Billy Chemirmir

Suspected serial killer Billy Chemirmir is accused of murdering 18 elderly women across North Texas. Police fear the number of victims may actually be more than 25. 91-year-old Mary Bartel was attacked in her Plano apartment on March 19, 2018. She told police a man forced his way in, smothered her with a pillow and then stole her jewelry after she passed out. The next day, Plano police identified then-45-year-old Chemirmir as a suspect. Investigators say his car had been spotted at senior living communities in the area. They found Chemirmir hours later at his North Dallas apartment throwing a jewelry box into a dumpster. Police arrested Chemirmir on outstanding warrants and took the jewelry box in for evidence. That same day, Dallas police became involved because inside that jewelry box was Lu Harris' name. At Harris' home, they found the 81-year-old dead. She had appeared to have been smothered to death. On March 21, Chemirmir was transferred to the Dallas County jail, under arrest for capital murder in Harris' case with his bond set at $1 million. On March 23, investigators announced there could be more victims and that they would start looking into the deaths of at least 750 elderly women in North Texas. They said Chemirmir used his experience as a home healthcare aid to target and exploit senior citizens. By May 2019, Chemirmir was linked to the deaths of 12 elderly women in Dallas, Frisco and Plano. All had been smothered by a pillow. By December of 2020, the list had grown to 18 counts of capital murde and Chemirmir's bond had risen to $17.6 million. In June 2021 Dallas County District Attorney announced he would not be seeking the death penalty. The DA's office will have two jury trials, with the goal of securing two life sentences without the possibility of parole.