Robert Joseph Silveria Jr.

Robert Joseph Silveria Jr. (born March 3, 1959), also known as The Boxcar Killer, is an American serial killer currently serving double life sentences in Wyoming. Silveria was also convicted in Kansas for the killing of Charles Randall Boyd, and in Florida for the killing of Willie Clark.[1][2]

Robert Joseph Silveria Jr.
Born
Robert Joseph Silveria Jr.

(1959-03-03) March 3, 1959
Redwood City, California, U.S.
Other namesThe Boxcar Killer
Sidetrack
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Details
Victims9–30+
Span of crimes
1981–1996
CountryUnited States
State(s)California, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Kansas, Washington, Florida
Date apprehended
March 2, 1996

For 15 years, Silveria rode the rails, killing fellow freight-train riders throughout the United States. A police detective and prosecutor in Salem, Oregon unravelled the truth of Silveria's killing spree, which began with a murder in Salem. By the end of their investigation, Silveria had confessed to murdering 28 people.[3]

Silveria is currently imprisoned in Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington, Wyoming,[4] where he serves as the head cook.

Victims

Willie James Clark, 54, was found dead on April 28, 1994, in Tallahassee, Florida. Clark, though homeless, worked as a Salvation Army bell ringer. He was robbed and suffered a fatal blow to the head.[5]

Darren Royal Miller, 19, was found dead in his sleeping bag on July 8, 1992, in Thompson Springs, Utah. Miller and two friends stopped to party one night near a pond and was found the following morning with severe head injuries. Though never charged, Silveria was linked to the murder of Miller following his arrest.[6][7]

Michael A. Garfinkle, 20, was found bludgeoned to death on August 2, 1994, in Emeryville, California. Garfinkle, originally from Tarzana, recently graduated from Pierce College and was planning to ride boxcars with a friend to Santa Cruz, California. After Silveria confessed, police noted that he had intimate knowledge of the crime.[6][7][8]

Roger Lee Bowman, 38, was found dead on April 21, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bowman was last seen walking his dog along the train tracks. Police had already identified Silveria as a suspect before he confessed to beating and stabbing Bowman, but they were looking for him using the alias Brad Foster.[7][9]

James E. McLean, 50, was found stabbed to death on July 23, 1995, in his shack at a homeless encampment in Albany, Oregon. Silveria confessed he met McLean walking along the railroad tracks near his shack. After McLean was murdered, Silveria stole his money.[6][7]

Charles Randall Boyd, 46, was found bludgeoned to death on July 28, 1995, in a collapsed tent in a Kanopolis Lake campground. Boyd met Silveria in El Paso, Texas while Boyd was building a bunkhouse for a youth ranch and later traveled with him to Kansas.[6][10][11]

Paul Wayne Mathews, 43, was found dead on October 15, 1995, in a homeless encampment outside Whitefish, Montana. Following his arrest on March 2, 1996, Silveria confessed to killing Mathews.[6]

William Avis Pettit Jr., 39, was found bludgeoned to death on December 3, 1995, in a boxcar in Millersburg, Oregon.[6][12]

Michael Andrew Clites, 24, was found bludgeoned to death on December 5, 1995, in Portland, Oregon.[6][12]

At the time of Silveria's arrest, he was found with Pettit's backpack, social security card, birth certificate, food stamps, and hair beads. Also in the backpack was Mathews' identification card and food stamp documents, as well as Boyd's credit cards.[6][10]

See also

General:

References
  1. "Death on the rails". The Guardian. 26 March 1999. Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  2. "Murderer to plead guilty to killings in two states". Register-Guard. Eugene, OR. Associated Press. 21 March 1998. pp. 3B. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  3. Description Robert Silveria: The Boxcar Killer theage.tv true crime documentary Archived December 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Oregon offender search". Department of Corrections. Oregon.gov. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  5. "Drifter pleads guilty to 1994 slaying". Tallahassee Democrat. June 30, 1998. p. 24. Retrieved July 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Slayings linked to alleged 'boxcar killer' rise to 14". The Sacramento Bee. March 9, 1996. p. 3. Retrieved July 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Suspect admits rail yard killings, authorities say". Oakland Tribune. March 13, 1996. p. 3. Retrieved July 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "'Boxcar killer' suspect tells police he killed throughout West". Oakland Tribune. March 10, 1996. p. 18. Retrieved July 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Inmate Confesses to S.L. Murder". The Salt Lake Tribune. March 8, 1996. p. 29. Retrieved July 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "'Boxcar killer' taken to Kansas for charges in another slaying". Billings Gazette. April 19, 1998. p. 21. Retrieved July 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Man's body is identified". The Salina Journal. September 26, 1995. p. 2. Retrieved July 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Suspect pleads guilty in slayings". North County Times. January 31, 1998. p. 24. Retrieved July 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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