Chicago woman sentenced for killing landlord, leaving dismembered remains in freezer

CHICAGO (TCN) -- A 39-year-old woman has been ordered to spend nearly six decades in prison for killing and dismembering her landlord in 2022 and leaving the woman’s remains in the freezer.

WBBM-TV reports a judge sentenced Sandra Kolalou to 58 years behind bars for the death of her landlord, Frances Walker. She received 50 years for first-degree murder, six for dismemberment, and two years for identity theft. A jury convicted her of those charges in April.

Her attorneys are going to appeal her sentence.

On Oct. 10, 2022, Chicago Police Department officers were called to a residence on the 5900 block of North Washtenaw Avenue and discovered human remains.

Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said in a press conference at the time that tenants who lived in Walker’s residence became worried because they had not seen her in over a day. They reportedly heard screaming at around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 10 and reported Walker missing after not having any contact with her. Deenihan said residents were "afraid" of Kolalou and police had received calls from tenants about her in the past.

When Chicago Police officers went to the residence on Washtenaw Avenue, they reportedly saw Kolalou getting into a tow truck, which she ordered using Walker’s credit card. Kolalou reportedly told the tow truck driver to take her to Foster Beach, but before they left, tenants exchanged information with the driver and told him they believed Kolalou was "dangerous."

According to Deenihan, when the driver and Kolalou arrived at Foster Beach, she reportedly "placed a large bag in a garbage can." Tenants who followed the tow truck discovered bloody rags inside the trash and contacted police.

Back at the residence, police "couldn’t find any signs of blood or foul play," but when they learned about the other evidence, they conducted an additional search and discovered blood in Walker’s room. They also "found gruesome remains in a freezer."

Kolalou reportedly threatened the tow truck driver with a knife because he kept in contact with the tenants. She was quickly arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Once police located Walker’s remains, Kolalou was charged with the additional crimes.

WGN-TV reports Kolalou argued at her sentencing hearing that she was innocent, saying, "I understand a jury found me legally liable for murder. But I did not commit this crime. With God as my witness, I never harmed Fran."

Walker’s sister, Benita Walker, said, "Sandra asked the judge for mercy, but she did not give my sister any mercy."

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