Prosecutors: Officers spoke to, released woman three times before her arrest in murder, dismemberment of landlord
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Bond was denied Thursday for the woman accused of brutally murdering and dismembering her landlord in an Arcadia Terrace neighborhood rooming house this week.
Cook County Criminal Court Judge Barbara Dawkins issued the no-bond order Thursday for Sandra Kolalou.
In court, a prosecutors indicated that police talked with the suspected killer and let her go three different times before she was finally arrested.
Kolalou, 36, is charged with one felony count each of first-degree murder and concealing a homicidal death in the murder of 69-year-old Frances Walker. She was also charged with one misdemeanor count of aggravated assault with the use of a deadly weapon, on allegations that she pulled a knife on a tow truck driver who unwittingly took her to dispose of the remains.
The murder happened in a house at 5919 N. Washtenaw Ave., just north of Thorndale Avenue, in a quiet community of bungalows and two-flats. Stephen Tyng Mather High School is located just a couple of blocks to the west, while Green Briar Park, Wolfy's hot dogs, and other popular spots are located on Peterson Avenue about a block to the north.
In a proffer, Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Anne McCord Rodgers said five tenants were renting rooms in the wood-frame house with white aluminum siding and paying rent to Walker. Both Walker and Kolalou had rooms on the first floor, and a tenant also occupied the basement, McCord Rodgers said.
Each floor of the house has a full kitchen and bathroom, and each tenant only uses the kitchen and bathroom on their floor, McCord Rodgers said.
Kolalou moved into her first-floor bedroom in July of this year, McCord Rodgers said.
On Friday, Oct. 7, having received complaints from other tenants about Kolalou, Walker changed the locks on two doors in the house to keep Kolalou from going into the basement – where another tenant lived, McCord Rodgers said.
On Sunday, Oct. 9, Walker went on to post an eviction notice on Kolalou's door, McCord Rodgers said. At 11 p.m. that night, Walker and Kolalou were seen quarreling about the eviction, McCord Rodgers said.
Around 2:30 a.m. Monday, other tenants heard loud bangs as Walker and Kolalou quarreled, McCord Rodgers said.
"The basement tenant heard defendant screaming and what sounded like a dish breaking," McCord Rodgers said. "The basement tenant heard the victim's voice trying to calm down the defendant and that was the last time she heard the victim."
The upstairs tenant also heard the quarrel and texted Walker to see if she was okay – but Walker did not respond, and the upstairs tenant did not hear Walker's voice after that either, McCord Rodgers said.
The upstairs tenant heard more activity on the first floor in the early-morning hours, including what sounded like one person pacing and furniture being moved, McCord Rodgers said.
Beginning at 6 a.m., the upstairs and downstairs tenants started getting texts from Walker's phone, which told them to allow Kolalou to care for Walker's dog, and to give Kolalou their keys if they moved out, McCord Rodgers said. The tenants thought something was very off, and at noon Monday, the basement tenant called police, McCord Rodgers said.
Police came, spoke to Kolalou and the basement tenant, and left, McCord Rodgers said.
Around 5:40 p.m., another tenant in the house filed a missing persons report for Walker, and police came again, McCord Rodgers said. This time, officers knocked on the doors and windows of the first floor and asked Kolalou to come out, but she did not, McCord Rodgers said.
At 5:44 p.m., Kolalou called a tow truck and asked to go to about three miles to Foster Beach, where her car was parked, McCord Rodgers said. The tow truck arrived about 45 minutes later, and Kolalou walked out of the house with a large plastic garbage bag in hand, McCord Rodgers said.
But officers stopped Kolalou for the second time that day before she left, and she gave them consent to search her room, McCord Rodgers said. She dropped the garbage bag and accompanied officers to her room at the back of the house, McCord Rodgers said. Nothing of interest was found there, so police let Kolalou go, McCord Rodgers said.
A witness looked in the black plastic garbage bag while Kolalou was gone, and found paper, greeting cards, and several white tied bags in it, McCord Rodgers said. The witness also reached inside the bag and "felt something heavy inside like sand," McCord Rodgers said.
Meanwhile, the tow truck had been waiting outside the whole time. A witness earlier described by police as one of the tenants told the tow truck driver what was going on, and the tow truck driver gave the witness his business card, McCord Rodgers said.
Finally, Kolalou got into the tow truck with the black plastic bag, and they went to Foster Beach, McCord Rodgers said. When they got to the beach, Kolalou got out and shoved the garbage bag into a trash can, McCord Rodgers said. The tow truck driver talked to a tenant witness on the phone and told the witness what he saw Kolalou doing with the bag, McCord Rodgers said.
The tow truck driver then took Kolalou and her car to a mechanic's shop. Meanwhile, three tenants – including the one who had looked inside the bag – drove to Foster Beach and waited at a distance until the tow truck with Kolalou left, McCord Rodgers said.
The tenants opened the trash can and found several white garbage bags inside, McCord Rodgers said. The person who had looked in the bag back at the house recognized the white bags, McCord Rodgers said.
Police rushed to the scene and found paper and greeting cards in the bags as the tenant in the house had seen earlier – but they also found pooled blood and blood-soaked rags, McCord Rodgers said.
Meanwhile back at the house, a tenant found blood in Walker's bedroom, near Kolalou's bedroom, and in the common area, McCord Rodgers said. The tow truck driver – who was still at the mechanic shop with Kolalou – was alerted that there had been blood in the bags, McCord Rodgers said.
Police contacted the tow truck driver, and he stalled Kolalou at the mechanic's shop until police arrived, McCord Rodgers said. When they got there, officers talked to Kolalou for the third time that day – and released her again, McCord Rodgers said.
But because the police had gotten involved, the mechanic refused to service Kolalou's car, McCord Rodgers said. The tow truck driver then drove Kolalou from the mechanic to the area near Western and Estes avenues in West Rogers Park to park her car, McCord Rodgers said.
Kolalou then provided Walker's credit card to pay the truck driver, McCord Rodgers said. At that point, the tow truck driver noticed Kolalou had something in her hand with a red handle, McCord Rodgers said.
The tow truck driver and Kolalou both got out of the tow truck, and Kolalou demanded that he take her elsewhere, McCord Rodgers said. The tow truck driver would not do so, and Kolalou got upset and pulled that item with the red handle – which was a knife, McCord Rodgers said.
The tow truck driver yelled to police in the area that Kolalou had a knife, and used a stick to keep her away, McCord Rodgers said. This time, Kolalou was arrested, and officers took the knife from her, McCord Rodgers said.
Officers also found a crumpled-up black plastic garbage bag in the trunk, McCord Rodgers said.
A search warrant was then executed on the Washtenaw Avenue house. In the first-floor kitchen freezer, police found Walker's severed head, dismembered arms, and dismembered legs, McCord Rodgers said.
Walker's torso has not been located, McCord Rodgers said.
Police found blood in numerous places in the house, including the common area between Walker's room and Kolalou's, the threshold leading to Kolalou's room, many locations in Walker's room, the first-floor bathroom sink and closet, on two chef knives found in the first-floor kitchen, and on a Lysol bottle in Kolalou's room, McCord Rodgers said.
Walker's phone was also found in Kolalou's room next to her bed, McCord Rodgers said.
Kolalou has no prior felony convictions, but she does have several misdemeanor convictions going back to an assault with a deadly weapon conviction in Guilford County, North Carolina in 2007. She served 60 days in jail in that case.
Kolalou was also charged with domestic battery for hitting her 14-year-old niece and 15-year-old cousin with a belt, prosecutors said. She also has two convictions of driving under the influence on her record.
We have also learned police were called to the Washtenaw Avenue house five times before they started getting the call about a missing person on Monday.
Records obtained by the CBS 2 Investigators showing calls for service at the house indicate that police were called three times on Friday and were also called twice the day before – all for "disturbances."
'She was the nicest person,' another tenant says of Frances Walker
Walker was known by most of the people on her block between Thorndale and Peterson avenues. Some were friendly with her dogs, while she welcomed others into the neighborhood.
CBS 2's Charlie De Mar talked with another tenant at the Washtenaw Avenue house, who met Kolalou for the first time last week. Ellen Rodin said her interaction with Kolalou was normal – but some tenants were afraid of Kolalou.
Rodin also emphasized the depth of Walker's kindness and generosity.
"She was just the nicest person. She took me in, and when I had financial issues, she said, 'It's okay, pay me when you pay me,'" Rodin said. "She was just so gentle. She was so gentle."
Rodin moved in just before the COVID-19 pandemic began, and last saw Walker on Saturday.
"She had expressed some concerns around the house," Rodin said. "She did not seem worried or nervous."
Rodin said those concerns centered around Kolalou, who by then had been served with the eviction notice and restricted from parts of the house by new locks.
"What she said was that Sandra had been going into the tenant in the basement - her bedroom - without permission, leaving notes - threatening notes – saying, 'Go back to your own country,'" Rodin said.
Rodin was also shocked that such a brutal and gruesome murder could happen over a possible eviction.
"Fran's never been the one to say, 'Get out this minute.' You know, she gives you 30 to 60 days," Rodin said. "I can't imagine anything making somebody that angry to do something like that."
Rodin's sense of safety and comfort that she once felt inside the home is forever shattered.
"The sadness, the anger, the confusion, the disbelief that something like this happened," Rodin said. "This is not going to be forgotten. This is not something that we're just going to just go back to normal anytime soon."
The tenants are now allowed back inside Washtenaw Avenue house – it is no longer a crime scene. Rodin says she has been back to grab some belongings, but she is not staying at the house, and doesn't know when she will feel comfortable returning.
As for Kolalou, she is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Monday, Oct. 31.