Angel Maturino Resendiz, or, "The Railroad Killer", as he is more commonly known, was a clever and brutal man full of hate and ferocity. Twisted and violent, he toured the countryside as a stowaway on railroad freight cars, dropping off at stop points to bash a few people to death, then promptly returning to his personal taxi service to continue his American tour. Resendiz’s was cunning and deceptive, routinely changing his name and appearance. Throughout much of the pursuit of Resendiz his name was thought to be Rafael Ramirez. Mr. Resendiz was an illegal immigrant from Mexico, who crossed into the United States frequently. He murdered over a large expanse of terrain, from near the Texas-Mexico border all the way to Illinois and Kentucky, via the Railways. His motive is believed to be hate, a personal grudge against the United States in general. His methods, gruesome and unorganized, showed him for the monster that he was and still is today. Mostly, his killings resulted from a need for food, drugs, alcohol, and most of the time, money. Resendiz wandered aimlessly, he himself having no idea where he was going, simply leeching to the train and tagging along. This was his most elusive strategy, and amazingly enough, it was accidental on his part.

One needs to understand that Resendiz was not a poor vagabond, floating aimless on the wind, and killing to survive. He was a sly, murderous creature, preying on elderly. He was a rapist as well. FBI profiler John Douglas says he believed rape was a less important, secondary motive for Resendiz. However, secondary or not, the cruelty of it remains. He was meditative, often casing the home of his victim thoroughly before attack. He followed a fairly strict routine, always killing near railroad tracks, for a speedy departure, often covering his victims, in true serial killer signature fashion. Included are the stories of the confirmed Resendiz murders.

August 29, 1997 in Lexington, Kentucky:
Christopher Maier and his girlfriend are walking along a set of railroad tracks when they are assaulted by Resendiz. The murderer ruthlessly bludgeons Mr. Maier to death with a rock, and follows this with the rape of Maier’s girlfriend. She survived the attack, suffering a crushed eye socket.

October 2, 1998 in Hughes Springs, Texas( I live 5 minutes from this town):
Leafie Mason is discovered in her home, mercilessly beaten in the head with an antique iron. She died quickly and brutally. Resendiz left a partial palm print on the 87 year old ladies windowpane.

December 17,1998 in West University Place, Texas:
Dr. Claudia Benton is discovered at her home, raped, stabbed, and clubbed to death. She was stabbed three times and bludgeoned some 19 times. She was 39 years old.

May 2, 1999 in Weimar, Texas:
Rev. Norman J. "Skip" Sirnic, and his wife Karen, are found in the church’s parsonage, heartlessly bashed in with their own sledgehammer. The couple, in their late forties, were discovered by a United Church of Christ parishoner.

June 3 or 4, 1999 in Houston, Texas:
Noemi Dominguez is found, clubbed to death in her apartment. She was a 26 year-old schoolteacher. Her car, a 1993 Honda Civic, was located a week later in Del Rio, Texas.

June 4, 1999 in Fayette County, Texas:
Josephine Konvicka is discovered by her daughter dead in her farmhouse, apparently beaten in the head with a sharp garden tool.

June 14, 1999 in Gorham, Illinois:
George Morber and his daughter are found dead in his home. Morber was shot in the head with a shotgun, and his daughter was abruptly turned on and beaten to death with the gun itself. Morber was 80, and his daughter, 52.

Not a month after the last murder, Drew Carter, a Texas Ranger, in conjunction with Resendez’s sister, Manuela, coerced Resendiz into surrender. The surrender occurred on July 13, 1999. Resendiz actually shook hands with the young Ranger upon their meeting.

Presently, Resendiz sits on death row in Livingston, Texas for the murder of Dr. Claudia Benton, which is the only murder he has actually went to trial and been convicted of. He was formally charged with the others. Resendiz sits and waits to die quietly
 

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