A Chicago woman named Sandra Kolalou, 37, has been found guilty of killing and dismembering her landlord.
Kolalou was arrested and charged after body parts of her landlord, Frances Walker, 69, were discovered inside a kitchen freezer at the residence on the northwest side of Chicago, including a severed head, arms, and legs.
Initially, Kolalou was arrested after she pulled a knife on a tow truck driver who drove her to a beach on Chicago’s lakefront, as reported by police. Prosecutors said Kolalou dumped a heavy bag into a garbage can there and then pulled a knife on the driver after he refused to take her to another location.
According to prosecutors, Walker had served Kolalou with an eviction notice from the boarding house she owned prior to Kolalou killing and dismembering her in October of 2022. Walker allegedly gave her the notice two days after receiving complaints about Kolalou from other tenants.
On Monday, April 22, 2024, a Cook County jury convicted Kolalou of all the charges she faced, including first-degree murder, dismembering a body, concealing a homicidal death, and aggravated identity theft.
After the verdict on Monday, members of Walker’s family stated that the conviction brings them some closure.
“I believe justice was done, and I’m glad society will be a little bit safer without this person out there,” said Walker’s younger brother, Arnold Walker.
“Justice is served, and it doesn’t bring Fran back to us no matter what, but at least we can finally start our healing,” added Walker’s sister-in-law, Maria Maggie Walker.
Reportedly, Kolalou’s attorneys plan to appeal the verdict, as she still denies the charges. Though her sentencing remains scheduled for June 20.
