Important update on woman ‘dismembered with butcher knife and stuffed in freezer’ after tenant spotted carrying heavy bag

An arrest has been made in connection with the death of a woman whose remains were found in a freezer at her home.

The body of 69-year-old Frances Walker was found in her home where she rented rooms to female tenants.

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Authorities believe one of Walker’s renters killed her before cutting her body into pieces and placing it in the freezer.

Sandra Kolalou, 36, was arrested and police say she did not cooperate with the investigation.

She was charged with first-degree murder and covering up a murder, police said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Police Chief Brendan Deenihan said it appeared a large butcher knife was used to dismember Walker’s body.

Walker, a pianist at her local church, was a popular member of the community in which she lived for decades.

“Fran was gentle, sweet, generous, kind. I just can’t believe an ending like this,” said Kerry Hubata, co-founder of the Evanston School of Ballet, where Walker played piano.

Her neighbors were concerned after not seeing her tending their garden over the weekend.

Walker was an avid gardener who often walked her dog, Lukey, around the neighborhood.

Maggie Walker, the victim’s sister-in-law, shared a heartbreaking tribute, calling Walker the “kindest person you’ll ever meet” in a social media post.

“Softly spoken, religious, plays at various masses for Sunday services.

“She was also the only caretaker for our older brother Stan, who has special needs and lives in an institution. We don’t even know how to explain this tragedy to him.

“We are all shocked [sic] this barbaric act of the tenant.”

WALKERS DISAPPEAR

One of Walker’s tenants reported her missing Monday, saying she saw another tenant carrying a heavy bag to a tow truck.

Police tracked down the driver, who said a woman had left the bag at a lakeside garbage can. He also told police officers that she pulled a knife on him.

The bag was found by police, who said it contained blood-soaked rags.

After finding this, police entered Walker’s home and made the grim discovery in the freezer.

“When police arrived, this person informed the police that there was another suspect living in the apartment who the other renters were afraid of,” said Brendan Deenihan, chief of detectives for the Chicago Police Department.

“And this suspect had recently called a tow truck and carried a heavy bag to the tow truck.

“Because of this evidence, detectives were able to enter the residence and eventually discovered human remains in a freezer.

“At that point we withdrew from the residence to obtain a search warrant.”

When police officers were asked about a possible motive for the horrific attack, they referred to a recent eviction notice.

Deenihan said Walker gave Kolalou an eviction order “as recently as Saturday.”

Kolalou’s ex-husband, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Chicago Sun-Times he couldn’t see her murdering anyone.

The two ended their marriage in 2008 after he joined the US Army and left the country while she moved to North Carolina before eventually moving to Chicago.

He said Kolalou attended community college to “get her life back on track” and pursued a career as a certified nursing assistant.

“I knew that about her based on the time we had in North Carolina,” her ex said. “But people change over time. people do.”

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