The retrial for alleged serial killer Billy Chemirmir, 49, began on Monday, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Chemirmir is suspected of killing eighteen women and stealing their valuables. However, the current trial is primarily centered on the murder of Lu Thi Harris. She was 81 years old at the time of her death.
Tuesday morning’s testimony focused on the police officers who discovered Harris dead inside her home and a pillow with smeared lipstick that prosecutors believe was the murder weapon.
The detective also revealed the personal items recovered on Chemirmir during his capture included jewelry and a set of Harris’ house keys.
Richard Rinehart, Harris’ son-in-law, took the stand to talk about what she was like as a person.
According to Rinehart, Harris was raised in Vietnam, eventually moving to the United States after her second husband, William Harris, retired from an oil company called Cal-Tex. The woman had a kind heart and loved gifting $2 bills to family and friends.
Rinehart also described Harris’s jewelry that she habitually wore, which authorities allegedly discovered on Chemirmir.
On video footage presented by prosecutors, Chemirmir and Harris can be seen simultaneously checking out of a Walmart on Coit and Arapaho. According to prosecutors, the man is suspected of stalking Harris and following her to her residence.
Day three of the trial began on Wednesday, and jurors heard from a Plano police investigator who examined Chemirmir’s phone following his arrest.
The detective said she discovered a photo of Mary Bartel’s stolen ring on his phone and OfferUp messages indicating he listed the jewelry for sale within two hours of the incident. Bartel, 92, is another of Chemirmir’s alleged victims.
A detective who investigated Mary Brooks’ death in Richardson also testified.
On January 31, 2018, Brooks was discovered dead in her Richardson home by her grandson. Her cause of death was initially ruled as natural; however, authorities reviewed her case after Chemirmir’s arrest because her relatives reported many valuables, including a ring, were missing from her home.
Brooks’ daughter, Ann, said that they discovered many items had disappeared from her mother’s condo after her mother died, including several unique pieces of jewelry and family heirlooms. She testified in court that her mother would never sell them to anyone.
Prosecutors showed surveillance video of Brooks entering the same Walmart at Coit and Arapaho the day before she died and of her car being followed out of the parking lot by a Nissan Altima. The Nissan, according to prosecutors, belongs to Chemirmir.
Jurors also heard testimony from a jewelry broker from Diamond & Gold Exchange who purchased jewelry from Chemrimir.
The alleged killer faces an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted, as prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot has stated that he intends to prosecute Chemirmir for at least one more murder, though he has not specified which.
