Woman who killed, dismembered landlord still owed nearly $3 million from CTA lawsuit

An Illinois appellate court upheld a $2.8 million judgment against the Chicago Transit Authority last week for a woman struck by a CTA bus in 2018, even though she was later convicted of killing and dismembering her landlord in an unrelated case.

The 1st District Appellate Court rejected the CTA’s request to overturn the verdict, ruling that evidence of the woman’s criminal case was properly excluded from the civil trial and that the transit agency failed to show legal grounds for a new trial or judgment reduction.

Sandra Kolalou, also known as Sandra White in court filings, was hit while crossing a street in March 2018. She sued the CTA and its bus driver, claiming chronic orthopedic and neurological injuries from the crash. With the CTA and the driver admitting negligence, jurors were asked only to determine damages.

Kolalou’s civil case proceeded while she faced separate criminal charges in Cook County. In April 2024, a jury convicted Kolalou on the charges of first-degree murder in the 2022 death of her landlord, 69-year-old Frances Walker.

Kolalou was arrested after Walker's severed head, arms and legs were discovered in a kitchen freezer at the home they shared in the Arcadia Terrace neighborhood. Prosecutors said Walker, an organist, was killed two days after serving Kolalou with an eviction notice.

Attempts to reach Walker’s family on Monday for reaction to the appellate court's decision were unsuccessful.

Kolalou was sentenced to 58 years in prison, which means she will be behind bars until at least 2076.

At trial in the civil case, the judge barred mention of Kolalou’s name, criminal charges or incarceration and allowed her to testify via video from jail in civilian clothing, citing concerns about bias.

The CTA argued on appeal that jurors should have been informed about her criminal case, as her imprisonment undermined her claims for future damages. But the appellate court disagreed.

The initial jury in 2023 awarded roughly $3 million, but a judge ordered a retrial after concluding that Kolalou intentionally violated discovery by failing to disclose her social media accounts. CTA lawyers argued that the activities and travel seen in Kolalou’s social media posts were inconsistent with her condition.

Kolalou explained that she only shared positive moments and did not post on days when she was in pain.

A second jury later awarded her about $2.8 million.

In its decision, the appeals court wrote that excluding evidence of the unrelated criminal case was within the trial court’s discretion as it was more likely to prejudice jurors than help determine the CTA’s liability.

“But our decision should not be read as an endorsement of [Kolalou's] conduct,” wrote the court. “Nothing in the opinion excuses or minimizes the nature of [Kolalou's] actions.”

Kolalou’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.