At the beginning of the month, one of the most deadly serial killers in Texas and American history was convicted of capital murder. Billy Chemirmir, a Kenyan immigrant to the United States, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the death of 88-year-old Mary Brooks though he is accused of smothering at least two dozen elderly women in north Texas. Chemirmir was indicted with 22 counts of capital murder, with several more cases yet to be brought before a grand jury for indictment.
Prosecutors have now got him on two sentences for life-in-prison, though they feel as though the other 20 will be dismissed.
Chemirmir targeted elderly women, in some cases going door to door as a maintenance worker and in others following the women home from Walmart and forcing his way inside their homes. Though in many of his cases, the women’s cause of death were ruled as natural causes, potentially due to their age or the fact that he smothered his victims to death. Though in all of his cases, after he killed the victims he would steal cash or jewelry before taking off and selling the jewelry online or pawning it.
Families of the victims have come together to form the lobbying group Secure Our Seniors’, a non-profit, pushing for stronger security measures in senior living communities and for stronger regulations at cash-for-gold shops in Texas. Hoping that these acts will deter any similar crimes in the future, and ultimately aiming to keep seniors in the state safer.
Follow this story at The Guardian.
