The Unforgotten – Episode 8: The Second Trial of Billy Chemirmir

Podcast by Free Range Productions – Released December 2, 2024
Host: Charlie Scudder

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the high-stakes second trial of Billy Chemirmir, a man accused of being Dallas's most prolific serial killer, targeting elderly women in their homes. The first trial ended in a mistrial, and the second trial unfolds with increased public scrutiny, political pressure, revamped prosecution strategies, and an emotionally charged quest for justice by families of the victims. The episode also draws unsettling parallels to similar elderly-targeted crimes worldwide, raising questions about societal and systemic failures to protect vulnerable seniors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Political and Prosecutorial Stakes

• DA John Creuzot Takes Charge: After the mistrial, Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot, aware of the political implications and his re-election campaign, steps into a hands-on prosecutorial role for the first time in decades ([00:02]).
• Jury Selection Revisions: Creuzot leads the questioning to avoid biased jurors, a critical misstep from the first trial.
• Streamlined Evidence Presentation: Chief prosecutor Glenn Fitzmartin reorganizes witness testimonies for clarity, separating each victim's case.

2. Defense Strategies and Trial Dynamics

• Active Cross-Examination: Defense attorney Philip Hayes aggressively challenges cell phone evidence, highlighting gaps and uncertainties ([03:19]).
  • Hayes: "So you don't know where that phone was in that 30 minutes? ... And you don't know who’s with the phone, you just know that last ping." ([03:19])
• Closing Arguments:
  • Prosecutor John Creuzot: Uses emotional evidence (e.g., the lipstick-stained pillow) to anchor the jury in the humanity of the victims ([05:02]).
    • Creuzot: "You have a picture of a very kind, gentle person. ... She went from this kind and gentle and funny and well-traveled person to a dead body left in the place where she called home." ([05:02])
  • Defense Attorney Kobe Warren: Urges the jury not to compromise if they have doubt, describing the prosecution's case as "all bark and no bite" ([06:40]).
    • Warren: "The more that I listened to the evidence ... I thought to myself, all bark and no bite. It's a lot of barking. They're just barking." ([07:36])
  • Prosecutor Fitzmartin’s Rebuttal: Turns the "bark and no bite" phrase against the defense, emphasizing that evidence is the 'bite' that proves Chemirmir's guilt ([07:50]).
    • Fitzmartin: "True bill of indictment. That was me barking. All this stuff, that's me biting. ... It's evidence. It's evidence of the guilt of Billy Chemirmir." ([08:05])

3. Trial Outcome and Emotional Impact

• Swift Deliberations, Guilty Verdict: The jury returns a guilty verdict after just 45 minutes ([13:54]–[15:05]).
  • Scene described with tension: "As the 12-person panel returned to the courtroom, not a single one looked toward Billy Chemirmir." ([14:52])
• Family and Courtroom Reactions: The verdict triggers an outpouring of emotions, with family members weeping, gasping, and eventually celebrating Chemirmir’s sentencing ([15:08]).
  • Cheryl Pangburn (family member): "Now can we react? ... Now can we shout and say praise God?" ([16:10])

4. Victim Impact Statements and Personal Testimonies

• Opportunity for Families to Speak: Families from across the U.S. and Canada deliver powerful statements to Chemirmir ([19:06]–[25:48]).
  • Forgiveness & Strength:
    • Granddaughter of Kim Harris: "We forgive you, Billy." ([20:39])
  • Anger & Loss:
    • Lindsey Williams Roan: "We will continue to fight you until you are dead in your cold, dark prison cell alone... Go to hell." ([21:09])
    • Cheryl Pangburn: "You have no heart. You have no soul. You have no conscience. You have no dignity." ([23:56])
    • Scott McPhee: "You ate in that house with us. You spent time with our family. ... And it all been nothing more to you than a few thousand dollars worth of jewelry." ([21:09])
  • Mourning & Pain:
    • Daughter of Doris Evans Gleason: "Mama died in fear. I have nightmares seeing her face when she realizes she shouldn't have opened the door to you." ([25:24])
• Chemirmir’s Response: Chemirmir remains expressionless and, in a later phone call, reiterates his innocence: "I'm not that psycho." ([26:40])

5. Systemic Failure and Global Context

• International Parallels: The host compares the Chemirmir case with similar undetected serial killings of the elderly in Germany (Olaf Dieter, "Oma-Mörder") and Austria (Lainz Angels of Death), where deaths were also mistaken for natural causes ([27:55]–[32:45]).
  • "It should have raised alarm bells in how investigators think about violent crimes against seniors ... But no such reckoning has happened here in Texas, and there's no sign there ever will be." ([32:45])
• Call for Change in Elder Care and Investigations: While Austria and Germany enacted reforms after such cases, the U.S.—and specifically Texas—has not.

6. Reporting on Trauma and Storytelling Ethics

• Reporter’s Reflections: Host Charlie Scudder discusses the emotional toll of covering the story, his connection to the victims' families, and the importance of empathy and responsible journalism ([35:10]–[41:19]).
  • Shannon Dion (victim’s daughter): "We all shared ... our love for our moms. But we shared that this was so wrong that this person had been allowed to enter these properties ... So we felt like that had to change. That was our first mission ..." ([36:47])
  • Scudder: "Empathy is really important. A kind of, ‘Help me understand’ ... I want to get to know you better." ([37:51])
• Moments of Hope and Connection: An emotional classroom scene where a student silently shows Dion a matching guardian angel necklace, symbolizing solidarity ([41:19]).

7. Epilogue and Ongoing Impact

• Chemirmir's Death: In a twist ending, Scudder closes with news that Chemirmir was found dead in prison ([end]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "The more that I listened to the evidence ... I thought to myself, all bark and no bite. It’s a lot of barking. They’re just barking." — Defense Attorney Kobe Warren ([07:36])
• "True bill of indictment. That was me barking. All this stuff, that's me biting ... It's evidence. It's evidence of the guilt of Billy Chemirmir." — Prosecutor Glenn Fitzmartin ([08:05])
• "When the foreman said guilty, some heads bowed, others fell back. Some gasped, others released a long, held breath." — Host, describing verdict ([15:08])
• "We forgive you, Billy." — Victim’s granddaughter ([20:39])
• "Our mother, Martha Williams, was a fighter and she fought you. ... Go to hell." — Lindsey Williams Roan ([20:39])
• "You have changed me and my world forever. ... Now it is you who has lost everything. It is now you who will be the victim." — Victim’s daughter ([21:39])
• "These dark sides of old age must be further illuminated ... The responsibility of doctors must be emphasized, especially when caring for elderly patients." — Dr. Klaus Püschel, referenced ([32:45])
• "There are days, trust me, I was curled up in the fetal position in my bed. But you find a way to move forward." — Shannon Dion ([40:46])
• "It's also a message with hope and a call to action. That's my point." — Shannon Dion ([41:00])

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------| | DA Creuzot’s involvement & trial preparation | 00:02–03:19 | | Defense’s cross-examination – questioning cell phone evidence | 03:19–04:12 | | Closing arguments: prosecutor and defense | 05:02–08:05 | | Closing rebuttal: “All bark and no bite” | 07:36–10:25 | | Jury deliberation and verdict | 12:20–15:08 | | Emotional family/friends response | 15:08–19:06 | | Victim impact statements (selected voices) | 19:06–25:48 | | Chemirmir’s lack of remorse | 26:40 | | International cases: Germany and Austria parallels, critique of U.S. system | 27:55–32:45 | | On the emotional weight of covering the case, ethics of trauma journalism | 35:10–41:19 | | End note: News of Chemirmir’s death | [last minute] |

Summary Takeaways

• The second trial for Billy Chemirmir rectified critical errors from the first, particularly in jury selection and evidence presentation, leading to a rapid conviction.
• Families of the victims voiced both anguish and forgiveness in searing statements directed at the convicted, underscoring the profound ripple effects of such crimes.
• Chemirmir’s case, far from unique, reflects shocking global blind spots in safeguarding and honoring the elderly, with the U.S. lagging in meaningful reforms.
• For reporters and affected families, the story is a marathon of trauma, resilience, and determination to foster change.
• The episode closes on both a note of hard-won justice and an unresolved call to societal action.