Inmate Convicted of Killing Two Elderly Women Dies in Texas Prison, Allegedly Killed by Cellmate

Billy Chemirmir, a 50-year-old man who had been accused of being responsible for the deaths of almost two dozen elderly women and was convicted last year for two such killings, was found dead in his cell on Tuesday morning at a Texas correctional facility, according to a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Hannah Haney, the spokesperson, reported that Chemirmir’s cellmate, who is also serving a sentence for murder, was identified as the perpetrator. However, she declined to disclose the identity of the cellmate or the method by which Chemirmir was killed.

Law enforcement officials state that over a two-year period, Chemirmir targeted elderly women in the Dallas area, killing them and subsequently pilfering their valuables. Repeatedly, the cause of death was initially deemed to be natural, even though families of the deceased expressed concerns over missing jewelry and other valuables.

Chemirmir was apprehended following a 2018 incident in which a 91-year-old woman survived an attack and reported to the police that he had forcibly entered her apartment in a community for independent seniors, attempted to suffocate her with a pillow, and stolen her jewelry. The police located him the next day in the parking lot of his apartment complex in possession of jewelry and cash. A search of a discarded large red jewelry box led them to the residence of Lu Thi Harris, 81, who was found deceased in her bedroom.

Following his arrest, a thorough review of prior deaths in the Dallas area resulted in additional charges against Chemirmir. Several children of the deceased have expressed confusion over the circumstances surrounding their mothers’ deaths, stating that despite their age, their mothers had been in good health and active.

Chemirmir’s first capital murder trial for the death of Harris resulted in a mistrial in Dallas County. He was later convicted in a retrial for Harris’ murder and subsequently found guilty of a second murder, that of Mary Brooks, 87. Family members of the victims assembled at a Dallas courthouse for his sentencing, where Ellen French House displayed photographs of her mother before and after her death, emphasizing the brutality of the act.

Chemirmir had been indicted on 22 counts of capital murder—13 in Dallas County and nine in Collin County. Following his dual convictions in Dallas County, prosecutors in Collin County announced they would not seek the death penalty for their cases. Despite consistently claiming innocence, Chemirmir was serving two life sentences without the possibility of parole at the Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, approximately 100 miles southeast of Dallas.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which had recently implemented lockdown measures due to an increase in drug-related inmate homicides and dangerous contraband, confirmed that an investigation into Chemirmir’s death is currently being conducted by the Office of Inspector General.

This article has been updated to clarify that Chemirmir was indicted for the deaths of 22 elderly women, not 18 as previously reported.

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More about Billy Chemirmir Prison Death

• Texas Department of Criminal Justice Official Statement
• Background on Billy Chemirmir’s Case
• Details on Dallas County Capital Murder Trials
• Collin County Prosecutor’s Statement
• Recent Texas Prison Lockdown Measures
• Office of Inspector General