Convicted murderer and suspected serial killer Billy Chemirmir was killed in prison on Tuesday morning, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Chemirmir, 50, was being held at the H.H. Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, near Palestine. The department confirmed that Chemirmir’s cellmate, who is serving a sentence for murder in Harris County, was responsible for his death.
Chemirmir had been found guilty of the murders of Lu Harris, 81, and Mary Brooks, 87, in Dallas County and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in April 2022. He was also connected to several other murders and accused of killing 22 senior citizens in Dallas and Collin counties between 2016 and 2018.
Relatives of some of Chemirmir’s alleged victims gathered on Tuesday to process the news of his death. They expressed mixed emotions, with some feeling relief that he had not gotten off easily and others recognizing that his death was not an action of the justice system.
The circumstances surrounding Chemirmir’s death are unclear, including whether any contraband weapon was involved and whether there was proper supervision. The Office of Inspector General will conduct an investigation to determine the details.
This incident adds to a rise in inmate homicides in Texas prisons this year. All prisons in Texas went on lockdown on September 6 to address the issue of dangerous contraband and drug-related inmate homicides. So far, there have been 15 murders in Texas prisons this year compared to seven in all of last year. Intensified searches are being conducted to intercept and confiscate contraband. Coffield Prison, where Chemirmir was killed, was still on lockdown at the time of the incident.
The families of Chemirmir’s alleged victims expressed their readiness to close this chapter in their lives. They continue to advocate for increased safeguards and accountability at nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the country.
In previous coverage, it was announced that the Collin County District Attorney would not seek the death penalty for Chemirmir. The Office of Inspector General will now investigate the killing to determine the exact circumstances.
Correction: In a previous version of this article, it was stated that Chemirmir’s assailant was serving time for a murder in Dallas County. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has since corrected this information, stating that the murder was committed in Harris County.