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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 3 october 2022

Man accused of killing 22 older women goes on trial again

By JAMIE STENGLE holding jewelry and cash, Police testified that grocery
Associated Press and had just thrown away receipts showed Brooks was
DALLAS (AP) — After Mary a large red jewelry box. at Walmart the day before
Brooks was found dead on Documents in the box led her body was found. Sur-
the floor of her Dallas-area them to the home of Harris, veillance video from the
condo, grocery bags from who was found dead in her store showed a vehicle
a shopping trip still on her bedroom, lipstick smeared matching the description
countertop, authorities de- on her pillow. of Chemirmir's leaving just
cided the 87-year-old had At trial, prosecutors pre- after Brooks, going in the
died of natural causes. sented evidence that Har- same direction.
Even after her family dis- ris and Chemirmir were Dallas County District Attor-
covered jewelry was miss- checking out at the same ney John Creuzot, a Demo-
ing — including a coral time at a Walmart just crat, decided to seek life
necklace she loved and hours before she was found sentences rather than the
diamond rings — it took an dead. death penalty when he
attack on another woman In a video interview with tried Chemirmir on two of
weeks later for police to re- police, Chemirmir told a his 13 capital murder cases
consider. Accused serial killer Billy Chemirmir looks back during his retrial detective that he made in the county. His Repub-
The next capital murder trial on April 25, 2022, at Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas. money by buying and sell- lican opponent has criti-
for Billy Chemirmir, 49, be- Associated Press ing jewelry, and that he cized that decision as he
gins Monday in Dallas in the had also worked as a care- seeks reelection in the na-
death of Brooks, one of 22 punishment if convicted in arrest in motion. Bartel, 91 giver and a security guard. tion's busiest death penalty
older women he is charged Brooks' death. His first trial at the time, told police that Most of Chemirmir's al- state.
with killing. The charges in Harris' death ended in a man had forced his way leged victims lived in apart- In an interview with The Dal-
against Chemirmir grew in a mistrial last November into her apartment at an ments at independent liv- las Morning News, Creuzot
the years following his 2018 when the jury deadlocked. independent living com- ing communities for older said he's not against the
arrest, as police across the Loren Adair Smith, whose munity for seniors, tried to people. The women he's death penalty, but among
Dallas area reexamined 91-year-old mother is smother her with a pillow accused of killing in private things he considers when
the deaths of older people among those Chemirmir is and took her jewelry. homes include the widow deciding whether to pursue
that had been considered charged with killing, will be Before Bartel died in 2020, of a man he had cared it are the time it takes be-
natural, even though fami- among the many relatives she described the attack for while working as an at- fore someone is executed,
lies raised alarm bells about of victims attending the in a taped interview that home caregiver. the costs of appeals and
missing jewelry. Four indict- trial, which, she said, brings was played at Chemirmir's Brooks' grandson, David whether the person would
ments were added this a "huge bag of mixed feel- previous trials. She said the Cuddihee, testified that still be a danger to society
summer. ings." minute she opened her he found her body on Jan. behind bars.
Chemirmir, who maintains "At the same time of hav- door and saw a man wear- 31, 2018. He said she had Chemirmir, he added, is
his innocence, was con- ing that dread feeling, we ing green rubber gloves, sometimes used a cane "going to die in the peni-
victed in April of capital are really glad to go back she knew she was in "grave but was still healthy and tentiary."
murder in the smothering and bring this chapter to a danger." active. Prosecutors in neighboring
death of 81-year-old Lu Thi close," Smith said. Police said they found "She would walk to church, Collin County haven't said
Harris and sentenced to It was Mary Annis Bartel's Chemirmir the next day in she would walk to the den- if they will try any of their
life in prison without parole. survival of a March 2018 the parking lot of his apart- tist down the street," Cuddi- nine capital murder cases
He will receive the same attack that set Chemirmir's ment complex. He was hee said. against Chemirmir.q

Archives: Records from Trump WH

staffers remain missing

By FARNOUSH AMIRI ficials were still not in their dent Donald Trump's White
Associated Press custody. House used non-official
WASHINGTON (AP) — The "While there is no easy way electronic messaging ac-
National Archives and to establish absolute ac- counts throughout his four
Records Administration countability, we do know years in office. The Presi-
informed lawmakers that that we do not have cus- dential Records Act, which
a number of electronic tody of everything we says that such records
communications from should," Debra Steidel are government property
Trump White House staffers Wall, the acting U.S. ar- and must be preserved,
remain missing, nearly two chivist, wrote in a letter to requires staff to copy or
years since the administra- Oversight Chairwoman forward those messages President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in
tion was required to turn Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. into their official electronic Washington, on Nov. 5, 2020.
them over. The letter went on to messaging accounts. Associated Press
The nation's record-keep- specify that the National The agency says that while
ing agency, in a letter Archives would consult it has been able to obtain prosecutors accused of gust came just weeks af-
Friday to the House Com- with the Justice Depart- these records from some using at least one "non-of- ter Navarro was indicted
mittee on Oversight and ment about how to move former officials, a number ficial" email account — a on criminal charges af-
Reform, said that despite forward and recover "the remain outstanding. The ProtonMail account — to ter refusing to cooperate
an ongoing effort by staff, records unlawfully re- Justice Department has send and receive emails with a congressional in-
electronic communica- moved." already pursued records while he worked as the vestigation into the Jan.
tions between certain un- It has been widely report- from one former Trump of- president's trade adviser. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S.
identified White House of- ed that officials in Presi- ficial, Peter Navarro, who The legal action in Au- Capitol.q