Woman allegedly used 'large butcher knives' to dismember Chicago landlord, then placed body parts in freezer. Tenant charged with first-degree murder.

Earlier this week, Chicago police discovered the body of a missing landlord inside a freezer. On Wednesday, a female tenant renting a room at the residence was charged with the landlord's gruesome murder.

Police alleged that the woman, now identified as 36-year-old Sandra Kolalou, used "large butcher knives" to dismember the victim's body before placing the body parts in a freezer at the residence.

The landlord, 63-year-old Frances Walker, was reported missing Monday evening by another tenant residing in the home.

Police stated that a possible motive for the suspect to murder her landlord was that Walker had recently served Kolalou an eviction notice.

The other tenants in the home told authorities that they heard screaming around 2:30 a.m. on Monday. Concerned, they tried calling and texting Walker. Their phone calls went unanswered, but some received text message replies.

"The residents were very cooperative," said Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan. "When they heard the scream, when they woke up in the morning, they immediately started texting the victim … started calling the victim. The victim didn't answer. There were some texts that were sent back from the victim's phone. It appears from what we know now that the defendant was sending texts from the victim's phone and not answering it."

Authorities reported that tenants and the landlord had called 911 on Kolalou regarding past incidents. They also stated that the suspect has a criminal history of some misdemeanor offenses.

"Many of the tenants who lived in this house were afraid of this individual," stated Deenihan.

Kolalou was at the home when officers arrived to conduct a wellness check, but she refused to speak with them. The suspect left in a tow truck that, authorities later discovered, was allegedly paid for using Walker's credit card.

The tenants warned the tow truck driver about their housemate and, concerned for his safety, decided to exchange phone numbers with him.

The driver notified the tenants that he witnessed Kolalou throw a trash bag into a garbage can by the beach. Some tenants followed the driver to the location and looked inside the bag, where they discovered bloody rags and linens.

Police searched the home while Kolalou was still with the tow truck driver. When she learned that the driver communicated with her housemates, she allegedly pulled a knife on him. Officers arrived on the scene and took the suspect into custody.

During their initial search, authorities did not find evidence of foul play. However, after collecting the bloody rags from the trash bag, law enforcement returned to the home to search the premises again. They discovered blood inside Kolalou's room and the landlord's dismembered body shoved into a freezer.

When brought it for questioning, Kolalou chose to remain silent. She has been charged with first-degree murder and concealment of a homicide.

Police said, based on the preliminary evidence, they believe Walker was murdered in her bedroom and dismembered on the residence's first floor. Detective Deenihan explained that, with the setup of the home, it would have been possible for no other tenants to witness the crime.

"The way the residence is set up, there's a couple apartments on the top floor – call it the second floor – and then on the floor where the victim lived, that is the same floor that Sandra resided on as well. And then there was a tenant in the basement. And there were deadbolts so people had privacy," said Deenihan.