Daughters Behind New Lawsuit Linked To Accused Serial Killer Bill Chemirmir Speak Out

Humor, sass and smiles – that's how the daughters of Juanita Purdy, Leah Corken and Glenna Day want them remembered.

Yet, they are haunted by their final moments.

The three women were all friends and neighbors on the fourth floor of The Tradition-Prestonwood in Dallas.

They all suddenly died during a three-month span in 2016. The Dallas County Medical Examiner ruled their deaths as natural causes.

Yet, now their families believe they were all smothered to death by suspected serial killer Billy Chemirmir.

"I want justice for mom. We all want justice for our mom," said M.J Jennings, daughter of Leah Corken.

In lawsuits filed against The Tradition-Prestonwood, the daughters claim the senior living community failed when it came to security and repeatedly allowed a serial killer to enter the property.

Chemirmir is charged with murder in the deaths of two residents at The Tradition-Prestonwood and in 10 other murder cases across Dallas and Collin Counties, but faces no charges in the deaths of Purdy, Corken or Day.

"You would think after the third death, there would be some flags," said Cheryl Kerr, daughter of Glenna Day. "The fourth death? How about the fifth death? The sixth one?"

Their families said employees at The Tradition-Prestonwood weren't upfront with police or other residents about suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths, specifically missing jewelry, and their actions hindered police from being able to do their job.

In the case of Juanita Purdy, her daughter said $28,000 worth of jewelry was missing and Leah Corken was found without her wedding ring on, something her daughter said was highly unusual.

"Had I know prior to my mom's death that there were several women who had died with tens of thousands of jewelry missing I would have moved my mom out that day," said Jennings.

"They concealed it, they covered it up and they didn't care, bottom line. They just didn't care," said Kerr.

And, they said cell phone evidence shared with them by Dallas detectives shows Billy Chemirmir's whereabouts on the days their loved ones died.

"Police have him pinged in my mom's room at the time of her death and they have him pinged at a pawn shop later that day," said Diana Tannery, daughter of Juanita Purdy. 

All three women said the grief of losing their mothers and the circumstances surrounding how they died is just too much.

"You try to move on and you just can't," said Jennings. "All of these women knew each other and I can't move on. It's consumed my whole life."

"It's all I think about," said Tannery.

Justice, the women said, will come with a murder conviction for Billy Chemirmir and security changes for The Tradition-Prestonwood and all senior living centers.

"Change for all independent living, not just The Tradition," said Jennings. "There has to be changes across the nation."

In a statement to NBC 5, The Tradition-Prestonwood writes:

The deaths by an alleged serial killer in peoples' homes and at multiple senior living communities in the DFW Metroplex is a true tragedy.

The Tradition-Prestonwood regards all our residents as family.

The Tradition-Prestonwood relied on the investigations of the Dallas police, its detectives, and other reputable, established governmental entities, including the Dallas County Medical Examiner, the Collin County Medical Examiner, and more. Any death was investigated by Dallas police and the Dallas County Medical Examiner and ruled as attributed to natural causes.  Additionally, there were two autopsies which also confirmed death by natural causes.

Those rulings stood for more than 27 months.

The Tradition-Prestonwood has cooperated with all the authorities and will continue to do so.  The allegations against Mr. Perlman that he withheld information are absolutely false. 

After Billy Chemirmir's initial arrest in 2018, multiple police departments announced they are reviewing hundreds of death investigations to see if there is a connection. Detectives said Chemirmir posed as a maintenance man or home health care worker to gain entry to his victims' homes.

Neither the Dallas Police Department or the Dallas County District Attorney's Office would comment citing the investigation.

Billy Chemirmir maintains his innocence on all charges and remains in the Dallas County jail on an $11 million bail.