On August 14, 1983, Maria Dolores Molina was 17 years old when she was found dead on railroad tracks in Berino, New Mexico. However, the manner of her death was not consistent with being hit by a train.
It appeared that her body was placed on the railroad tracks after she died.
In 1983, Maria, also known as Lola, was involved in the ROTC program at her high school. She wanted to join the U.S. Navy someday.
The last time her family saw her was on August 13. Lola’s five siblings were playing inside their home in San Miguel, New Mexico, when their mother called them over to say goodbye to Lola.
Lola was going to a friend’s quinceañera in Berino, a nearby town. She waved goodbye to her siblings. Then, she never came home. It was unlike her to stay the night somewhere without letting her mother know.
On August 14, the family spent all day driving around, asking Lola’s friends if they knew where she was. Nobody seemed to know anything.
As the Molinas drove past the railroad tracks off of Highway 478 in Vado, New Mexico, just a couple of miles from Berino, they saw a bunch of ambulances and police cars gathered around.
Lola’s mother wanted to stop, but her aunt reassured her that Lola was probably waiting at home for them. So, they headed back, only to find an empty house.
Soon, their lives turned completely upside down. Police officers came to the house to inform the Molinas that Lola’s body was found by the railroad tracks. Her shoes had been removed and placed next to her.
According to the autopsy report, Lola had injuries on the back of her head and a gash on her forehead. Her cause of death was undetermined. Her sister, Ramona, believes she was murdered. Ramona was just about to turn 10 years old when Lola died.
In 2024, a detective at the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office concluded that Lola’s death was not a homicide after reviewing a report from an expert in railroad vs. pedestrian crashes.
But in 2021, Ramona obtained a copy of Lola’s case file from 2003, and it stated that her death was a murder case.
Ramona has been frustrated with the way the sheriff’s office has handled her sister’s case. It has been more than 40 years since Lola’s death, and nobody has any answers. She alleges that the department has mishandled the investigation. Ramona continues to fight for justice for her sister.
Lola’s mother passed away in 2015, without knowing what happened to her daughter. Lola and her mother are both buried in the same plot in San Miguel.
If you have any information about Maria “Lola” Dolores Molina’s death, you can contact the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office at 575-525-1911.
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By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
