Police are working to piece together multiple killings they believe were committed by a man working as a home health aide to elderly people.
Billy Chemirmir, a citizen of Kenya who lived in Texas, allegedly posed a caregiver before killing and robbing his patients, according to police documents obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The 46-year-old was first arrested in May 2018 for the death of Lu Kim Harris, an 81-year-old woman who was found smothered in her apartment. Chemirmir was charged after he was spotted throwing away her jewelry box.
Two months later, he was charged with the attempted murder of a 91-year-old woman, who he also robbed, Dallas News reports.
He was later additionally charged with the attempted murder of a 93-year-old woman who told police he posed as a maintenance worker before robbing her.
Plano Police Chief Gregory W. Rushin said at the time:
“Chemirmir uses health care experience to his advantage targeting and exploiting seniors, some of the most vulnerable people in our community. This is terribly disturbing.”
Further investigation has now led police to believe that Chemirmir is a serial killer, responsible for the deaths of at least 12 elderly women.
Last week, he was indicted in the deaths of 11 more Texas women. The elderly women were all killed by smothering between May 2016 and March 2018.
Police say he posed as a caregiver and sometimes a nurse to gain access to the women, though he wasn’t a licensed nurse in the United States.
He sometimes used a false identity in order to obtain jobs, according to court documents.
Since 2018, Texas police have been looking into 750 unattended senior deaths dating back almost a decade to determine if Chemirmir has more victims.
The daughter of one victim, Norma French, called Chemirmir “a very bad, very evil man,” the Star-Telegram reports.
The 11 new indictments against Chemirmir are capital murder charges, which means he could face the death penalty if he is found guilty.
His bond is currently set at $9.1 million.
Not all states require home healthcare workers to undergo background checks before they’re hired. Additionally, some states allow people with criminal backgrounds to work as health aides.
Be sure to check your state’s requirements before hiring a home healthcare worker to determine if additional vetting is needed.