DALLAS — Twelve jurors and two alternates have been selected to hear the retrial of Billy Chemirmir, after a Dallas County jury failed in November to reach a verdict in the same capital murder case.
More than 100 potential jurors reported to the Frank Crowley Criminal Courts Building at 8 a.m. Thursday. Six men and eight women made the final cut about 6:30 p.m.
Chemirmir, who was arrested in March 2018, has been linked to the deaths of at least two dozen elderly women in Dallas and Collin counties, and he has been indicted on 18 counts of capital murder.
His first trial in the death of Lu Thi Harris, 81, ended in a mistrial after the jury deadlocked following about 11 hours of deliberations over two days. A lone juror held out, according to notes the jury sent to the judge.
The jury selected Thursday will hear the same case starting Monday. The trial is expected to last a week in state District Judge Raquel “Rocky” Jones’ court.
District Attorney John Creuzot, who was not directly involved in presenting the case during the first trial, led jury selection for the prosecution Thursday.
Chemirmir has maintained his innocence and told The Dallas Morning News earlier this year that he is confident he will never be sent to prison.
