Billy Chemirmir, Undocumented Kenyan Immigrant, Allegedly Smothered 12 Elderly Women, Stole Jewelry

An undocumented immigrant, who used to pose as an employee at senior living facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area, Texas, was accused of stealing and smothering 12 women to death, state officials said Thursday.

Billy Chemirmir, 46, a Kenyan citizen, who has lived in the Dallas area for more than a decade, was indicted on seven counts of murder in Dallas County and in five capital murder (first degree murder) cases in Collin County, Texas. He was charged with two attempted murders.

The women killed in Dallas County were Doris Gleason, 92; Phyllis Payne, 91; Norma Wilson French, 85; Lu Thi Harris, 81; Phoebe Perry, 94; Rosemary Curtis, 76; and Mary Brooks, 87. The names of the victims in the Collin County murder cases were not publicly released, the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Investigators launched a probe against Chemirmir after they responded to reports of an assault on a 91-year-old woman in her apartment in Plano, Texas. After keeping a close eye on the accused, the police caught him dump a jewelry box in the trash bin at his Dallas apartment complex on March 20, 2018. The items in the box were traced back to Harris’ home where she was found dead.

The accused was arrested and charged with the murder of Harris. After the authorities expanded their investigation, he was indicted in two attempted murder cases last year. The rest of the indictments were brought against him this week.

“He told the victim [Harris], ‘go to bed and don’t fight me,’” Plano Chief of Police Gregory Rushin said at a news conference last year. “She complied and the suspect put a pillow over her face, causing her to lose consciousness, and he then stole her jewelry.”

Family members of three of the victims – Gleason, French and Payne – sued two retirement homes where the women lived, saying the facilities failed to provide enough security to protect the residents. The Tradition-Prestonwood retirement home and the Edgemere senior living center in Dallas issued statements following the lawsuits brought against them

“Each of our residents is family to us. We are committed to cooperating with the authorities. It’s not appropriate to speculate on what legal proceedings may be underway. We can only stress that the safety of our residents is a top priority every day,” a spokesperson for Tradition-Prestonwood said.

In the retirement home, Gleason’s body was discovered without a necklace that she constantly wore. On the other hand, French was found without her wedding ring.

The lawyer of Shannon Dion, Gleason’s daughter, said Prestonwood was aware that Chemirmir posed as a maintenance man to get into the apartments, but neglected to do anything about it.

“These are all elderly people and unsuspecting and they let him in,” Richard Arnold said. “It was a horrible situation. It’s bizarre. The guy is going to become thought of as a very significant serial killer.”

The Edgemere settled a lawsuit brought by the children of Payne in September. “We abhor the breadth of allegations against Mr. Chemirmir in senior living communities throughout Dallas and North Texas, and we offer our deepest condolences to the families and the many others impacted by his senseless actions. We’re hopeful these recent indictments are the first step toward justice, and we’re grateful these proceedings will deliver a small measure of comfort and closure to those affected,” Chris Santuae, Edgemere’s executive director, said in a statement.

Chemirmir pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Immigration authorities have placed a jail hold on the accused. His bail was set at more than $9 million.