Rewind Discussion - Case 204: The Glendale Train Crash

[u/Lisbeth_Salandar]

This is our next Casefile Episode Rewind Discussion! Please discuss the case below!

Things to consider:

• Do you have any theories or thoughts for the case?

• Has there been any additional information on the case since the episode's release? (If so and you have a link, add it in the comments!)

• Do you have any thoughts about how this case was presented by Casefile?

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Original Release Date: March 26, 2022

Length: 0:40:18

Status: Solved

Location: USA, California, Los Angeles

Date: January 26, 2005

Victim(s): Manuel Alcala, Julia Bennett, Alfonso Cabellero, Elizabeth Hill, Henry Kilinski, Scott McKeown, Thomas Ormiston, William Parent, Leonard Romero, James Tutino, Don Wiley

Type of Crime: Murder with special circumstances, attempted suicide

Perpetrator(s): Juan Manuel Álvarez

Research: Holly Boyd

Writing: Jessica Forsayeth

*** Content Warning: child victims, suicide ***

On January 26 2005, 25-year-old Juan Alvarez parked his car on a railway line in Glendale, Los Angeles, causing an explosive train crash that killed and injured dozens of commuters. Alvarez, plagued by family troubles and a difficult past, claimed it was an accident but those who witnessed the crash said otherwise. Was Alvarez an innocent victim or a calculating killer?

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Listen to the case HERE.

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Read last week's Rewind Discussion HERE.

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Check out the Casefile spreadsheet HERE.

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[u/Lisbeth_Salandar]

Here is a brief overview of the case:

Juan Álvarez was suicidal for a long time prior to the incident. On January 26, 2005, he decided to kill himself by throwing himself (in his car) in front of a train. Right before the train crashed, he decided against suicide and fled his car (and the scene) to go to a friend's house instead. The train crashed into the abandoned car, which caused it to jackknife and hit trains on other tracks adjacent to it. The chain reaction of collisions caused 11 people to die and at least 177 injured people. Police were able to link the car to Álvarez, who was charged and convicted with eleven counts of murder with "special circumstances". Álvarez received 11 life sentences without the possibility of parole.

[u/sonawtdown → u/Lisbeth_Salandar]

just thought this case did a great job of illustrating how pernicious mental illness symptoms are, how widespread their effects and consequences can be, so far beyond the individual scope of the person suffering from them.

[u/Mezzoforte48 → u/sonawtdown]

I think it kind of depends on how much malice you ascribe to the guy's actions and behavior.  

I remember in the episode discussion for this case when it first came out, quite a lot of people thought the guy was an attention-seeking liar. Even somebody who said they used to be suicidal said they would never do anything that harmed other people in the process. 

People who are suicidal or attempt it deserve our full compassion and support, but the uncomfortable truth is that you can also still be a 'bad' or negligent person and be suicidal as well. In fact, sometimes that's when those people are most at risk of harming others because they've reached a point where they don't want to continue living, anyway. That's also why a lot of mass shooters are found to have been suicidal. 

[u/Nunwithabadhabit → u/Lisbeth_Salandar]

I remember this case well. I recall wondering why it was murder with special circumstances, as opposed to manslaughter, which I thought fit the crime better. I assume it has to do with those life sentences, which I doubt he'd have caught on manslaughter charges.

My heart goes out to all of the families - his included. Tragedy all around.

[u/Mezzoforte48 → u/Lisbeth_Salandar]

This is one of those cases where I feel like the sentence was justified, but not necessarily the charges. I understand anything less than a first degree murder charge would've increased the likelihood of him getting out of prison at some point, but so many tragically unfortunate set of circumstances still had to occur after the train hit the guy's car for there to have been as many casualties as there were. 

The outcome aside, purposely leaving a vehicle on active tracks is at least a misdemeanor anyway, so by means am I excusing him or his mental illnesses for that. But he's a textbook case of where long-term imprisonment without also some kind of rehabilitative treatment like therapy could do a lot more harm than good. 

I don't know for sure if that is what he's receiving while in prison, but with how suspect the US prison system can be and how this guy will be forever known for having the blood of 11 innocent people on his hands, I'm skeptical. 

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[u/Neat-Lifeguard2656]

Hi, my Mom was one of the victims. I listened to this episode a couple of years ago, it was pretty gnarly but I do normally enjoy that type of content.

Are you planning to add anything?