The only known survivor of the serial killer known as the Railroad Killer, Holly K. Dunn, discussed her recovery journey and answered audience questions at the Laurel County Public Library.
In 2017, Dunn and Heather Ebert co-wrote the book "Sole Survivor: The Inspiring True Story of Coming Face to Face with the Infamous Railroad Killer" about how holly dunn survivor overcame her trauma, learnt to forgive, and refused to let one night define the rest of her life.
According to holly dunn survivor, most people assume her book will be depressing because such a terrible incident happened to her; however, this is only discussed in the first chapter, and the next 300 pages focus on her recovery and what she termed her "unconventional approach" to recovery.
On August 29, 1997, Holly Dunn and Chris Maier were out for the evening near the University of Kentucky campus. The two were walking back from a party they had visited earlier in the evening while conversing beside a railway line when a guy suddenly approached them with what seemed to be an ice pick or screwdriver.
They begged the stranger, eventually revealed as a Mexican illegal immigrant by the name of Angel Maturino Resendiz, to take their money and leave them, but he refused. Instead, he viciously attacked them, first tied their wrists and ankles and commanded them to lie face down on the ground.
Holly watched in horror as Resendiz brutally killed Chris, her lover, by hitting him first with a 50-pound rock. After killing Chris, the attacker turned his attention to Holly. Resendiz stabbed and sexually assaulted Holly, and then brutally beat her in the face and on the back of her skull with a piece of wood. Resendiz left her unconscious and left the area.
Holly Dunn managed to regain consciousness and, somehow, gathered the energy to move to a nearby street in search of assistance. After being left for dead, Holly managed to escape the intentions of her attacker and locate a residence from which to get assistance.
At 2:49 in the morning, a guy helped Holly and made a 911 call from a house close to the attack area. She was transferred to the University of Kentucky hospital, where she spent five days while suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and sadly missed Chris' funeral.
Holly had many facial and head injuries, a damaged eye socket, and a broken jaw. holly dunn survivor life was also forever changed.
While many people's lives would be irreparably affected by this incident, Dunn fought hard to recover from her grief. She dealt with everything from embracing Maier's death to learning that her tragedy had not left her a broken person.
Dunn participated in the establishment of Holly's House, an advocacy centre in Evansville, Indiana, for abuse victims. Each time a holly dunn survivor book is purchased, a portion of the proceeds goes toward supporting Holly's House.
Several of Maier's friends who helped her in healing now get together with Dunn once a year. After Maier's frequent usage of the phrase "life is good," they refer to themselves as the "Life is Good Group."
Dunn eventually moved out on her own, but she never felt lonely since she often had guests visiting. She also spent some time sleeping off with a butcher knife next to her bed.
Later, Dunn said that the support of her husband and children had been crucial to her recovery (her oldest son's middle name is Christopher after Maier, and he too possesses an old book from his childhood).
