Phyllis Payne, a 91-year-old woman, passed away on May 14, 2016. Initially, her family believed she had died peacefully in her sleep. However, two years later, they were shocked to learn that she had been murdered by a suspected serial killer. Phyllis Payne was a vibrant and spunky woman who spent the last Christmas of her life enjoying her family and taking holiday photos.
She lived at Edgemere Senior Living, where she felt safe, and was still driving, volunteering, and traveling at the age of 91.
Phyllis Payne's daughter, Loren Adair, received a call from a Dallas police detective informing her that they believed Phyllis had been murdered by Billy Chemirmir, a suspected serial killer. Chemirmir, a healthcare worker who sometimes posed as a handyman, was charged with smothering Phyllis and stealing her belongings. The stolen items, including jewelry and silver, were sold by Chemirmir just a few hours after the murder. To confirm the murder, Phyllis's family made the difficult decision to exhume her body from Restland Cemetery.
Billy Chemirmir has been indicted for 12 murders in Dallas, Plano, and Frisco, and is suspected of many more. The nature of how the women died makes it difficult to determine the actual number of victims. Chemirmir's modus operandi involved smothering elderly women and stealing their belongings. Phyllis Payne's family wants her to be remembered as a loving mother, grandmother, and friend who lived her life to the fullest.
Phyllis Payne's murder is part of a larger case involving the Texas serial elder murders. The fatal age bias of police and others made it easy for Chemirmir to continue his spree against two dozen older women in the Dallas area. Chemirmir was serving two life sentences without parole after being convicted of a pair of slayings last year. On September 19, 2023, Texas officials announced that Chemirmir had been found dead in his cell at a Texas prison, with his cellmate identified as the alleged assailant.
Phyllis Payne's death highlights the vulnerability of elderly women and the importance of thorough investigations to uncover the truth behind their deaths. Her family continues to remember her as a vibrant and loving individual who brought joy to those around her.
