Angel Maturino Resendez - Ο Δολοφόνος Του Σιδηρόδρομου

7/23/2019 Angel Maturino Resendez - Ο Δολοφόνος Του Σιδηρόδρομου

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ANGEL MATURINO RESENDEZ: THE RAILROAD KILLER

Terror Near Tracks

One of the more romantic elements of American folklore has been the criss-crossing rail system

of this country – steel rails carrying Americans to new territories across desert and mountain,through wheat fields and over great rivers. Carl Sandburg has flavored the mighty steam engine inelegant prose and Arlo uthrie has made the roundhouse a sturdy emblem of America!scommerce.

"ut, even the most colorful dreams have their dark sides.

#or nearly two years, a killer literally followed wheatfield America!s railroad tracks to slayunsuspecting victims before disappearing back into the pre-lit dawn. $is modus operandi wasalways the same – he struck near the rail lines he illegally rode, then stowed away on the ne%tfreight train to come his way. Always ahead of the law.

Angel &aturino 'esende(, )* years old, was apprehended early this month +uly, *** aftereluding state police for two years and slipping through a two-month #"/ net until, after ninealleged murders, he was finally traced and captured by a determined 0e%as 'anger.

1nown, for apparent reasons, as 20he 'ailroad 1iller,2 Angel 'esende( +who was knownthroughout much of the manhunt by the alias 'afael 'amire( has been called 2a man with agrudge,2 2confused,2 hostile2 and 2angry2 by the police, the news media and psychiatrists. $e isan illegal immigrant from &e%ico who crossed the international border at will. &ost of his crimestook place in central 0e%as, but he is suspected of having killed as far north as 1entucky and

/llinois.

Mugshot of AngelResendez

3hile he fits the mold of serial killers such as 4avid "erkowit( and the "oston Strangler,'esende( killed more meditatively for something he needed5 alcohol, drugs, a place to hide out,though usually money. $e raped, but 2se% seemed almost secondary,2 according to former #"/

profiler ohn 4ouglas. 4ouglas calls 'esende( 26ust a bungling crook 7very disorgani(ed,2 butone whose own disorgani(ation worked well for him. "ecause his trail was hapha(ard, because hehimself didn!t know where he was heading ne%t, this directionless, drifting form of operation kept'esende( inadvertently ever-the-more elusive. #"/ special agent 4on 1. Clark says that themanhunt was complicated by the fact that 'esende( had 2no permanent address2 while continuingto travel unchecked 2throughout the 8nited States, &e%ico and Canada.23hile his travels might best be described as spontaneous, and his slayings as combustive, that isnot to say that the 'ailroad 1iller didn!t have his own particular signature. $e pretty muchfollowed a routine. #or one, the murders all occurred 2in close pro%imity to train track locations,2to 9uote Clark.

:ate last month, in the heat of the intensive manhunt for the murderer, ohn 4ouglas described



what appeared to be the killer!s simple but deadly agenda5

23hen he hitches a ride on the freight train, he doesn!t necessarily know where the train is going."ut when he gets off, having background as a burglar, he!s able to scope out the area, do a littlesurveillance, make sure he breaks into the right house where there won!t be anyone to give him arun for his money. $e can enter a home complete with cutting glass and reaching in and undoingthe locks.

2$e!ll look through the windows and see who!s occupying it. 0he guy!s only ; foot-<, very small./n fact7the early weapons were primarily blunt-force trauma weapons, weapons of opportunityfound at the scenes. $e has to case them out, make sure he can put himself in a win-winsituation.2

3here he came from, what spurred his crime spree, what kind of man was 'esende( –these will be e%amined in the succeeding chapters. #or now, let!s pause to e%amine his list of victims.

0he 1illings

Following is a list of the nine serial murders attributed to Resendez:

Christopher Maier• VICTIM 1: August 29, 1997/e!ington" #$: Christopher Maier,

21, a %ni&ersit' of #entu()' student, and his girlfriend areatta()ed *hile *al)ing along the tra()s near the (ollege"Maier is +ludgeoned to death and she is raped and +eaten,alost to the point of death" -he ira(ulousl' sur&i&es"

• VICTIM 2: .(to+er , 1990/ughes -pring, T: .n this (ool3all e&ening, 074'ear4old ea5e Mason is haered to death+' a tire iron +' soeone *ho enters her hoe through a*indo*" er front door fa(es the #ansas Cit'4-outhern Rail

ine tra()s onl' 6 'ards a*a'"

8r" Claudia enton• VICTIM: 8e(e+er 17, 1990/ouston, T: An in&ader +rea)s

into the hoe of 8r" Claudia enton, 9, of the a'lor Collegeof Medi(ine, *hen she arri&es hoe, the intruder rapes, sta+sand +ludgeons her repeatedl' *ith a +lunt instruent" erhoe is near the rail lines that run through su+ur+an ;est



%ni&ersit' <la(e" ;hen the poli(e re(o&er her stolen =eepChero)ee in -an Antonio" T, the' 5nd 5ngerprints on thesteering (olun that at(h those of drifter Resendez, a)no*n illegal alien" Three *ee)s later, a (ount' >udge signs a*arrant for Resendez? arrest for +urglar' – +ut, strangel'

enough, not for urder" There is not enough e&iden(e, sa'she@

Re&" oran -irni( and *ife #aren• VICTIM- B 6: Ma' 2, 1999 ;eiar, T: ate at night, the

Re&erend oran =" -)ip -irni(, D, and *ife #aren, 7, arestru() to death +' a sledgehaer in the parsonage of the%nited Chur(h of Christ 44 lo(ated ad>a(ent to the to*n?srailroad" The (ouple?s red Mazda is found in -an Antoniothree *ee)s later" 3orensi( e&iden(e at(hes the )illing of8r" enton in ouston

oei 8oinguez• VICTIM D: =une , 1999: ouston, T: -(hooltea(her oei

8oinguez, 2D, is (lu++ed to death in her apartent, lo(atednear rail tra()s" -e&en da's later, troopers 5nd 8oinguez?199 *hite onda Ci&i( a+andoned at the international+ridge at 8el Rio, Te!as"

=osephine #on&i()a• VICTIM 7: =une , 1999/3a'ette Count', T: -e&ent'4three4

'ear4old =osephine #on&i()a is )illed in +ed +' a +lo* of apointed garden tool to the head" -he li&ed in a frae

farhouse not far fro ;eiar, *here a onth prior Re&"and Mrs" -ii( *ere )illed, and *ithin shado*s of a rail 'ard"er (ar has +een tapered *ith, +ut the )iller is una+le to5nd the )e's"



Eeorge Mor+er• VICTIM- 0 B 9: =une 16, 1999/Eorha, I: An intruder +rea)s

into a o+ile hoe to )ill its t*o o((upants, After shootingEeorge Mor+er, -r",0, in the head *ith a shotgun, he then(lu+s to death Mor+er?s daughter, Carol'n 3rederi(), 62"

Their house sits onl' 1 'ards fro the a railroad tra()" Thene!t da', a passer+' spots 3rederi()s? red pi()up tru() inCairo, I, si!t' iles south of Eorha, +eing dri&en +' a anat(hing Resendez? des(ription"

Carol'n 3rederi()• Most of Resendez? &i(tis *ere found (o&ered *ith a +lan)etF

none *ere of a tall or +url' stature, for the )iller hiself is ofa diinuti&e size and stature" ut, he ight *ell ha&e +een agiant for the terror he stru() in the hearts of other*ise4

rela!ed (ounities" Citizens? eotions ran high in theto*ns *here he )illedF in the saller ones, espe(iall', people*ho had ne&er lo()ed their doors and *indo*s at night *ereno* +olting the" Children *ere ushered oG the dus)'streets +' ner&ous parents, shops (losed earl', and oonlitstrolls ended"

Sentiments throughout pretty much echoed the words of &ayor "ernie 1osler of 3eimar, thelittle 0e%as burgh where the Simics and &rs. 1onvicka were slain. 20he stores around here,2 he

said, 2have sold out of pistols.2

Manhunt

State and city law enforcement agencies did what little they could to find the will-o=-the-wisp maniac.#reight yard security was steeped up and hobos by the bo%car loads were hauled into local 6ails for

positive identification and 9uestioning. Sometimes freight trains were paused -- to hell with time

schedules! -- and searched engine to caboose. $ispanics, even those who worked in the yards,complained to their bosses about the dirty looks they got from townspeople and what they felt washarassment from the police.

$angouts for transients became targets for raids> policemen marched through homeless shelters, bloodcenters and soup kitchens where men earning money as migrant workers were known to fre9uent.:oiterers about town were hustled into police stations for 9uestioning, but 9uickly released when itwas proven they were not Angel 'esende(.



/n une of ***, the #ederal "ureau of /nvestigation placed the 'ailroad 1iller on its 0op 0en &ost3anted list. 0he "ureau!s ?iolent Criminal Apprehension @rogram +?/CA@ compared the elements of the alleged 'esende( killings to come up with matches linking the same man to all of them. 0he #"/!sinitial reward of ;B,BBB for information leading to 'esende(! capture escalated within days to;,BBB as affected municipalities anted up.

3anted posters described 'esende( as ;!<2 tall, weighing DB-;B pounds> black hair, brown eyes anddark comple%ion> scars on right ring finger, left arm and forehead> a snake tattoo on his left forearmand a flower tattoo on his left wrist> has been known to employ any one of do(ens of aliases, socialsecurity numbers and birth dates +although the certified date seemed to be August , *EB> has workedas a day laborer, migrant worker or auto mechanic.

/n the meantime, ackson County, /: officially charged 'esende( with the murder of the orhamkillings after his fingerprints are documented. Officials in :ouisville, 1F did likewise. Angryauthorities in the latter city, where Christopher &aier became the first of the 'ailroad 1iller!s nineknown victims, disseminated wallet-si(e photos of the murderer, urging citi(ens to notify the policeimmediately if they even think they have spotted him.

On uly , authorities in #ayette County, 0G, identified 4HA from Hoemi 4omingue( in osephine1onvicka!s home, indicating that after 'esende( killed the younger woman, he drove her car to otherwoman!s home for more bloodletting.

4on 1. Clark, special agent in charge of the #"/!s $ouston office, coordinating the nationwidemanhunt, called 'esende( 2a very dangerous and violent person,2 e%plaining why the &e%icannational and border 6umper was placed on the infamous 0op 0en list. 2$e!s demonstrated he can usealmost any kind of ob6ect to take a human life in a very violent manner and we!ve got to try to catchhim.2 0wo hundred agents, he said, were assigned round-the-clock assignments in locations where'esende( was known to have struck and where he might strike ne%t. Of course, areas of concentration

included freight yards and rail depots. 23e have the train tracks,2 Clark summari(ed.

Agents soon received more than ,BBB phone tips from people who claimed they had either seen thefugitive, who knew the victims, or thought they might have something new or novel to add to thestrategy of the manhunt or psychology of the fugitive. &ost of the leads were blind, but some of them

proved solid, as was the call that came in from vacationing ac9uaintances of 'esende( who spottedhim in :ouisville. 0his occurred about the same time that ohn &atilda, director of the 3aysideChristian &ission in that city, advised the police that he, too, had seen the runaway.

On uly <, the #"/ felt they had made a good move in recruiting the help of 'esende(! common-lawwife, ulietta 'eyes, whom they brought into $ouston from her hometown of 'odeo, &e%ico, ;B

miles below the border. 2She would like to do everything she can to get +her husband to turn himselfin to the appropriate authorities,2 reported Clark.



ulietta 'eyes I daughter

Surprisingly, ulietta turned over to the #"/ *) pieces of 6ewelry that she had been mailed to her fromher husband abroad. She was sure they belonged to his victims. And she was on target. 'elatives of

Hoemi 4omingue( 9uickly identified thirteen of the pieces. As well, eorge "enton, husband of themurdered Claudia "enton, claimed several other pieces as her property.

A #atal Slip-8p

#or all the spent efficiency, Angel 'esende( continued to elude the law at every turn. ohn 4ouglas,who had been with the #"/ for ; years, rued the fact that, 2the manhunt for the accused killer +had

been hampered by the lack of a coordinated computer system that would allow law enforcementofficials to compare notes instantly and determine patterns.2

0he lack of such a system proved to be more in6urious to the manhunt than 4ouglas could have predicted at the time.

On une , the "order @atrol apprehended Angel 'esende( near Jl @aso as he was attempting to crossthe border illegally. 3hile he was in its custody, the 8nited States /mmigration I Haturali(ationService +/HS performed a computer search on him, checking his fingerprints and photo against a

possible fugitives list. "ecause the system failed to identify him as a wanted man, the /HS deportedhim to &e%ico.

0he slip-up proved to be much more than an embarrassment – it wound up to be a crucial blunder.After his release, 'esende( immediately found his way back into the States where, within DK hours, hekilled both 4omingue( and 1onvicka near $ouston, then &orber and his daughter in /llinois. #ourinnocent people murdered over a computer glitch.

2Our computers told us that he was nothing of lookout material,2 e%plained C.. Almengor, asupervisor at the border. $is words were too anti-climactic. 23e really wish he had been in the systemso we could have caught him.2

"ut, the error could not be totally blamed on modern technology. On uly , a month after the mistake,a ustice 4epartment representative admitted that the 3est 8niversity @lace @olice 4epartment hadnotified the /HS about 'esende( back in 4ecember right after the death of 4r. "enton, /HSCommissioner 4oris &eissner announced an internal investigation into the matter.

Suspicious Angel

0he manhunt for 'esende( involved more than the physical knocking on locked doors and pacingthrough dusty freight yards. As with any manhunt the #"/ conducts, a lot of time is spent getting toknow the type of man or woman for whom it is searching. 0his includes studying the culprit!scriminal background, social history and psychoses.

'esende( had a long record of criminal enterprises before the series of known murders began in **<2$e probably started killing somewhere in his late Bs,2 remarks ohn 4ouglas, who as a former #"/agent, spent many hours pursuing other 'esende(es. 2$e may have killed people like himself initially

– males, transients.2 Continuously being sent back to &e%ico by 8.S. deportation officers who foundhim in this country illegally, he 2became angry at the population at large. 3hat America represents

here is this wealthy country where he keeps getting kicked out7+he 6ust can!t make ends meet.Coupled with these feelings, these inade9uacies, fueled by the fact that he!s known to take alcohol,take drugs, lowers his inhibitions now to go out and kill.2



Angel 'esende(+aka 'afael'amire(/n the #"/!s possession is a birth certificate listing 'esende( as having been born on August , *EBin /(ucar de &atomoros in the state of @uebla, &e%ico. $is mother, ?irginia de &aturino, claims thereal spelling of his surname is 'ecendis, not 'esende(, which he uses. She admits that her son spenthis formative years not with her, but with another family that seemed to lack proper guidance. Andhomose%uals in @uebla may have se%ually abused him, she says.?irtually an orphan, 'esende( roamed the streets as a child, without a real family role model. 0he#"/ has identified a sister in Albu9uer9ue, Hew &e%ico and other relatives both south and north ofthe border. 'elatives in the 8.S. have migrated as far north as the reat :akes and as far east as

?ermont.

Angel 'esende( first came to the attention of the 8.S. ustice 4epartment at age E when he wascaught in "rownsville, 0G, trying to cross the border from &e%ico in *<E. 2$e was deported twomonths later,2 says the 4allasL#orth 3orth /nternet Service, 2the first of7numerous run-ins with 8.S.authorities.2 /n *KK, he briefly lived in St. :ouis where 2he registered with a temporary agency andworked a half-day at a manufacturing company +and voted in two elections under an assumedname2.

'esende(! criminal life in the 8nited States, as well as his ability to escape long-term punishmenthere, reads like a bad novel. After his first deportation in August *<E, he returned to the 8.S. a

month later where /HS agents located him in Sterling $eights, &/., and yet again in October, thistime in &cAllen, 0e%as. 0hen he 9uieted for a spell.

Ho one knows when he slipped back into this country, but in September of *<*, he was sentenced toa B-year prison term for auto theft and assault in &iami, #lorida. :uck on his side, he was paroledwithin si% years and released onto &e%ican soil.

"ut, the drifter drifted 9uite actively. Over the ne%t decade, 'esende( was

• apprehended and tried in 0e%as for falsely claiming citi(enship, for which he did an K-month

prison stint +*KE>• was arrested for possessing a concealed weapon in Hew Orleans, receiving an K-month

sentence, but paroled after a year +*KK>• earned a )B-month sentence for attempting to defraud Social Security in St. :ouis +*KK>

• pleaded guilty to burglary charges in Hew &e%ico, a crime that gained him an K-month

prison term, though again he was paroled after a year +**> and• was apprehended in a Santa #e rail yard for trespassing and carrying a firearm +**;.

#or the last infraction he was again deported. /n fact, after every incarceration -- and in between them-- he was dumped across the border so many times that he resembled a boomerang.

0wo years after the last recorded deportation, he materiali(ed in 1entucky to kill Christopher &aier.

Surrender



Sometime in early une, a young 0e%as 'anger by the name of 4rew Carter conceived the notion that perhaps 'esende(! sister, &anuela, whom 'esende( is said to idoli(e, might be instrumental inaffecting her brother!s surrender. $e contacted &anuela, who lived in Albu9uer9ue, to assess the

practicality of his plan. 0he woman, who feared that her brother might eventually be killed by the #"/,or might kill again in the meantime, promised Carter that she would do everything humanly possible tohelp.

4rew Carter

0he #"/ had traced 'esende(! whereabouts to &e%ico where he had absconded not long after thedouble murder in /llinois. $e was believed to be, at that point, hiding near the town of Ciudad uare(.

/n his easy-going, unforced rapport with &anuela, Sgt. Carter e%plained that he was working with the#"/ and legal prosecutors in $arris County +0G to offer the fairest deal he could to her brother, the'ailroad 1iller, under the circumstances. /f he surrendered himself, Carter told her, 'esende( would beassured of three things5 his personal safety while in 6ail> regular visiting rights so that his wife,sister and others could visit him> and ) a psychological evaluation. /n effect, Carter!s weeks-longrelationship-building effort created solid steps toward working a miracle -- that is, getting a serial killer to turn himself in.2

Carter, who had been a 0e%as 'anger less than a year, believed in being straightforward. Says he,2$onesty!s never hard. Sincerity is something people sense. 0hat!s what / did. / was honest with the

family.2

On &onday, uly, &anuela received a fa% from the district attorney!s office in $arris County, putting into writing the agreement that Carter had stated. 0he offer was then passed on to anotherrelative who acted as emissary between his sister in Albu9uer9ue and brother Angel in &e%ico. 0hatevening, word came from Ciudad uare( that the 'ailroad 1iller would, based on the Carter!s word,surrender. 0he long-awaited moment was scheduled for * A.&. the following morning.

0uesday, uly ). Carter was there ahead of time, accompanied by &anuela and her pastor to act asspiritual guide. 0hey met on a bridge connecting Maragosa, &e%ico, with Jl @aso.

23hen / saw that face there was a little bit of e%citement there because / finally said, N0his is going tohappen,!2 Carter recalls. $e watched 'esende( alight from the truck in dirty 6eans and muddy boots.As he neared him, 2$e stuck out his hand, / stuck out my hand, and we shook hands.2

3ith the timidity of a true hero, Carter, who pulled off one of the greatest arrests in 0e%as 'angerhistory, refuses to take full credit for his coup> he cited the support of the #"/ and other lawenforcement and county representatives who helped establish the terms of agreement that convincedthe dreaded 'ailroad 1iller to cross that bridge.

3hoever gets the credit, the event pleased many and brought relief, especially to the victims! familiesand friends. 0he 4allasL#ort 3orth /nternet Service reports, 2Several hundred people in 3eimarattended a ceremony to pray and give thanks for the suspect!s capture. As the sun set and a trainwhistle blew in the background, residents of the South 0e%as town hugged and cried.2



"ut, sometimes anger dies hard. 2/ wish +'esende( the worst,2 says murder victim osephine1onvicka!s daughter. 2$e!s destroyed so much of our lives.2

Incarceration

:aw enforcement officials remain perple%ed as to why the 'ailroad 1iller surrendered so freely to a

state that has e%ecuted more people than any other. Surely, 'esende( must know that, if convicted ofany of the murders in 0e%as, which seems very likely, he will face the death penalty. &ore so,

prosecutors in $arris County -- where on 0hursday, uly , he was indicted for the murder of 4r."enton – hold the national record for sending murderers to the electric chair.

0e%as 'anger Carter!s surrender agreement was very concise in detail. /n no way was the verbiagemisleading as to confuse 'esende( into believing he would be spared due punishment. One possiblespeculation for 'esende(! easy surrender was that he feared bounty hunters who, it was known, hadgathered in &e%ico to collect the reward.

An editorial in The Dallas orning ews reads thus5 2&r. 'esende( faces a long legal process. Some

9uestions surrounding the surrender itself need to be answered – why did he not merely Nlose himself!in &e%ico Or, given &e%ico!s policy against e%traditing alleged murderers to the 8nited States

because of the death penalty here, why did he not simply surrender to &e%ican authorities Once those9uestions are answered, +his surrender may turn out to be as interesting as the manhunt itself.2

/n the meantime, his world of endless railroad tracks has constricted to a EB-s9uare-foot cell at thema%imum-security $arris County ail. A cot, a toilet and a wash basin are his life!s accessories.2"ecause of the high profile of the case, he!s under administrative segregation7A deputy has constantvisual observation of him,2 e%plains facility spokesperson Celeste Spaugh. #our murder charges arefiled against him and he faces other possible charges in 1entucky and /llinois. &aybe, #lorida, too.0hat state is in the process of comparing blood samplesfound in a **< &arion County murder – a

body found beside rail tracks.

&e%ico$as Puestions

0here may be a good reason why Angel 'esende( chose not to surrender to &e%ican authorities.@erhaps, our neighbors south of the border want to talk to him, also, about some killings in Ciudaduare(.

23e are looking at the homicides we haven!t cleared that appear to fit his method,2 states Steve Slater,an advisor to the Chihuahua State @ublic Safety 4epartment...$e has family in uare(, including his

mother. $e!s been through here a lot. 3e certainly have railroad tracks and bodies found by railroadtracks, and most are women.2

"efore this case rounds out, Angel &aturino 'esende( may be shown to have taken part in any one ofanother BB cases the #"/ says fit his modus operandi. $e may turn out to be one of the greatest – or

perhaps a better word is infamous – serial killers of all time.

/n any event, the 'ailroad 1iller will no longer be riding any bo% cars, so Arlo uthrie may return toglorifying the wheat fields of America and the clack-clack-clack of the train riding mighty iron rails offolklore.

Sentenced to Death



Angel &aturino 'esende( has been found guilty of capital murder and today sits on death row in:ivingston, 0e%as. All he has to look forward to is a lethal in6ection that will send him to od!s

6udgment.

ury selection for what would eventually lead to the eight-day trial of the 'ailroad 1iller began late&arch ***, in $ouston, $arris County. 0he latest chapter of the 'esende( drama began tumultuouslywith his refusal to play ball even with his own lawyers. #irst, he refused to be tested by a court-appointed psychiatrist +although he eventually conceded, and then he chose not to accept a change ofvenue despite his attorneys! claims that he might not get a fair trial in $ouston.

Jven though 'esende( has been formally charged with the murders of seven people in total, he hasonly been tried and convicted of one of those killings, that of 4r. Claudia "enton, whom he slew in her home in **K. $er body had been found a couple of weeks before Christmas, battered and broken.Several items stolen from "enton!s home – including fragments of a steering column from "enton!seep -- were later recovered by police in the house of 'esende(!s girlfriend. As well, 'esende(!sfingerprints were found in that same automobile

@residing over the trial was 4istrict udge 3illiam $armon> chief prosecutor for the state was County4istrict Attorney ohn $olmes, r., assisted by 4evon Anderson. Court-appointed defense lawyersAllen 0anner and 'udy 4uarte, aware that the state!s case against their client was air tight, fought tohave 'esende( committed on insanity.

0he trial faced several postponements. One was caused by a delay in procuring the findings of several psychiatrists, to whose e%aminations 'esende( at first would not submit. Another was generated by thedefense council!s action to move the trial from $arris County to a place where, they felt, sentimentwas less harsh against the headline-making serial killer.

A segment of the motion read, Q@ublicity +here has been inflammatory and unfair and has created such

hostility towards the defendant, and pre6udiced the opinions of members of the community to such adegree, that it is unlikely that a verdict can be solely reached on the evidence presented at the trial.R

0hat the court might have decided in favor of the motion was thwarted when the defendant himselfrefused to abide with the re9uest. Opposed to a local trial in the outset, he changed his mind afterwardsstating that he believed that no matter where he went the public mindset was already poisoned againsthim. 4espite his attorneys! pleas, 'esende( would not consent.

After the pre-trial upsets were finally settled, the session commenced to a packed courtroom on &ay K,***. udge $armon issued a gag order that mu((led lawyers from talking freely to the press, but thee%plosion of emotions behind the courtroom doors was pyrotechnical. Over the ne%t week, a 6ury

e9ually divided by male and female members heard a series of witnesses from both sides.

0he thrust of the trial seemed to center on whether or not 'esende( was sane or insane when hecommitted his crimes, particularly the murder of 4r. "enton. 0he defense brought forth forensic

psychiatrist 4r. "ruce Cohen who diagnosed the defendant as schi(ophrenic. Cohen claimed thatQ+'esende( did not know his conduct was wrong.R "ecause of a mental delusion that had him

believing his victims were evil, said Cohen, Q+the defendant thought he was 6ustified in his behaviors.R

$owever, a psychiatrist testifying in behalf of the prosecution presented an altogether different

summary. 4r. 'amon :aval, while agreeing that 'esende( did have unhealthy views of women and ofmankind in general, and suffered from misguided fi%ations, attested that 'esende( Qknew what he wasdoingR when he murdered 4r. "enton and the others. 3ith that, @rosecutor $olmes again reminded the

6urors of the 'ailroad 1iller!s savagery unleashed upon his victims – and, before detailing 4r. "enton!s



murder, warned the court that it is Qone of the most horrible that you will ever have the misfortune tohear.R

Of the twenty-plus witnesses for the prosecution, the last and most impacting was the )-year-oldgirlfriend of victim Christopher &aier. &aier and she were attacked while strolling home from afunction at the 8niversity of 1entucky in :e%ington. 'aped, bludgeoned and left for dead, sherecovered to identify 'esende( as the 'ailroad 1iller. /n court, she detailed the bloody assault, whichtook place on August <, **<, near local railway tracks.

According to the witness, after 'esende( killed &aier and before he pummeled her, he sardonicallytold her, QFou don!t have to worry about him anymore.R

/n closing arguments, the prosecution pointed to the heinous nature of 'esende(!s crimes, the premeditative nature of each, the heartlessness displayed and, especially, to the inescapable evidenceof his guilt5 fingerprints, palm prints and, most damaging, 4HA evidence collected from the scenes ofthe crime.

3ith little weight in their favor, the defense team merely begged for the mercy of the 6urors to sparethe life of the murderer. &eekly, almost pathetically, attorney 'udy 4uarte recalled to the 6ury, Q+Ourclient recogni(ed he had a problem, and he turned himself in. 0hat is something.R

0he 6urors felt no sympathy. On &ay <, ***, after B hours of deliberation, the panel pronouncedAngel &aturino 'esende( guilty of first-degree, premeditated murder. 4espite his lawyers! pleas, the'ailroad 1iller was sentenced to death.

A half-hearted appeals process awash, 'esende( now awaits his fate in silence.

eorge "enton cannot easily forgive his wife Claudia!s murderer. Q/t!s been hard,R he confesses, and

remembers the day he had to tell his daughters that their mother was killed in fury.

One victim!s mother summed up her life since the murder of her kin, including the terrible memoriesdisinterred at the trial5 Q/t was like watching a horror movie.R

Angel &aturino 'esende( wase%ecuted in $untsville, 0e%as, on une <, BBE, by lethal in6ection.

Bibliography

0he 'ailroad 1iller story was compiled from up-to-the minute news sources, which include5

A@" Online +articles by staff writers ?alerie 1alfrin I Amy 3orden

Associated @ress, 0he

CHH /nteractive

Court 0? Online

4allasL#ort 3orth /nternet Service, 0he

4allas &orning Hews, 0he

Jl @aso 0imes Online



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Angel Maturino Resendez - Ο Δολοφόνος Του Σιδηρόδρομου

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