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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — After Mary Brooks was discovered useless on the ground of her Dallas-area rental, grocery luggage from a buying journey nonetheless on her countertop, authorities determined the 87-year-old had died of pure causes.
Even after her household found jewellery was lacking — together with a coral necklace she liked and diamond rings — it took an assault on one other lady weeks later for police to rethink.
The following capital homicide trial for Billy Chemirmir, 49, begins Monday in Dallas within the dying of Brooks, one among 22 older girls he’s charged with killing. The fees towards Chemirmir grew within the years following his 2018 arrest, as police throughout the Dallas space reexamined the deaths of older people who had been thought of pure, although households raised alarm bells about lacking jewellery. 4 indictments had been added this summer season.
Chemirmir, who maintains his innocence, was convicted in April of capital homicide within the smothering dying of 81-year-old Lu Thi Harris and sentenced to life in jail with out parole. He’ll obtain the identical punishment if convicted in Brooks’ dying. His first trial in Harris’ dying led to a mistrial final November when the jury deadlocked.
Loren Adair Smith, whose 91-year-old mom is amongst these Chemirmir is charged with killing, will likely be among the many many relations of victims attending the trial, which, she mentioned, brings a “enormous bag of blended emotions.”
“On the identical time of getting that dread feeling, we’re actually glad to return and produce this chapter to an in depth,” Smith mentioned.
It was Mary Annis Bartel’s survival of a March 2018 assault that set Chemirmir’s arrest in movement. Bartel, 91 on the time, advised police {that a} man had compelled his approach into her house at an impartial residing group for seniors, tried to smother her with a pillow and took her jewellery.
Earlier than Bartel died in 2020, she described the assault in a taped interview that was performed at Chemirmir’s earlier trials. She mentioned the minute she opened her door and noticed a person sporting inexperienced rubber gloves, she knew she was in “grave hazard.”
Police mentioned they discovered Chemirmir the following day within the car parking zone of his house advanced. He was holding jewellery and money, and had simply thrown away a big purple jewellery field. Paperwork within the field led them to the house of Harris, who was discovered useless in her bed room, lipstick smeared on her pillow.
At trial, prosecutors introduced proof that Harris and Chemirmir had been testing on the identical time at a Walmart simply hours earlier than she was discovered useless.
In a video interview with police, Chemirmir advised a detective that he made cash by shopping for and promoting jewellery, and that he had additionally labored as a caregiver and a safety guard.
Most of Chemirmir’s alleged victims lived in flats at impartial residing communities for older folks. The ladies he is accused of killing in non-public houses embrace the widow of a person he had cared for whereas working as an at-home caregiver.
Brooks’ grandson, David Cuddihee, testified that he discovered her physique on Jan. 31, 2018. He mentioned she had generally used a cane however was nonetheless wholesome and energetic.
“She would stroll to church, she would stroll to the dentist down the road,” Cuddihee mentioned.
Police testified that grocery receipts confirmed Brooks was at Walmart the day earlier than her physique was discovered. Surveillance video from the shop confirmed a automobile matching the outline of Chemirmir’s leaving simply after Brooks, entering into the identical route.
Dallas County District Legal professional John Creuzot, a Democrat, determined to hunt life sentences quite than the dying penalty when he tried Chemirmir on two of his 13 capital homicide circumstances within the county. His Republican opponent has criticized that call as he seeks reelection within the nation’s busiest dying penalty state.
Prosecutors in neighboring Collin County have not mentioned if they’ll strive any of their 9 capital homicide circumstances towards Chemirmir.
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