Chicago Woman Sentenced for Murder to Receive $3 Million from CTA

A woman in Chicago, currently serving a 58-year sentence for murdering and dismembering her landlord, has been awarded nearly $3 million from the city’s transit authority, following a recent court ruling.

The Illinois First District Court of Appeals upheld a jury’s decision on December 31, which mandated the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to pay Sandra Collaroo $2.8 million. This award was made in connection with a personal injury case after she claimed to have been injured in a bus accident. The CTA’s attempt to overturn this ruling was unsuccessful, according to reports. Collaroo is expected to remain incarcerated until at least July 2076, when she will be 90 years old.

A Cook County jury found Collaroo guilty of murder in April 2024 for killing 69-year-old Frances Walker in October 2022, shortly after she received an eviction notice from Walker. Judge Ursula Walowski sentenced her to 50 years for the murder, along with additional sentences for mutilating a corpse and identity theft.

Collaroo had rented a room from Walker in Chicago’s Arcadia Terrace. Prosecutors noted that the murder took place just days after the eviction. The civil case arises from an incident in March 2018, in which Collaroo alleged that a CTA bus struck her while she was crossing the street. The following year, she filed a lawsuit against the CTA and the bus driver, claiming severe pain as a result of the accident.

For her civil trial, Collaroo’s lawyers successfully requested that she be referred to as Sandra White, her maiden name, and the judge prohibited any reference to her murder charge or current prison status during the proceedings.

The appeals court made it clear that their ruling should not be viewed as support for Collaroo’s actions.