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| Railroad Serial Killer survivor Holly Dunn shares her story By ERIN BLACK Staff Writer August 28, 1997 began as a normal day for Holly Dunn and her boyfriend Chris Maier. With fraternity rush just coming to an end, the two University of Kentucky students attended a post-rush party that night. Having grown tired of the party, the couple eventually found themselves sitting by the railroad tracks talking. Little did they know that they were not alone; Angel Maturino Resendez had heard every word they said. The thin, 5’7” man emerged from the woods and ordered the pair to get on their knees, demanding money. The pair had no cash and offered credit cards and their car but Resendez declined. He picked up a 52-pound rock and delivered a fatal blow to Maier’s head. With her boyfriend dead, Dunn found herself alone with a maniac. This man was not a mugger, motivated by money but a serial killer with nothing but a desire to murder people. She attempted to make herself a person rather than a random face to her attacker. Giving him a fake name, Dunn told Resendez that there were a lot of people who were going to miss her if anything happened to her. This tactic did not work; stabbing her in the neck, Resendez said, “See how easily I can kill you?” With that, he raped her and beat her with a board. Resendez left Dunn for dead by the Lexington train tracks. Her jaw and eye socket broken, her neck bleeding, and her head and face covered in cuts; Dunn was unconscious, but not dead. As soon as she was able, Dunn ran to a nearby house for help. Police assumed Dunn and Maier to be the first victims of a man the nation would come to know as the “Railroad Serial Killer.” The Lexington attack was not the first committed by Resendez; it was, however, the first time he had left a survivor. DNA testing connected Resendez to murders in Texas, Illinois and Florida. Current investigations could connect him to a string of murders in his native Mexico. It was two long years before the FBI placed Resendez under arrest. He has openly admitted to committing 14 attacks and is currently on death row in Texas. Dunn does not view herself as a victim, but as a survivor. She spends a lot of her time telling her story nationwide and is a trained in counseling victims of sexual harassment. A large source of strength for Dunn has been the love and support of family, friends and therapy members at the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center in Lexington. Her immense strength was apparent to all who heard her speak. The majority of the hour was an open forum; Dunn candidly answered questions about the effects the attack has had on her life. Not only did she answer any questions but she threw in some jokes, too. When explaining the origin of the name Railroad Serial Killer she said, “Well, he traveled on the freight trains and killed people who were near the tracks at the time or lived near the tracks. Plus, every serial killer needs a name, right?” It’s been seven years since Dunn was attacked and she has managed to turn a horrific event into a means of helping others. Her therapy has allowed her to forgive Resendez in her heart. She has no intention of confronting Resendez or his family, nor does she feel the need to view the execution. “I watched Chris die that night,” she explained, “I’ve seen enough death.” It is still difficult to hear a train passing by and she has a hard time being around Latino men without thinking of Resendez. She explained how lucky she is to have loved ones who understand that some days she just needs to cry, and that it’s ok to cry. As a counselor, Dunn emphasizes emotional recovery over legal justice. She explained that some people are too afraid to press charges and she doesn’t force the issue because their well-being is the most important thing. For more information about Dunn or preventing sexual assault, visit www.hollykdunn.com. |
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