Stalking, Suffocating & Stealing: Preying on the Elderly

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Season 1 | Episode 45

A serial killer targeted senior citizens posing as a caretaker or maintenance man.  It could happen to any family who has an elderly parent in need of care.  Can something be done to help our seniors be safe? 

Dr. Phil takes on America’s elder care crisis. One in 10 seniors aged 60 plus have experienced some type of elder abuse. Some say as many as 5 million seniors are abused each year. Shannon and Loren thought their moms were safe in upscale retirement communities until the unthinkable happened. Their moms were among the dozens of victims stalked, terrorized, and killed by the “Pillowcase Murderer,” Billy Chemirmir. For 2 years, the killer preyed upon seniors across Dallas. During his two-year killing spree, Chemirmir was able to roam freely through the halls of posh retirement communities, targeting vulnerable seniors. Dr. Phil also talks to Josh, a security guard who confronted the killer and may have single-handedly stopped the murders in one community. Are retirement communities’ management doing everything they can to make sure their residents are safe?  Why did no one seem in this community take notice of the body count? Dr. Phil finds out how it happened and what you need to know before placing your loved ones in a senior care community. Plus, Dallas County DA, John Creuzot and ADA Glen Fitzmartin talk about their trial strategy once the killer was finally caught, how they made sure he would never get out of prison, and the violent fate that befell Chemirmir inside prison walls. Loni Coombs tells Dr. Phil that this story had to be told and she helped create a 3-part docuseries with See It Now Studios called the “Pillowcase Murders” streaming on Paramount+.