The family of a woman who died in 2017 is suing the assisted living facility where she lived, saying the woman died at the hands of an accused serial killer, according to a lawsuit.
The lawsuit says Doris Wasserman, 90, was one of at least nine residents murdered at The Tradition-Prestonwood Assisted Living and Memory Care by Billy Chemirmir between 2016 and 2017. Wasserman died Dec. 23, 2017.
If Wasserman was one of Chemirmir's victims, it would bring the total number of deaths linked to the accused serial killer to 19.
The family says in the lawsuit Wasserman did not die of natural causes and that the facility she lived in failed to provide adequate security for residents.
Chemirmir currently faces charges for the murders of 12 elderly women in Dallas and Collin counties. He's accused of either strangling or suffocating elderly victims to steal jewelry and other valuables.
The lawsuit says after Wasserman's death, $8,500 worth of jewelry was determined to be missing from her apartment.
Police shared with Wasserman's family that Google tracking data placed Chemirmir in The Tradition-Prestonwood between 3:05 p.m. and 4:31 p.m. on Dec. 23, 2017, the lawsuit says. Wasserman died around 3:30 p.m., according to the suit.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"We believe that The Tradition put profits over the safety of its residents. To say that this family is devastated and feels betrayed by The Tradition would be a gross understatement," the family's attorney Quentin Brogdon said. "Doris Wasserman and her family entrusted Ms. Wasserman's safety into the hands of The Tradition because of The Tradition's promises about safety and security -- promises that were made but never kept."
Police arrested Chemirmir last year and announced investigators would review hundreds of unattended death cases for additional potential victims.
Wasserman is the ninth alleged victim of Chemirmir who lived at The Tradition-Prestonwood, and was not included in a lawsuit filed June 26 which named six alleged victims.
Police have said Chemirmir posed as a maintenance or healthcare worker to gain access to elderly people in facilities across Dallas and Collin counties.
According to NBC 5's media partner The Dallas Morning News, Chemirmir is in the Dallas County Jail in lieu of a $11.6 million bail.
The Tradition-Prestonwood released the following statement Monday.
“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.”
