Billy Chemirmir Retrial: Prosecutors try to link accused serial killer to victims' jewelry
DALLAS - Testimony resumed Wednesday morning in the retrial for an accused North Texas serial killer.
Prosecutors focused on cell phone data, surveillance video, and tried to link the victims’ jewelry to the alleged serial killer in the third day of the trial of Billy Chemirmir.
Prosecutors said Chemirmir posed as a maintenance worker or health care worker to get into his victims’ homes, then robbed and killed them.
This is the retrial for the murder of 81-year-old Lu Harris, one of 18 murders charged to Chemirmir in Dallas and Collin counties.
The first trial ended in a hung jury.
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On Wednesday, a Richardson police sergeant testified that security video from Walmart placed Chemirmir at Walmart at the same time as another alleged victim, Mary Brooks.
The video never shows Chemirmir get out of the vehicle, but cell phone records show his phone pinged a tower at the Walmart.
His silver Nissan Altima appeared to leave the parking lot at the same time as Brooks, heading in the same direction.
Brooks' daughter, Ann, testified Wednesday. She lived in California at the time of her mother’s murder.
She said her mother was not answering the phone, and she told her son to check on her at her Richardson home.
Brooks' grandson later testified that he found her body in the living room of her Richardson condo. He thought it was odd that her front gate was open and her door was unlocked. Her Walmart grocery bags were also still unpacked in on the kitchen counter and one of her rings was missing.
Ann was questioned about her mother's missing jewelry.
"Everything [was missing] except the costume jewelry," she said.
[Prosecutor: "Is there any chance your mom sold these items to someone."]
"No, no," she answered.
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A detective with the Plano Police Department told jurors that she found pictures of Mary Bartel's ring on Billy Chemirmir's phone. Bartel survived an attack in her Plano home in 2018.
The prosecution showed Chemirmir used an app to sell stolen jewelry from his victims, like Bartel.
Testimony showed Chemirmir took a picture of the ring on his finger an hour after the attack and quickly posted it for sale online.
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On Tuesday, Dallas County prosecutors told the jury that Chemirmir also stalked 81-year-old Lu Harris, who is the victim in this trial.
Security video from 2018 shows him inside a Dallas Walmart at the same time as Harris just hours before she was found dead in her home.
Police said when they arrested Chemirmir, he had Harris’ house keys and jewelry.
Investigators said Chemirmir smothered Harris with a pillow.
His lawyers challenged the detectives’ testimony.
"Ms. Harris’ makeup appeared to be done except her lipstick. It appeared to have some smearing or removal," said Det. Cayce Shelton with the Dallas Police Department.
"There appeared to be some trails of blood from her nose and mouth. Any found on the pillow?" the defense attorney asked.
"None observed," the detective admitted.
Testimony will resume Thursday.
He faces life in prison if found guilty in this case.