The Railway Killer: The Story of Rudy Bladel

In the annals of American crime, Rudy Bladel stands out as a chilling enigma, a man whose life was inextricably linked to the railways he would later terrorize. Known infamously as "The Railway Killer," Bladel's path of destruction spanned from 1963 to 1978, resulting in the deaths of seven railway employees. Although he was only convicted for three of these murders, his legacy as a serial killer remains etched in the history of the Rust Belt region.

Early Life: Trains and Tribulations

Rudy Bladel was born into a railroad family on December 8, 1932, in Chicago, Illinois. His father, Holgar, was employed by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, fostering Rudy's early fascination with trains. Growing up on 67th Street and Ashland Avenue, Bladel attended Vocational High School on the South Side, where he focused on automotive shop courses. After graduating in 1951, Rudy joined Rock Island as a fireman before enlisting in the army as a military engineer to serve in the Korean War. During his service, he claimed to have scored an IQ of 145 in a military check-up and performed duties in a locomotive roundhouse, often under enemy fire.

Upon returning from Korea, Bladel's life took a dramatic turn following a motorcycle accident, which left him with a distinctive posture. Nevertheless, he resumed work at Rock Island, climbing steadily through the ranks until 1959 when operations shifted to Elkhart, Indiana. This relocation left Bladel and other Michigan employees with lower-ranking jobs or unemployed, fueling his growing resentment towards the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, whom he blamed for his misfortunes.

The Murders Begin

Roy Bottorf and Paul Overstreet

The first blood was shed on a somber night between August 2 and 3, 1963, at a Hammond, Indiana rail yard. Signalman Virgil Terry, 52, grew concerned when he received no response from his colleagues in the locomotive cab. Climbing aboard, he discovered the lifeless bodies of 60-year-old engineer Roy Bottorf and 45-year-old fireman Paul Overstreet, each shot in the back of the head. Investigators found several .22 caliber shell casings at the scene, but the only clue was a witness's account of a motorcycle fleeing the area—a telling sign, as Bladel, then living alone in Blue Island, Illinois, often traveled by motorcycle.

John Marshall

Five years later, on August 6, 1968, the railway killer struck again. This time, the victim was 51-year-old engineer John W. Marshall, who was gunned down at the Elkhart rail yard. The attacker fired 12-gauge shotgun blasts into Marshall's midsection, sides, and head, leaving eyewitnesses who could only describe the killer's build and peculiar gait.

Shooting of John Sayne

March 30, 1971, marked another attack at the Elkhart yard, where engineer Louis John Sayne, 38, was shot twice with a .357 Magnum revolver. Defying odds, Sayne survived, managing to wrestle the gun from his assailant and wound him in the stomach. In the hospital, Sayne recognized his attacker as a former colleague—Rudy Bladel—who chillingly confessed his motive: to expel the Niles men from Elkhart. Bladel's actions led to a one-to-five-year prison sentence for attempted murder, from which he was released after serving 18 months.

James McCrory

The killings resumed on April 5, 1976, with the murder of 51-year-old engineer James M. "Tiny" McCrory at the Elkhart yard. McCrory was shot in the head with a 20-gauge shotgun deer slug while sitting in his locomotive cab. Bladel's reign of terror continued until he was apprehended by ATF agents on January 6, 1978, for illegally purchasing a .357 Magnum. As a convicted felon, he faced another one-to-five-year sentence in a federal penitentiary, only to be released on November 16 of the same year.

The Triple Murder and Capture

On December 30, 1978, Rudy Bladel checked into a hotel in Jackson, Michigan, with a suitcase containing parts of a 12-gauge shotgun. The following day, he assembled the weapon at a local depot and executed a calculated attack, killing flagman Robert Lee Blake, conductor William Gulak, and fireman Charles Lee Burton in cold blood. After hiding the disassembled shotgun at Cascade Falls, Bladel returned to Elkhart, where he lived among the homeless.

The Jackson murders sent shockwaves through the community, prompting authorities to connect them with previous railway killings. Despite initial questioning, Bladel was released due to insufficient evidence. However, the discovery of the shotgun parts three months later changed everything. The weapon was traced back to Bladel through its serial number, linking him definitively to the murders.

Arrested on March 22, 1979, Bladel initially confessed to the Jackson killings, providing detailed accounts, but later claimed coercion by police. He insisted he was merely retrieving a broken motorcycle and washing his hands at the depot, denying ownership of the shotgun used in the crime. Nevertheless, the evidence was damning, leading to his conviction and life imprisonment.

Legal Battles and Death

Bladel's conviction was challenged in 1986 when the Supreme Court ordered a retrial, citing the jury's consideration of his allegedly coerced confession. Despite the absence of this confession, Bladel was convicted again, with the case marking the most expensive prosecution in Jackson County history. His case later became foundational in the Michigan v. Jackson ruling, which the Supreme Court eventually overruled in Montejo v. Louisiana.

Rudy Bladel's life ended on November 15, 2006, when he succumbed to thyroid cancer at the Henry Ford Allegiance Health Hospital in Jackson, Michigan.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Rudy Bladel
• John O'Brien and Edward Baumann, "MURDER CROSSING," Chicago Tribune, August 17, 1986.
• "Railroad Killer Dies of Cancer in Prison," The Oklahoman, November 25, 2006.
• "Suspect in 7 Conrail Slayings Is Charged With Murdering 3 in Michigan," The New York Times, March 24, 1979.
• Danielle Salisbury, "U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on Jackson County murder case," MLive.com, June 2, 2009.