A Texas man accused of killing 18 women over a two-year period dodged a conviction in his first murder trial Friday after the judge declared a mistrial due to jurors being “hopelessly deadlocked.” Billy Chemirmir, 48, allegedly posed as a handyman or forced himself into the homes of 18 elderly women, prosecutors said. The mistrial was declared in the capital murder case against Chemirmir for the murder of 81-year-old Lu Thi Harris. Prosecutors say Chemirmir killed a string of women and stole their jewelry, and he wasn’t caught until a woman who survived an encounter called police. They then arrested Chemirmir, who was found in possession of keys to a victim’s front door, an array of jewelry, and various $2 bills, a trademark of one of the victims. Prosecutor John Creuzot vowed to retry Chemirmir for the murders and attempted murders, the Dallas Morning News reports. “Our commitment was to get two convictions, and that does not change,” he said.
