Rudy Bladel

Serial Killer

Rudy Bladel: The Railway Killer

Early Life

Rudy Bladel was born on December 8, 1932, in Chicago, Illinois. Raised in a railroad family, his father, Holgar, worked for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. Bladel graduated from a vocational high school in Chicago's South Side in 1951 and began working as a fireman for the Rock Island Railroad. He later served as a military engineer during the Korean War, where he claimed to have scored an IQ of 145 during a routine check-up. After returning from the war, Bladel was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him with a distinctive posture. Despite this, he resumed his railroad career and steadily advanced within the company.

Crimes

Bladel's animosity towards his colleagues stemmed from a 1959 decision by the New York Central Railroad to shift operations from Niles, Michigan, to Elkhart, Indiana. This move favored local employees, leading to layoffs and demotions for workers from Michigan, including Bladel. Feeling betrayed by the union, Bladel embarked on a series of violent attacks against railroad employees.

• August 2 or 3, 1963 – Hammond, Indiana: Engineer Roy Bottorf (60) and fireman Paul Overstreet (45) were found shot in the back of the head in their locomotive cab. Witnesses reported hearing a motorcycle leaving the scene. At the time, Bladel lived alone in Blue Island, Illinois, and owned a motorcycle.
• August 6, 1968 – Elkhart, Indiana: Engineer John W. Marshall (51) from Niles, Michigan, was fatally shot multiple times with a 12-gauge shotgun while standing next to his locomotive. Witnesses could only describe the assailant's build and unusual gait.
• March 30, 1971 – Elkhart, Indiana: Engineer Louis John Sayne (38) from New Buffalo, Michigan, was shot twice in the back with a .357 magnum revolver. Remarkably, Sayne survived, wrestled the gun from his attacker, and shot him in the stomach. The assailant was identified as Rudy Bladel, who expressed his desire "to get the Niles men out of Elkhart." Bladel was sentenced to one to five years for attempted murder and served 18 months.
• April 5, 1976 – Elkhart, Indiana: Engineer James M. "Tiny" McCrory (51) from Niles, Michigan, was shot in the head with a 20-gauge shotgun while seated in his locomotive cab near the diesel house. Bladel was later arrested for purchasing a firearm as a convicted felon and served additional prison time.
• December 31, 1978 – Jackson, Michigan: Bladel fatally shot flagman Robert Lee Blake (42) from Southgate, conductor William Gulak (50) from Lincoln Park, and fireman Charles Lee Burton (32) from Jackson at the local train depot. He used a 12-gauge shotgun, which he later disassembled and hid under bushes at Cascade Falls. The weapon was eventually recovered and traced back to Bladel.

Capture and Trial

Following the Jackson murders, authorities connected the incidents to previous attacks on railroad workers. Bladel was initially questioned but released due to insufficient evidence. However, the discovery of the hidden shotgun, linked to Bladel through its serial number, led to his arrest on March 22, 1979. He confessed to the Jackson murders but later recanted, claiming coercion. Despite his retraction, Bladel was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (7)

Roy Bottorf Age: (60), Date of Death: 1963-08-03

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Survivors:

Louis John Sayne Age: (38), Date of Attack: 1971-03-30

Rudy Bladel - Wikipedia

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