Jurors debated for 45 minutes before convicting Billy Chemirmir of drowning Lu Thi Harris in March 2018, whom he had met at a Walmart supermarket. He went to her house, killed her and stole her jewelry, prosecutors said. The 49-year-old – who is accused of killing 18 women over a two-year period – was convicted of killing the pensioner and convicted after a retrial. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, and District Attorney Raquel “Rocky” Jones sentenced Chemirmir to life in prison without parole. Chemirmir, who has maintained his innocence, is accused of killing 12 other women in Dallas County and five in neighboring Collin County. There are plans to try him for at least one of the other deaths. Relatives of those accused of the murder praised Thursday’s verdict in an emotional press conference following the hearing. “This one sentence represents justice for all families,” said Shannon Dion, whose 92-year-old mother, Doris Gleason, was killed in 2016. Chemirmir’s lawyer, Kobby Warren, told court prosecutors they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his client was ever at the victim’s home, saying the state’s case was “everything barks, no bite” – a point challenged by Prosecutor Glen Fitzmartin. Image: Families of other women accused of murder in Chemirmir applauded guilty verdict in court “This is an easy decision,” said Mr Fitzmartin, who noted that when Tsemmir was arrested, he was in possession of Mrs Harris’s jewelery and the keys to her house. The jury also showed CCTV footage of Chemirmir and Mrs. Harris at Walmart on the day she was found dead. Chemirmir did not testify, nor did the defense team call witnesses. Jurors also heard of an attack on another woman – 91-year-old Mary Annis Bartel, who survived – the day before Mrs. Harris was killed and 87-year-old Mary Brooks died about six weeks earlier. Prosecutors presented evidence that Chemirmir had registered jewelry belonging to Ms Bartel and Ms Brooks for sale online. Ms. Bartel died in 2020, but jurors heard taped affidavits from her, in which she said a man forcibly entered her apartment and “hit” her with a pillow in her face and used “all her weight to avoid to breathe ». She lost consciousness and later discovered that she was missing the wedding band, the diamond engagement ring and other jewelry. A report a few days before the attack for suspicious behavior in the independent living complex where he lived, and a number plate, led to the arrest of Chemirmir. Detectives said they saw him throw items into a bin and as he was being taken out of his vehicle, he was holding jewelry and cash. They found in the bucket a large red jewelry box containing documents that led them to Mrs. Harris’s house, where they found her dead in her bedroom, with lipstick smeared on her pillow. The number of people accused of killing Tsemirmir has risen as authorities re-investigate deaths previously thought to be natural.
