On December 3, 1995, the body of William Avis Pettit Jr., a 39-year-old white male, was discovered in a boxcar in Millersburg, Oregon. Authorities determined that he had been bludgeoned to death. Pettit, who was described as a transient at the time, was believed to have been killed two days earlier, on December 1, in Salem, Oregon. His death was one in a string of violent crimes that would later be linked to a serial killer operating across multiple states.
The suspect in Pettit's murder was identified as Robert Joseph Silveria Jr., a 36-year-old white male drifter known as 'The Boxcar Killer.' Silveria had spent over a decade riding freight trains across the United States, targeting fellow transients and rail yard dwellers. He was eventually connected to at least 14 murders, including that of William Pettit Jr., and claimed responsibility for as many as 28 killings. Silveria was arrested on March 2, 1996, in a rail yard in Roseville, California, and extradited to Oregon shortly thereafter.
Upon his arrest, Silveria was found in possession of Pettit's personal belongings, including his backpack, social security card, birth certificate, and food stamps. These items, along with other evidence, tied him directly to the crime. He was arraigned in Marion County Circuit Court on charges of aggravated murder and robbery. The aggravated murder charge was brought due to the alleged robbery associated with the killing, making it a capital offense under Oregon law. At the time of arraignment, prosecutors had not yet decided whether to pursue the death penalty.
Silveria's arrest marked the beginning of a broader investigation into a series of murders committed along the nation's railways. His victims, including 39-year-old white male William Pettit Jr., were often fellow transients or individuals living on the margins of society. The case drew national attention due to the transient lifestyle of both the killer and his victims, and the challenges law enforcement faced in tracking crimes that spanned numerous jurisdictions.
