A retrial date has been set for suspected serial killer Billy Chemirmir, who is charged with capital murder in the death of Lu Thi Harris. According to court documents obtained by NBC 5 News, Chemirmir is to be retried for capital murder on April 25.
The retrial is coming after the judge declared the original trial a mistrial. Jurors had said that they were “hopelessly deadlocked.”
A notice was sent to families of Chemimir’s alleged victims last week informing them of the new trial date.
The message, sent by Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Glen Fitzmartin, asked that people attending the trial follow the same COVID-19 protocols that applied during the initial trial in November.
Fitzmartin expressed hopes that the condition may be relaxed by April if the spike in the omicron variant goes down.
Victims’ families and loved ones were not allowed into the courtroom during the November trial due to social distancing. According to NBC 5, families believe that affected the court proceedings.
Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer Cliff Harris said keeping families out of the courtroom during the trial was wrong. Harris, whose mother-in-law Miriam Nelson was allegedly one of Chemirmir’s victims, said that Chemirmir would have been convicted of his suspected crime had their presence been allowed in the courtroom.
Police investigations and lawsuits accuse him of killing even more people than the 18 known victims. The police allege that he targeted and smothered his victims to steal jewelry.
If Chemirmir is convicted of the capital murder charge, he faces life in prison. Per NBC 5 News, he has denied all charges against him, maintaining his innocence claim.
The upcoming trial will also focus on the murder of Lu Thi Harris, who officers found dead in her home in March 2018. Per NBC 5, prosecutors are focusing on that case because it is where they believe they have the strongest evidence that ties him to the crime.
According to authorities, items found during a search of Chemirmir’s apartment led detectives to Harris’ home, where she was found dead.