiful mother,” House mentioned as she displayed the primary picture. “This is my mother after you pried her wedding ring off of her finger that she couldn’t even get off.”
Most of the sufferers lived in flats at impartial residing communities for older other people. One girl who lived in a non-public domestic used to be the widow of a person Chemirmir cared for while operating as an at-home caregiver.
Chemirmir were indicted on 22 capital homicide fees. Thirteen of the fees have been in Dallas County, while 9 have been in neighboring Collin County. (*22*) the 2 convictions in Dallas County, prosecutors disregarded the rest 11 fees there. They didn’t search the loss of life penalty. Last month, Collin County prosecutors mentioned additionally they would now not search the loss of life penalty.
Chemirmir, who maintained his innocence, used to be serving two sentences of life with out the chance of parole. He used to be imprisoned on the Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Dallas.
Chemirmir’s legal professional, Phillip Hayes, mentioned his loss of life is “just a horrible tragedy.”
“Nobody deserves to be killed at any point, especially when you are in a place you’re being held against your will,” Hayes mentioned.
Earlier this month, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice mentioned it used to be imposing lockdown measures in keeping with “a rise in dangerous contraband and drug-related inmate homicides.” At the time of that Sept. 6 announcement, the dep. mentioned there were 16 inmate-on-inmate homicides to this point this yr. In 2021, there have been 9 such killings; in 2022, there have been seven.
With the lockdown, the prisons restricted inmates’ motion and their touch with outsiders. In addition, inmates and body of workers have been present process intensified searches. A heightened drug trying out protocol used to be additionally carried out.
Department spokesperson Amanda Hernandez mentioned that as complete searches have been finished, devices had been resuming commonplace operations. She mentioned that as of Tuesday, the lockdown were lifted at 75 devices. The Coffield Unit, the place Chemirmir used to be imprisoned, used to be amongst 25 devices nonetheless below lockdown.
Haney mentioned the Office of Inspector General is investigating his loss of life.
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This tale has been corrected to turn that Chemirmir used to be indicted within the deaths of 22 women, now not 18 women.
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