Convicted ‘Freezer Killer’ to Receive $2.8M Payout Following CTA Lawsuit

CHICAGO — An Illinois appellate court has upheld a nearly $3 million verdict against the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), ruling that a woman currently serving a 58-year sentence for the gruesome murder and dismemberment of her landlord is still entitled to damages from a 2018 bus accident.

​Sandra Kolalou, 39, who now goes by her maiden name Sandra White, was convicted in April 2024 for the 2022 killing of 69-year-old Frances Walker. Prosecutors described a chilling scene where Kolalou murdered Walker following an eviction notice, later disposing of her remains in a lakefront garbage bin and a kitchen freezer.

​However, the Illinois First District Appellate Court ruled on December 31 that Kolalou’s criminal history was “legally irrelevant” to the personal injury claim she filed years before the murder took place.

​A Tale of Two Trials

​The legal saga began on March 1, 2018, when Kolalou was struck by a CTA bus while walking in a crosswalk on Chicago’s far North Side. She filed suit in 2019, alleging permanent neurological and orthopedic injuries that left her with chronic, “10 out of 10” pain.

​By the time the civil case reached trial in early 2023, Kolalou was already in custody at Cook County Jail awaiting trial for Walker’s murder. In a strategic move to prevent jury bias, a judge allowed her to proceed under the name “Sandra White” and testify via video link while wearing civilian clothing. Jurors were never informed that the plaintiff was a suspected killer or that she was speaking from a jail cell.

​The CTA fought the proceedings, arguing that it was impossible for Kolalou to suffer “loss of a normal life” while facing decades in prison. The agency also presented social media evidence—including photos of Kolalou cliff-jumping and traveling to Egypt—to suggest her injuries were not as debilitating as claimed. Despite these arguments, a jury initially awarded her $3 million, a figure later adjusted to $2.8 million in a second trial.

​The Appellate Decision

​In its recent ruling, the appellate court acknowledged the “troubling result” of awarding millions to a convicted murderer but maintained that the law required the civil and criminal matters to remain separate.

​”Our decision should not be read as an endorsement of White’s conduct,” the court wrote, noting that the CTA failed to prove that her incarceration should legally bar her from receiving compensation for injuries sustained as a private citizen.

​The payout includes $400,000 for future medical care and $500,000 for the “future loss of a normal life.” The CTA had argued these awards were speculative given that Kolalou will not be eligible for parole until she is 90 years old.

​Background of the Crime

​The murder that shocked Chicago occurred in October 2022. According to testimony, Walker had served Kolalou with an eviction notice at her West Ridge rooming house just days before she disappeared.

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​The case took a macabre turn when a tow truck driver, whom Kolalou had hired to take her to the lakefront, witnessed her dumping heavy garbage bags. When police searched Walker’s home, they discovered the victim’s head and limbs inside a kitchen freezer.

​Kolalou was sentenced in July 2024 to 50 years for first-degree murder, with additional consecutive years for dismemberment and identity theft. While she remains behind bars, the CTA’s legal avenues to block the multi-million dollar award appear to have reached an end.