Suspected illegal immigrant charged with murdering 12 elderly women by smothering them with pillows

A suspected illegal immigrant in Texas, who was already in jail on one murder charge, was charged this week with 11 additional murders of elderly women, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Billy Chemirmir, a citizen of Kenya, is suspected of killing each of the 12 women between the ages of 76 and 94 by smothering them with pillows, and then robbing them afterward.

The alleged murders began in May 2016 with the death of 91-year-old Phyllis Payne. Chemirmir was caught in March 2018 when paramedics were able to revive a woman whom he had attempted to smother and rob. Police were able to identify Chemirmir and later arrested him after seeing him discard a jewelry box belonging to another victim.

Chemirmir, 46, is facing two counts of attempted murder.

Plano Police Chief Gregory W. Rushin said at a news conference that Chemirmir, a former health care worker, used that "experience to his advantage, targeting and exploiting seniors."

The Dallas Morning News reported that Chemirmir pretended to be an employee at the Edgemere Retirement Community in Dallas in 2016.

Chemirmir's attorney claimed to be surprised by the new charges against his client, and reminded reporters that Chemirmir has denied the accusations against him from the beginning.

"They have circumstantial evidence that puts him in the area but that's as far as the evidence goes," attorney Phillip Hayes said.

Here are the names of Chemirmir's alleged victims, according to WFAA-TV.

Chemirmir was indicted this week in Dallas and Collin county in the deaths of:

Phyllis Payne, 91, on May 14, 2016
Phoebe Perry, 94, on June 5, 2016
Norma French, 85, on Oct. 8, 2016
Doris Gleason, 92, on Oct. 29, 2016
Minnie Campbell, 83, on Oct. 31, 2017
Carolyn MacPhee, 81, on Dec. 31, 2017
Rosemary Curtis, 76, on Jan. 17, 2018
Mary Brooks on Jan. 31, 2018
Martha Williams, 80, on March 4, 2018
Miriam Nelson, 81, on March 9, 2018
Ann Conklin, 82, on March 18, 2018

Chemirmir was indicted last year in the death of:
Lu Thi Harris, 81, on March 20, 2018

(H/T The Daily Wire)