A notorious serial killer was found slain in his cell at a Texas jail early Tuesday and authorities believe his murderer cellmate was involved.
Billy Chemirmir, 50, was discovered dead in his cell in the Coffield Unit of the Tennessee Colony jail, authorities said.
His cellmate, a murderer serving a life sentence, was accused of killing him.
“Despite how you feel about him, no one deserves to be murdered in prison,” his attorney, Phillip Hayes, commented on the incident.
Chemirmir was believed to be behind nearly two dozen slayings of elderly people in both homes and senior living facilities.
Prosecutors alleged that the former caregiver smothered his victims with pillows and stole their jewelry. The deaths were initially ruled to be of natural causes due to the victims’ ages.
It was the case until one of his victims survived an attack to tell police about what happened; several cases were subsequently reopened and indictments against Chemirmir were filed.
Last year, Chemirmir was found guilty of killing Mary Brooks, 87, and Lu Thi Harris, 81. However, he maintained his innocence throughout court proceedings.
“I am not a killer and not at all what they’re saying I am. I am a very innocent person. I was not brought [up] that way. I was brought [up] in a good family. I didn’t have any problems in my life,” he said.
