Mauricio Rodriguez Silva (born October 25 1959) is an American serial killer who was sentenced to death for a series of murders committed in California during May 1984. He is currently incarcerated on death row at San Quentin State Prison.
Early life
Silva was born in Los Angeles, California, to David Acosta Silva, a migrant laborer from Chihuahua, Mexico, and Myrne Rodríguez, a Nicaraguan woman who suffered from gigantism and other health issues. He was born with a cleft palate and physical abnormalities inherited from his mother. After his father abandoned the family and was later killed in Alaska, his mother left Silva and his brother in the care of their grandmother in Mexico City. Reports indicate that the children experienced neglect and harsh conditions during this period. Silva spent much of his youth in various foster homes in the United States and Mexico and was reportedly unable to read or write fluently.
First conviction
In 1978, at age 18, Silva shot and killed Troy Allison Covella during an argument. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received a sentence of 5 ⅕ years, which he served at Soledad State Prison.
Release and killing spree
Silva was released on parole on May 7 1984 and moved in with his half‑sister, Martha Kitzler, in Hollywood. Between May 18 and May 26 1984, Silva committed three murders:
- Walter P. Sanders (16), a runaway from Lompoc, was shot five times with a shotgun in the Mojave Desert and his body was left in the Antelope Valley.
- Monique Michelle Hilton (16), a runaway from Illinois, was shot twice after being picked up at a Santa Monica Boulevard bus stop; her body was dumped near Palmdale Regional Airport.
- Martha Kitzler, Silva’s half‑sister, was strangled, stabbed eight times, and had her throat slit in her Hollywood apartment.
Arrest, confession, and trial
On May 28 1984, Silva surrendered to the Templeton sheriff’s department, confessing that he was wanted for murder. A search of his vehicle uncovered a loaded sawed‑off shotgun and a knife. He was subsequently charged with three counts of first‑degree murder. Silva pleaded not guilty, and the prosecution sought the death penalty. After a hung jury in the first trial, a retrial in early 1986 resulted in convictions on all counts and a death sentence.
Appeals and current status
In 2001, the California Supreme Court temporarily nullified Silva’s death sentence due to improper exclusion of a juror based on race; the sentence was later reinstated. As of the latest available information (2025), Silva remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison. He has repeatedly stated his guilt and continues to pursue appeals aimed at reducing his sentence to life imprisonment without parole.
See also
- Capital punishment in California
- List of death row inmates in the United States (California)
- List of serial killers in the United States
References derived from publicly available encyclopedic entries and news reports.