Trial for Chicago woman accused of dismembering landlord, hiding body in freezer postponed

CHICAGO - The woman who was charged with murdering and dismembering her landlord at a West Rogers Park home in October 2022 appeared in court Monday morning to ask that the trial be postponed. 

Sandra Kolalou faces murder and other charges after Chicago police searched a home where she rented a room and found 69-year-old Frances Walker’s head, arms and legs stuffed inside a kitchen freezer, officials said.

Sean Brown, attorney for 36-year-old Kolalou, demanded her right to a speedy trial during a hearing in February 2023, saying his client was framed and is innocent. 

The jury trial was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. but has been delayed to April 15, 2024. 

On Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, tenants in a home in the 5900 block of North Washtenaw Avenue heard screaming.

Police say the other tenants tried texting and calling Walker to make sure everything was OK. They got a text response back, but it was later discovered that the response was sent by Kolalou.

Later that day, after not being able to contact Walker, the tenants called the police to report a missing person.

When officers arrived at the scene, Kolalou was leaving the home and allegedly told police she knew her rights and didn't want to talk to the officers.

Sandra Kolalou (previous mugshot) and Francis Walker (photo courtesy: Legal Help Firm)

Tenants in the building were so concerned, prosecutors said, that they followed Kolalou to Foster Beach after she called a tow truck driver to bring her car from a parking lot there to a mechanic and saw her deposit a garbage bag in a trash container that was later found to contain bloody rags.

Kolalou was arrested after she allegedly threatened the tow truck driver with a knife when he refused to relocate her car after she was denied service by the mechanic and he called out for police, who were close by.

Prosecutors also alleged that shortly before Walker was last seen, she was heard arguing with Kolalou about being served an eviction notice. Brown says that was impossible because Kolalou was seen on surveillance video attending a birthday party at a hotel in Warrenville at the time the argument allegedly took place.

Judge Ursula Walowski said despite Brown pointing out various possible inconsistencies in the state’s allegations, a previous judge’s decision to deny Kolalou bail would continue to stand.

"I don’t find it persuasive," Walowski said.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.