The Haunting Last Words Of Railroad Killer, Ángel Maturino Reséndiz

The railroad tracks that link the country together do more than just transport goods. Over the years, the system has been used as an unofficial (and illegal) form of transportation for those with the courage to hop on a slow-moving train. While most of these illegal riders are harmless drifters, some occasional bad apples use this system to commit dastardly crimes and a quick, unnoticeable getaway. As far as bad apples go, Ángel Maturino Reséndiz was rotten to the core.

Reséndiz was a Mexican citizen who routinely crossed over into the United States for work. According to the Justice Department, he would enter the country unlawfully only to be returned to Mexico whenever he was caught. His first deportation happened in 1976 when he was only 17 years old. The Justice Department tells of how he was deported multiple times after that first incident, often after he was arrested for various criminal offenses.

Before Reséndiz killed his first known victim in 1986, he was already working toward a lengthy criminal rap sheet (per All That's Interesting). Multiple misdemeanor charges were filed against him for trespassing at rail yards, but he was more than just a train hopper. Over the years, he was arrested and imprisoned for a variety of felonies, including car theft, burglary, assault and battery, and fraud. After his eventual arrest for multiple murders, Reséndiz was tried and sentenced to death. When his time came to sit in the execution chamber, his final words were as chilling as they were memorable.

Ángel Maturino Reséndiz had a brutal modus operandi for carrying out his many murders — he made it a point to break into homes and bludgeon their occupants to death with whatever he found handy. Whether it was a sledgehammer or a tire iron, Reséndiz had a penchant for finding something at the ready to incapacitate his victims (per Oxygen). He would also often sexually assault his female victims.

With more than a dozen known murder victims, Reséndiz wasn't one to leave survivors. But one lone victim was able to hang on to dear life and survive her horrific ordeal with the Railroad Killer, later helping send him to the executioner. Holly Dunn and her boyfriend Christopher Maier were attacked late one night as they walked along a set of railroad tracks in Lexington, Kentucky. The two were headed to a college party when Reséndiz emerged from some bushes along the route and accosted them. Reséndiz tied the young couple up, then bashed Maier's head with a large rock. He then sexually assaulted Dunn before beating her with a blunt object (via CBS News). 

Though left for dead, Dunn survived. And while she did not testify during his murder trial, prosecutors put her on the stand last during the penalty phase. Her powerful testimony, recalling the savage violence that was inflicted on her that night, might have been enough to persuade the jury to give Reséndiz the death penalty.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Ángel Maturino Reséndiz had family that cared about him. It was this love that helped pave the way for his arrest. CNN reports that the killer's family became aware that Reséndiz was wanted for multiple murders, and they had the plan to help bring him to justice. Manuela Maturino of Albuquerque, New Mexico, reached out to Texas Ranger Drew Carter about negotiating her brother's potential surrender. After building a relationship with the concerned sibling for weeks, Carter was able to get officials to agree to certain terms: Reséndiz would surrender to Carter, but he wanted mental health treatment while incarcerated. He also wanted to ensure his safety wouldn't be compromised while waiting in jail for trial.

After a multi-state manhunt that led to Reséndiz being on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list, he surrendered himself to Carter in June 1999. CNN tells of how the fugitive walked onto a bridge that connected Zaragosa, Mexico to El Paso, Texas with Maturino and met Carter face to face. After the two men shook hands, Reséndiz allowed the Texas ranger to handcuff him and take him into police custody. 

Without the cooperation of Maturino, it's hard to say how much longer Reséndiz would have been able to keep killing. Though he was a wanted murderer on the run, he still could sneak back and forth across the border and ride the rails until he found new victims. Thankfully, the Railroad Killer was able to peacefully surrender to the law and make full admissions of his crimes.