The family of a Chicago landlady found murdered in a freezer say they have repeatedly complained to police about the tenant, who is accused of killing them.
Relatives of church organist Frances Walker, 69, said police have responded to calls about suspect Sandra Kolalou, 36, “many times” but nothing has been done.
They visited her home a total of five times in October – but nothing was done and Kolalou allegedly killed Walker.
She is said to have butchered the landlady and her dog on October 10 – a day after Walker posted an eviction notice on her door.
Frances Walker, 69, was allegedly murdered and dismembered by her tenant, Sandra Kolalou
Walker’s niece, Cory, said her aunt called the police about Kolalou several times before the murder
Walker was in the process of evicting her over complaints of frightening behavior from neighbors at the white-framed house on North Washtenaw Avenue where she rented her guest rooms to female tenants.
Kolalou allegedly dismembered Walker’s body with a butcher knife and stored her remains in a freezer. She is also suspected of killing Walker’s dog.
She was charged with first-degree murder and covering up a murder.
Walker’s relatives told ABC7 about their repeated complaints to the police about Kolalou.
Her niece Cory Walker said: “I have a feeling their hands were tied or maybe there was something that could have been done differently
“It changed the trajectory of our lives. It leaves such a hole.”
The house where Kolalou allegedly murdered and dismembered Walker with a butcher knife
Walker’s brother Jerome said the family was struggling to come to terms with her murder
She added: “You have rights as a tenant, but if you fear for your safety or if there are problems, the landlord should have rights, not just as a landlord but as a roommate on the domain.”
In a tribute to her aunt, a very popular member of the local community, Corey said, “She played the church organ at churches and funerals. she was so nice She gave everyone a chance.”
Her brother Jerome Walker added: “The whole situation is tough for me. It’s easy for me to talk about it, but it’s hard for me to deal with the situation.”
Attorney Gil Soffer told ABC7: “The law always seeks a balance of protecting tenants’ rights while protecting the rights of the landlord.
“It hasn’t crossed the line enough for the police to actually take her into custody and take her away, that’s the bigger issue here, even more than how long she’s legally allowed to stay in this apartment.”
Chicago police at the scene where Walker was “dismembered” by her renter
Kolalou, 36, was arrested last winter when a neighbor said she assaulted her on Walker’s property
Kolalou is said to have tried to kill a neighbor earlier this year, even singing a frightening song, it was alleged after her arrest.
A woman who lived at Walker’s boarding house said Kolalou cornered her in a stairwell, then pushed her to the ground and tried to strangle her.
The woman claimed Kolalou tried to stick an inhaler down her throat while chanting, “I’m a doctor, I can kill you.” I’m a doctor, I can help you’ throughout the argument.
“She lay on top of me, put her hand on my nose and squeezed it,” the woman said. “Put her other hand over my mouth, closing it. Tried to kill me.’
The woman has asthma and had just got out her inhaler when she encountered Kolalou trying to put the device in her mouth.
Church organist Walker rented the vacant spaces of her Chicago home to female tenants
Kolalou was evicted after other tenants complained of fear of her
Kolalou was arrested on Monday after neighbors called the police to say they heard screams at the boarding house and that no one had been able to contact them for hours.
When officers arrived at the home, they found Kolalou getting into a tow truck she had rented. When officers asked her to speak, she declined, saying she knew her rights.
Kolalou then directed the tow truck driver to take her to the nearby beach, where she threw a large plastic bag into a trash can.
She then tried to pay the driver with a card that belonged to Walker and when the driver refused, she became angry and tried to attack him with a pocket knife.
Kolalou was arrested after the altercation and the police officer found bloodied rags in the trash can on the beach.
Then they found Walker’s body in a freezer.