Billy Chemirmir, clad in a suit and mask and with his eyes downcast, spent last week at the criminal defense table at the Dallas County Courthouse. It was a rare taste of freedom for the father and former home healthcare worker since he was arrested in March 2018 for the murder of a North Dallas widow whom he’d allegedly stalked and smothered after meeting at a local Walmart. She was the last of what Collin and Dallas County prosecutors claim in indictments were at least 20 victims of a years-long robbery spree targeting vulnerable seniors who wore valuable jewelry and lived alone. Eighteen of those victims were murdered, indictments against Chemirmir claim; the other two survived.
But scores of witness statements and hundreds of pieces of evidence were not enough to convince 12 jurors. On Friday, after less than two full days of deliberations, the foreman sent a note: “We are hopelessly deadlocked, 11-1.” Soon after, the judge declared a mistrial. For the moment, Chemirmir and his defense team can declare victory.
The prosecution presented dozens of exhibits, but their case was hampered by an embarrassing and shocking underlying fact: Chemirmir targeted elderly women and most of the murders he’s accused of—like nearly all unattended deaths of seniors in the Dallas area—weren’t initially investigated as potential homicides.
