MAP: Map of crime trail  ALSO: Mutual trust helped Texas Ranger get his man Criminal record of Resendez-Ramirez VIDEO Prosecutor Devon Anderson talks about her case Wednesday. (Note: Some audio can't be heard.) Windows Media 28K 80K Defense attorney Alan Tanner offers comment Wednesday. (Note: Some audio can't be heard.) Windows Media 28K 80K CNN's Charles Zewe reports on the man suspected of being the railway killer Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K

July 14, 1999
Web posted at: 11:59 a.m. EDT (1559 GMT)

In this story: Blood evidence? Eager to plead guilty Suspect 'cooperative' Surrender agreement RELATED STORIES, SITES

HOUSTON (CNN) -- Eager to plead guilty -- but not yet allowed to -- a Mexican drifter suspected of murdering at least eight people while crisscrossing the United States by freight train was assigned two court-appointed attorneys Wednesday and ordered held without bail.

He appeared in court in connection to burglary charges stemming from one of the murder cases.

Texas authorities said they expected to file murder charges against the man known as Rafael Resendez-Ramirez, pending the outcome of DNA testing.

The suspect, who has used many aliases throughout a months-long manhunt, said during a brief hearing in a Houston courtroom his real name is Angel Maturino Resendez.

Bound in handcuffs and dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, he stood before Texas District Court Judge Bill Harmon, who asked the Mexican-born suspect through a translator if he understood his rights in a burglary case linked to one of the killings.

"Si," Maturino Resendez responded in Spanish.

Blood evidence?

Texas prosecutors hope to use DNA evidence from a blood sample to help build a death penalty case against the suspect, who surrendered on Tuesday.

Harris County Assistant District Attorney Devon Anderson said she hoped the results would be available by the end of next week. "If what we know about him is true, if the DNA comes back (positive), he is everyone's worst nightmare," she said.

"If it's him, we'll upgrade the burglary charge to murder," Anderson said.

In Texas, a charge of capital murder can only be filed when there is evidence that a murder occurred during the commission of a select group of felonies. Burglary is included in that group.

Investigators say he is linked to the murders by DNA, fingerprints and jewelry and other items stolen from the victims, all of whom lived near railroad tracks.

Under Texas law, anybody convicted of capital murder faces either execution or life imprisonment.

Texas authorities expect to file murder charges against Maturino Resendez after DNA tests are completed

Eager to plead guilty

When the judge told Maturino Resendez of the burglary charge and asked if he had any questions, the 39-year-old replied through the translator: "Can all this be done very quickly so I can say I am guilty?"

The comment was not an official plea, prosecutors said, because the purpose of the hearing was to set bond and determine if Maturino Resendez had a defense attorney.

The unofficial admission of guilt was the second time Maturino Resendez has done so.

At an overnight hearing on the burglary case, he also attempted to enter a guilty plea, but the judge would not allow it since the suspect was not represented by an attorney and the charge had not been formally filed.

Asked by the judge if he made up the name Rafael Resendez-Ramirez, the suspect said it belongs to "an uncle of mine."

Anderson says she doesn't know what the motives in such killings would be (158K/15 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

Suspect 'cooperative'

Within hours of his family-negotiated surrender near El Paso on Tuesday, the suspect was flown to Houston, where authorities interrogated him for nearly eight hours about the 1998 slayings of two area women: Noemi Dominguez, a school teacher, and Dr. Claudia Benton, a Rice University professor.

Sources told CNN he was "cooperative in supplying details."

The burglary he is charged with is related to Benton's death.

He is suspected of committing five murders in Texas, two in Illinois and one in Kentucky, and is wanted for questioning in as many as 14 other killings, from Miami to Detroit and Phoenix, sources have told CNN.

Most of his alleged victims were bludgeoned to death. Investigators have said they have no idea what motivated the killings.

Carter helped negotiate the surrender of the suspect

Surrender agreement

The surrender of Maturino Resendez -- arranged by family members in contact with Texas Ranger Drew Carter -- capped a massive international manhunt by thousands of investigators and railroad authorities.

The suspect, who was placed on the FBI's "10 Most Wanted" list of suspects last month, crossed a bridge over the Rio Grande from Mexico to El Paso, Texas, and surrendered to Carter, who was backed by federal agents.

After turning himself in, the slightly built, clean-shaven suspect was made a brief court appearance in El Paso on the burglary charge before being flown to Houston.

The surrender agreement included assurances of family visits, a psychological evaluation and promises that he would be safe in jail, authorities said.

The agreement does not shield him from the death penalty. Mexico has refused to return suspects to countries where they may face a death penalty, which Mexico does not have.

Texas has executed more people -- 180 -- than any other state since the death penalty was declared constitutional in 1976. Harris County prosecutors have sent more killers to death row than any other county in the nation.

Correspondents Charles Zewe and Jennifer Auther contributed to this report