Serial Killer: Mauricio Rodriguez Silva
Early Life and Background
Mauricio Rodriguez Silva was born on October 25, 1959, in Los Angeles, California, to a Mexican father and a Nicaraguan mother. From an early age, Silva experienced instability and trauma. He inherited a number of physical and psychological conditions, including a cleft palate and symptoms of gigantism. After being abandoned by his parents, he was raised in Mexico City by his grandmother under abusive and neglectful circumstances. He later joined a group of homeless children and turned to substance abuse.
First Known Murder: 1978
In 1978, at the age of 18, Silva was involved in a fatal altercation in Los Angeles:
- Troy Allison Covella – Age 16. Silva shot him nine times during an argument. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison. He was released on parole in May 1984.
1984 Killing Spree
After being released on parole, Silva embarked on a deadly killing spree in May 1984. In just ten days, he murdered three more victims in brutal fashion:
- Walter P. Sanders – Age 16. Date: May 18 or 22, 1984. Silva met Sanders on a bus in Los Angeles and convinced him to go to the Mojave Desert near Pearblossom, where he shot him five times in the head, face, and torso with a shotgun.
- Monique Michelle Hilton – Age 16. Date: May 24, 1984. A runaway from Illinois, Hilton was picked up at a bus stop in Hollywood. Silva drove her to the desert near Palmdale and shot her multiple times with a shotgun.
- Martha Kitzler – Age 17. Date: May 28, 1984. Silva's half-sister. He strangled, stabbed her eight times, and slit her throat at their shared residence in Hollywood. Signs of sexual assault were suspected. The house was ransacked and her body was discovered by her mother.
...Read More
Account
