The Matamoros Devil Murders (Part 1)
5/21/202659 min
In March 1989, twenty-one-year-old Texas A&M student Mark Kilroy and some friends traveled south of the border to Matamoros, Mexico to celebrate the end of spring break, along with thousands of other American students that year. After drinking all night at a bar on the night of March 10, Kilroy got separated from his friends when they decided to call it a night a little after 2:00 am. No one would see Mark Kilroy alive again.
As one of several towns bordering the United States, Matamoros was popular with American tourists; however, by the late 1980s, it was beginning to develop a reputation for drug-related crime. In fact, Mark Kilroy was just one of sixty people who went missing in Matamoros in just the first three months of 1989 alone. When Kilroy’s friends reported him missing to the Brownsville, Texas police a massive search began, with investigators fearing Mark might have been kidnapped by one of the local gangs. It turned out, the truth was far worse than anyone had feared.
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References
Associated Press. 1989. "Leader in cult slayings ordered own death, two companions say." New York Times, May 8: 14.
Assocoated Press. 1989. "Hypnosis tried in hunt for student." Fot Worth Star-Telegram, March 17: 24.
Bragg, Roy. 1989. "Cult 'godfather' ordered killing." Houston Chronicle, April 13: 1.
—. 1989. "Fateful party is re-enacted." Houston Chronicle, March 25: 1.
Cartwright, Gary. 1989. "The Work of the Devil." Tecas Monthly, June 1.
Douglas, Jack, and Major Garrett. 1989. "13th victim pulled from killing field." Houston Post, April 14: 1.
Garcia, Guy. 1989. "The Believers: Cult Murders in Mexico." Rolling Stone, June 29.
Humes, Edward. 1991. Buried Secrets: A True Story of Serial Murder, Black Magic, and Drug-Running on the U.S. Border. New York, NY: Dutton.
Kreps, Mary Ann. 1989. "Machete blow reportedly killed Kilroy instantly." Houston Chronicle, April 12: 1.
Mishra, Upendra Nath. 1989. "Police search properties owned by alleged cult leader." United Press International, April 20.
Perez-Trevino, Emma. 2009. "Remebering Mark J. Kilroy." Brownsville Herald, March 8: 1.
Sanders, Kathy. 1989. "Rumors of Satanists kidnapping children have parents terrified." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, April 15: 1.
Schutze, Jim. 2023. Cauldron of Blood: The Matamoros Cult Killings. New York, NY: Open Road Media.
United Press International. 1989. "Parents of missing student seek help from state." United Press International, March 29.
Warren, Susan. 1989. "Kilroys say drug users 'to blame' for son's killing." Houston Chronicle, April 13: 1.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsAsh Kelley· Host0:00
Hey, weirdos, I'm Ash.
Alaina Urquhart· Host0:02
I'm Alayna.
Ash Kelley· Host0:03
She's back.
Alaina Urquhart· Host0:03
I'm back.
Ash Kelley· Host0:04
[laughs] And this is Morbid.
Alaina Urquhart· Host0:06
[laughs] This is Morbid.
Ash Kelley· Host0:08
[gentle music] Oh, guys.
Alaina Urquhart· Host0:22
Are you alive? I'm alive. I'm alive. We made it through. We just had one of those things that, you know, the stomach bug, it just rolls right through.
Ash Kelley· Host0:29
Ugh, and then it paused and came back- Yeah ... which is really fake.
Alaina Urquhart· Host0:32
It paused before it hit the last of us, and then it hit the last of us, and then we cleared it on out.
Ash Kelley· Host0:37
That's bullshit.
Alaina Urquhart· Host0:38
We said goodbye.
Ash Kelley· Host0:39
Glad you cleared it out, though. Appreciate that.
Alaina Urquhart· Host0:41
We did. We made it through, but man, everybody- Wash your hands ... wash your hands.
Ash Kelley· Host0:46
Bleach your house.
Alaina Urquhart· Host0:46
Make sure your kids are washing their hands as much as possible. I know sometimes that doesn't do it, but trust me- I know ... 'cause we're a hand-washing house.
Ash Kelley· Host0:54
At least it's getting hot out again. Like, does... I feel like when it's hot you don't- Yeah, I feel like viruses- They don't do as well ...
Alaina Urquhart· Host0:59
don't thrive. Well, some of them do, but I don't know if this one does.
Ash Kelley· Host1:02
I feel like tummy bugs don't necessarily.
Alaina Urquhart· Host1:04
Yeah, this one thrives in, like, cold weather, I think- Yeah ... best.
Ash Kelley· Host1:07
Yeah, which of course it's literally about to get cold again.
Alaina Urquhart· Host1:09
Of course.
Ash Kelley· Host1:10
Like, hotter than, uh, Satan's butthole outside.
Alaina Urquhart· Host1:13
[laughs] It's true.
Ash Kelley· Host1:13
I got to announce this solo and it didn't quite feel so right, so we just wanna remind you one more time that we have a game.
Alaina Urquhart· Host1:20
We have a fucking game with Hunt A Killer.
Ash Kelley· Host1:24
This feels so much better that you're here and we can talk about it together.
Alaina Urquhart· Host1:27
I'm real excited.
Ash Kelley· Host1:29
It's nuts, 'cause