As the jury in the murder trial of Sandra Kolalou, 37, began their deliberations on Monday, the family of victim Frances Walker expressed their hope for a verdict that would provide some measure of closure more than two years after her horrific death.
Kolalou is accused of murdering Walker, a 69-year-old landlord whose severed body parts were found inside a kitchen freezer in her Northwest Side home in October 2022. Her torso has never been recovered.
During her testimony, Kolalou insisted on her innocence, claiming that she and Walker were close friends. Her defense attorneys pointed the finger at other tenants and Walker’s husband, Hristo Mantchev, as the potential culprits.
Walker’s family members were visibly upset during the defense’s arguments, which cast aspersions on their character. But prosecutors urged the jury to focus on the evidence, including the bloody rags found in a trash bag Kolalou allegedly discarded at a beach. They also highlighted the fact that Walker had served Kolalou with an eviction notice prior to her death.
The trial has featured testimony from numerous witnesses, including tenants who reported hearing an argument between Walker and Kolalou before her body was discovered. The prosecution also presented evidence of Kolalou attempting to use Walker’s credit card and being in possession of a knife when she was detained by police.
A DNA expert called by the defense testified that Kolalou’s DNA was found on some of the plastic bags containing Walker’s body parts, but there was also “unknown” DNA present. The defense attempted to discredit both the physical evidence and witness testimony, but prosecutors emphasized that their theories lacked a solid foundation.
The jury is now tasked with determining whether Kolalou is guilty of murder. The Walker family is hopeful that the outcome of the trial will provide them with some semblance of peace after the unimaginable tragedy they have endured.
