Man accused in deaths of 22 elderly women in Texas killed in prison by his cellmate
Updated: 2:08 PM EDT Sep 19, 2023
More. Can you make well, good morning again? Hope you are well, on behalf of the District Attorney’s office and my staff, I want to say thank you for *** number of reasons and on behalf of the defense, I know they share the same thanks and appreciation for you being here that we do. Ok, let’s talk about what happened. Um There was *** day some few weeks ago where you all got something in the mail that said show up on *** certain date, right? We know you didn’t do *** dance and didn’t play any tunes when you got that. But nonetheless, it started *** process and it started *** process that determined 14 very special individual people, the 14 of you because most people who get that someone don’t show up, but you did. And for that, we’re grateful and thankful. The other thing that happened is, and I think it was Judge Chapman. Am I correct? Judge? Ok. Judge Chapman visited with you early in the morning and she went over things, we call them exemptions and disqualifications and *** certain number of people moved on and then we had *** chance to talk to you. And then we talked about the very special nature of who we are and what we do and why we are here. And we talked about constitutions, the United States Constitution, and we talk about *** Texas Constitution and then we talked about *** penal code. We talked about the elements of an offense. We talked about very special rights that *** person accused is afforded here in this country. And I think it has become abundantly clear to you not only *** week ago today, but everything that has intervened in between that we are supportive of those rights. We respect those rights and we’re going to make certain that everybody follows because if you remember back to last Friday, anybody who couldn’t give the defendant the benefit of whatever they’re not here. And so we’re left with the 14 best folks, fairest folks that showed up. Ok, what else did we talk about? We talked about circumstantial evidence versus direct evidence. And you know, now, right after we talked about it, we talked about how sometimes people have been convicted and incarcerated for extended periods of time based on what direct evidence that was dead is wrong. Ok. And it’s circumstantial evidence that came back and saved the day. We also talked about how does evidence get left? Who’s in control of the evidence? Ok. You me some stranger. No, the perpetrator of the crime determines what’s left. Ok. Sometimes to their benefit and sometimes to their mouths. Yeah, let me that in this case. And we talked about that. Ok. And we asked you *** very specific question that has caused you to be here today and you’ll notice nowhere in the court’s charge or the word circumstantial evidence or direct evidence is just, did we prove the case beyond *** reasonable doubt? That’s all we have to do. But we put something up and said, if we prove *** circumstantial evidence, case beyond *** reasonable doubt, even if we did that, would you be unable or unwilling to follow the law and return *** verdict of guilty? And everybody who said they couldn’t do it, guess what? They’re not seated where you are today and I can go on and on with the legal things that we talked about. But the bottom line is, is that the 14 of you told us some things. First of all, you told Judge Chapman that and you told this judge also that your true answers give to all the questions were pounded to you by the court are under its direction. That’s us. Ok? You said that and that’s what makes us very special and very different from anywhere else. And you said you would and we counted on you. We took, we gave you questions, we took your answers, we counted on you last Friday and we’re counting on you today to do what follow the law. That’s all those. Remember I told you, we didn’t need any help didn’t want it, don’t need any favors. Not what I’m talking about. Just follow the law. And then when you got up here, when you became even more special to be one of the jurors, the judge gave you another open, they said you will. True verdict Brenda according to the law and the evidence of help me, God. And you all stood up and you raise your right hand and you all said yes. And we were counting on you when you said that and we’re counting on you today. Ok? And I think that’s reasonable and fair. That’s what makes us special in this country. And that’s something that other people fight and die on. I want to talk to you *** little bit about the court’s instructions. The judge called it and at the top of it it says the court’s charged. I just want to substitute just for argument’s sake, the word charged with instructions. Ok? What is this? What is this document? Well, first of all, it’s not that long, it’s not complicated. Ok? There’s one or two things, maybe one thing that I’m gonna go over that we didn’t talk to you about because we have to wait until the evidence comes in to see where we are to do that. Ok? But the first thing on about, we told you, we use the example of the lake mead or you leave and somebody steals your car, whatever you find it, you don’t know when it, when it got out of there when it left your house. Ok. And we don’t have to prove the exact date. And there’s *** further instruction on that in the back that tells you that whether it’s January 30th or 31st is irrelevant for questions of guilt. Ok. That’s already in here. The other thing I want to go through is we went over the concept of robbery and burdening. Now we know why those are so important. I talked to you about an example of robbery, somebody on *** bike, somebody knocks them over, takes the bike, that *** robbery. We talked about *** burden entering *** person’s habitation. What’s that? *** structure adapted for overnight accommodation? All that’s in here. Ok. What they intend to do what commit *** felony theft or something? That’s, that’s the difference between the two and that’s very important. Ok? But you said you understood if you follow it. But also when we go through this, um we talk about deadly weapon, it means anything that *** man use or intended use is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury. We have some things in here says homicidal violence, smothering hands, et cetera. Ok? And let’s talk about this concept of *** debit weapon. What’s the best proof that something is *** debit weapon? The person is what? Dead? And you got death after death after death, after death or at least one survived only the lovely Miss Bartel survived only because she was lucky enough to do what at *** pace maker. Other than that, he would have been able to take *** deposition from her and we would find out how this goes down from person to person and time to time. So we covered that. Then I want to go through *** little bit and starting on page five and it goes on over to page six. It starts the definition of capital murder. Now this the bottom of page five right here. Capital murder and all the way to the bottom of almost to the bottom of page six. Those are what we call the application paragraphs, OK. Those are the two paragraphs along with the rest of the instructions. But as far as capital murder is concerned, those are the two application paragraphs and they read almost the same. Ok. And so it starts off by saying on about January 31st 2018 in Dallas County, Texas mayor and intentionally cause the death of Mary intentionally. Let’s talk about that. You heard the evidence from the doctor Dr Bernard. We we went *** little further as if you couldn’t tell from the evidence. We went beyond what *** reasonable difference in deduction from the evidence. And we put medical testimony on about what it takes to smother *** human being. That and you also heard from Mary Bartel when she went through, ok. And you know what it takes, it’s that quick. It’s not easy. People are fighting for breath and beyond that they’re fighting for life. Can you imagine like these ladies are in your home and most likely *** pillow misplaced across your face and neck to such *** degree and extent that poor Mary Cartel had one free hand and the pressure was so intense that she couldn’t even get her hand on her medical alert, which probably would have stopped her. You remember you heard her say the blaring noise, et cetera. Can you imagine? Can you imagine that you have opened your door and immediately recognized that you made *** mistake and you immediately are told to go back and be quiet and you’re on the bed and *** pillow is put across you the amount of shock and fear that will go through *** person thinking the reasonable thought and she told you she felt it was the end of and you know what it was except for what *** picture. Ok. So you know how that, that’s how this works. But when we talk about these two paragraphs, application paragraphs, they have the same words of homicidal violence, the exact nature and description of which is unknown and unknowable who controls that, not us or by smothering deceased with *** pillow who controls that not as *** deadly weapon. You bet they dead almost or with hands, *** deadly weapon, an unknown object, *** deadly weapon, etcetera, etcetera. And the first one goes and says during or attempting to commit the offense of robbery. The only difference in the next one is the burden. Now, what did we talk about? And you said that you could do it and you can follow it. You understood it. So I want to revisit what we did *** week ago. We told you number one, we didn’t have to prove exclusively that it was robbery or burglary. Either one is ok and it doesn’t matter what your split is. And we also explain to you about homicidal violence and smother in your hands and the exact nature and description of things unknown to the grand jury. We didn’t have to prove one of those to all 12 of you. Any combination. It doesn’t matter where your numbers fall, any combination is good enough because all of it, any of it is what intentionally causing the death of an individual, either they’re on *** robbery or *** murder. That’s all we have to do. And we asked you, could you follow that? You said you could we trusted you last Friday and we’re trusting you today to be able to continue to follow the law that you indicated to us under *** state of oath that you had at the time that you can follow. And that’s all we’re really asking you to follow the law. Ok. Now, homicidal violence, remember we talked about some examples of homicidal violence. We talked about the, just as an example, the bodies found in lake meat. Been there for decades. OK. Gonna be hard in some instances, maybe to come back. We talked about maybe *** person who is found by the roadside with their head bashed in and nobody there no implements or tools that can be readily discerned that cause the bashing in the head they’re dead. Ok. That would certainly fit what homicidal violence. OK. Violence. That does what causes the death of *** person and you certainly have that feeling over and over and over. And there’s another particular paragraph I want to spend some time on to make certain that we’re all on the same page. We didn’t talk about this, ok? Because we have to wait to see what the evidence is. The judge has to make *** decision to put this together in *** fashion that’s legal and appropriate. She’s done something. But on page nine, the bottom paragraph says you’re instructing listen to this here. This is really important. This is important as anything else you’re gonna hear in this case. Ok? You are instructed that there’s any testimony before you in this case regarding the defendants having committed an offense other than alleged against him in the indictment. In this case, reallocations, you cannot consider that testimony for any purpose unless you find believe beyond *** reasonable doubt, which is all that the defendant committed such other offense. And if any was committed, even then you may only consider it in determining what? Very limited and we’re ok with it, we’re asking you to follow it, the motive, the opportunity, the intent in to cause death standing on top of somebody with *** pillow for multiple minutes until they die. Preparation, planning knowledge, identity, absence of mistake or lack of accident. Ok. Follow that instruction and don’t go outside the parameters of it because this is the law, any other considerations inappropriately? Ok. Is that fair enough? Ok. Now, so where do we have, where do we start here? Well, we start kind of with Mary books and you know, yesterday, one of the big presentations we made is we put all these up almost like in *** cocoon maps, right yesterday. But these are the things, these exhibits and they’re kind of listed by eight if you go through them, one by 1 January 30th March 4th, 15th, 19th and 20. And of course, you’ve heard all this, you know what those dates are not important they are because they track activity, they track crimes, they track victims, they track intent, they track motive, they track plan, ok. And not only did we have video and still camera? Ok. Well, we learned some things about Mr Miri, didn’t you? And you started learning about Mr Shamir May from Mr Flank, whose mother deceased today was elderly and lived at 5000 shepherd and he went to get her at 10 30 or 10 or whatever. He came back at 12 30 whatever it was about 2.5 hours. Ok? To take her to the doctor who do you know it’s, he didn’t tell you *** person, he didn’t give you an identity. He gave you *** car and ***, and *** license plate who does that car and license plate go back to some kind of trick Tom ODing really is the person but you know, from him who really drives the car and even though the police tried to hit on the address of Tom ODing, when they started looking more deeply, they noticed that this car was up at Pear Ridge. So they started looking, they started following follows, they started doing things, ok. But Mr Flink told him what he’s out here for 2.5 hours. I wondered, I was concerned. I went out and spoke to him. No, I’m just here to see my dad or something like that. Biggest lie you ever heard wasn’t looking for his dad? Ok. But what else did he say? He stayed out there? He moved the car, he went and got the license plate and turned it in. Thank God. Ok. What else do we know? Well, that’s kind of like surveilling surveillance looking for victims. Doesn’t it sound like that stalking? What else do we know? We know that he hangs out at the Walmart back and forth all the time. We know that he drives in and out. We know that he’s capable of hanging out and in fact, not capable, in fact, doing what, hanging out at the front, back and forth with *** phone up to his ear that you heard from the heaven. Nobody’s on that phone, not having *** conversation with anybody. And he also doesn’t mind helping elderly women with their baskets. That’s nice. Good thing. She had *** man with her. Ok. But he is doing what? Surveiling and stalking. Ok. Think about it. What did Miss Harris do left after him where he wind up at her house and we’ll go into that. Ok. This is *** conscious, dedicated effort to stop surveil, kill, steal, strip and set. That’s his job. We all have work. I don’t know what you do whether you’re working or not, but we don’t have jobs. But I think the evidence has been quite clear. What Mr Shamir mayor’s job is stop surveil. Get inside, smother strip your most precious valuables, family heir loans. You notice all the jumps. I’ve got left behind things that have open and close. All right, safe box, whatever might contain some valuables get in it. Toss it away. Ok. That’s his job. *** fundamentally different way of approaching what humanity. Ok. We go to work to produce, he goes to work to kill strip steal set. That’s his job. So let’s talk about what we brought. Let’s talk about married Brooks. The first thing before I even get into all of this. Is this the idea is probably *** little shocking to you here from this expert testimony to your phone does, right? Probably, you know, all this, but sometimes it’s necessary, we will only do it when it’s necessary. And in this case, you had special agent said we tell you all about where I’m not gonna go through all that. You just saw it yesterday, ok? But he also told you, well, yeah, I’m not gonna plot it in *** certain place. I’ll just tell you it’s in that area. But he says sometimes it’s extraneous or additional or extra evidence that will come in and do what validate or cross validate, they’ll validate each other. And you know, for time and time again the scene here at the apartments, bang the bone was right near it at the Walmart. Bang, the phone is right there at this house. Bang the phone is right there other house bang the phone is right there, ok? *** ring gets somebody’s ring that was recently taken off their finger just within an hour or so is taken on *** hand and put on *** and you could look at that ring and tell it was valuable and for *** mere $380 shortly after choking somebody down, he’s happy to move it on for the sake of $380 ok? And you know I’m Mary Brooks that she was at the Walmart. She was in, he was parked, she came out she left, he followed her. Ok, the phone puts in there moving towards her house, phone, hitting near her house or at her house. And then of course, you know, the rest that went on, one of the most important things that came here was, what about this ring? Ok. Well, we went the extra step. We went and found not the person who did it, but the person who owned the place. And you notice when we put on that testimony that in his expert opinion, it’s the same ring. There is absolutely no reason for you to doubt that. You know why? Because when we said past the witness, what came from over here, no questions without *** doubt, expert testimony unchallenged, un impeached, uncontradicted is what it’s the same one. Ok, let’s talk about, let’s go kind of on dates, Miss Martha Williams. This is where we come in to find out the plan, the identity, the motive, intent, et cetera, et cetera. Ok. Let’s talk about that. She didn’t know her autopsy and have obvious signs of trans fiction from two in the private one and the one from Alabama. Ok. So that tells you that not all of these fall like that in the same way like this. Seriously, you had *** red face, red face over here and *** cut and *** bruise on her nose. Ok. But what do we know the phone is in the area? Ok. And then the phone is where Dallas filled in exchange the receipts show he sold items and then in his car. Ok. And here’s the smoke. Yeah, her pillow when her daughters turned it over, obviously the expert said, Hero, what did she say that it is *** component of blood? Ok. Let’s reason that’s blood her blood. And they said it looked like the impression of *** face whose face, her face, it’s her bed, she’s dead right there. Ok. And so what do we know about that? Well, I don’t know how to put 27 zeros on things. Ok. ID VM. Work. Ok. But I tell you what, that’s an awful and oleum, there’s *** whole whole lot, but you gotta go find, ok. Now, in the James Webb telescope can find all those points. All right, 76 wants to hurt. What’s it about? I, I need to talk and talk about his DNA. We really don’t need to talk about Mr Shamir May’s DNA to solve this riddle. Ok. Why? Because when they go to his car and pull the gloves out, who else is DNA on one of those gloves? Glove number one that you heard, unfortunately, for Marvin Williams wonder how he got in possession. His phone hits there or jewelry and all of *** sudden in his car, in the glove box, the car that he drove, the car that he enjoyed, the car that he surveilled and stopped and went from location to location to commit his crimes. How her still in the Octillion? Her DNA got in that car. You know why? Because those gloves were an instrument of death. We use these gloves in here to not contaminate things. We use gloves to protect ourselves. We use gloves if we don’t catch anything or give anything. That’s not why he uses gloves. You heard from Mary Bartel? She can tell you one thing, one thing she can tell you is of average size this that and the other and what gloves she said green. So what green, black blue. Ok. But that’s what she noticed and that’s what came after her. And so we have that case to show what intent plan preparation et And then of course, I’ve talked about Mr Plank same day the Walmart, the fake phone call, but let’s talk about going another day. Mary Bartel. God bless her one GQ. Let me come off. She was witty funny. I don’t know if you know, but to me, *** person that age *** barometer of how cognizant they are and their neural motor skills and their ability to remember. You, did you notice her signature when she signed that picture? You can go back and look at it. Ok? It’s like they taught us to write it person in the old day and it’s beautiful and it doesn’t have any sweeping lines. It’s straight and you saw how she answered the questions if she didn’t know something and didn’t understand and she told you everything else, she told you she didn’t overplay it, ok? She told you what she remembered what the truth was and the truth was that somebody went in that house, ok? And you know who it is, get this all in there, get it and tried to kill her left of the pacemaker. She wouldn’t have been there. And what happens right after that, I mean, this, you know, don’t forget, you know, 9 30 10 30 or so, you know, people are starting to figure out what’s going on friends and what have you. But uh 10 31 or 10, 29 we get off of his offer up account and taking *** picture. How about it? It’s got your geolocation. That’s 25. Thank you. Wear that one right there. This put it on the sale. You heard Mr Sale sold it to him. Receipts corruptly, Miss Harris. This is the easiest one. Of course, he didn’t have *** chance to sell anything and put it on up because he was headed home. Ok. He just happened. They were all on top of it and they understood what was going on. They stopped him. What does he have for keys to her house? The $2 bills? These quirky little $2 bills. Can you imagine not getting *** happy birthday card or *** Christmas card from her? What’s gonna be, you know, from the others? *** $2 bill? Ok. She’s just porky like that. Well, I have, she, she has hers. Ok. But what else? Dead smothered. It’s so ok. Keys, money jewelry. You saw the pictures, the Kim, that’s her, that’s her stuff. Those are her items that had the Plato Police Department had not been on top of this and not stopped him would have been up for sale somewhere somehow to somebody. And just like you saw him going to that diamond gold exchange. You see that big smile on his face right after he had smothered someone. This has worked to him. This is effortless to him. This is what he did. You’ve got it laid out. I’m gonna ask you again, follow the law, follow the evidence. You put all this case together, you read the instructions, we have prove it beyond *** reasonable doubt that there’s only one verdict in this case that’s appropriate. And that is that Billy Shamir is guilty of the offense of capital murder charge. And now that you sat here for these five days in this courtroom and listened to this testimony, you know, this is our lives. This is what we do every day. But when we call you down here, sometimes it’s *** little shocking to see the evidence in the autopsies and this that and the other. But you know, the other thing is very shocking to people and you watch me just take *** few steps back and you imagine the difference and the space between where you are and where I am with this evidence has shown beyond *** reasonable doubt that you have been in the company all week long of *** capital murder. And I’m asking you to return *** verdict of guilty as charged for the offense of Capitol Murray. Thank you. Thank you, this Mr Warne or Mr Hay.
A man accused of killing nearly two dozen older women and who was convicted last year in the slayings of two was killed Tuesday morning by his cellmate at a Texas prison, an official said.Billy Chemirmir, 50, was found dead in his cell, said Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman Hannah Haney. She said that Chemirmir’s cellmate, who is serving a sentence for murder, was identified as the assailant, but said she couldn’t release the cellmate’s identity or how Chemirmir was killed.Video above: See the closing arguments in murder trial of Billy ChemirmirAuthorities said Chemirmir preyed on older women in the Dallas area over a two-year span, killing them and stealing their valuables. He was caught after a 91-year-old woman survived an attack in 2018 and told police Chemirmir had forced his way into her apartment at an independent living community for seniors, tried to smother her with a pillow and took her jewelry.Police said they found Chemirmir the following day in the parking lot of his apartment complex holding jewelry and cash, having just thrown away a large red jewelry box. Documents in the jewelry box led them to the home of Lu Thi Harris, 81, who was found dead in her bedroom.The first capital murder trial of Chemirmir for the slaying of Harris ended in a mistrial in Dallas County. He was later convicted in a second trial for Harris’ death and then convicted of a second killing in the death of Mary Brooks, 87.Following his second conviction, family members of those Chemirmir was accused of killing gathered at a Dallas courthouse to face him. In Ellen French House’s victim impact statement, she told Chemirmir, who was wearing a striped jail uniform, that she wanted him to see two photos of her mother: one of Norma French alive, the other after the 85-year-old was killed.”This is my beautiful mother,” House said as she displayed the first photo. “This is my mother after you pried her wedding ring off of her finger that she couldn’t even get off.”Chemirmir had been indicted on 22 capital murder charges. Thirteen of the charges were in Dallas County while nine were in Collin County. Collin County prosecutors said last month that after the two convictions in Dallas County, they would not seek the death penalty in their cases.Chemirmir, who maintained his innocence, was serving two sentences of life without the possibility of parole. He was imprisoned at the Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, located about 100 miles southeast of Dallas.Haney said that the Office of Inspector General is investigating his death.___This story has been corrected to show that Chemirmir was indicted in the deaths of 22 women, not 18 women.
A man accused of killing nearly two dozen older women and who was convicted last year in the slayings of two was killed Tuesday morning by his cellmate at a Texas prison, an official said.
Billy Chemirmir, 50, was found dead in his cell, said Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman Hannah Haney. She said that Chemirmir’s cellmate, who is serving a sentence for murder, was identified as the assailant, but said she couldn’t release the cellmate’s identity or how Chemirmir was killed.
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Video above: See the closing arguments in murder trial of Billy Chemirmir
Authorities said Chemirmir preyed on older women in the Dallas area over a two-year span, killing them and stealing their valuables. He was caught after a 91-year-old woman survived an attack in 2018 and told police Chemirmir had forced his way into her apartment at an independent living community for seniors, tried to smother her with a pillow and took her jewelry.
Police said they found Chemirmir the following day in the parking lot of his apartment complex holding jewelry and cash, having just thrown away a large red jewelry box. Documents in the jewelry box led them to the home of Lu Thi Harris, 81, who was found dead in her bedroom.
The first capital murder trial of Chemirmir for the slaying of Harris ended in a mistrial in Dallas County. He was later convicted in a second trial for Harris’ death and then convicted of a second killing in the death of Mary Brooks, 87.
Following his second conviction, family members of those Chemirmir was accused of killing gathered at a Dallas courthouse to face him. In Ellen French House’s victim impact statement, she told Chemirmir, who was wearing a striped jail uniform, that she wanted him to see two photos of her mother: one of Norma French alive, the other after the 85-year-old was killed.
“This is my beautiful mother,” House said as she displayed the first photo. “This is my mother after you pried her wedding ring off of her finger that she couldn’t even get off.”
Chemirmir had been indicted on 22 capital murder charges. Thirteen of the charges were in Dallas County while nine were in Collin County. Collin County prosecutors said last month that after the two convictions in Dallas County, they would not seek the death penalty in their cases.
Chemirmir, who maintained his innocence, was serving two sentences of life without the possibility of parole. He was imprisoned at the Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, located about 100 miles southeast of Dallas.
Haney said that the Office of Inspector General is investigating his death.
___
This story has been corrected to show that Chemirmir was indicted in the deaths of 22 women, not 18 women.
