For Officer Eduardo Murillo, service has always been tied to responsibility. Long before he wore a badge in Kendall County, he was learning what it meant to protect and serve through military service, volunteer work, and helping people in crisis.
Murillo was born in San Pedro, Mexico, before his family relocated to Del Rio, Texas when he was still an infant. He became a United States citizen as a teenager and later joined the U.S. Army at 18 years old, following the example of his stepfather’s military service. Over the next several years, he served on active duty as a forward observer before transitioning into Army Reserve counterintelligence work.
While serving, Murillo also pursued higher education, often balancing coursework alongside demanding field exercises.
“I remember nights we’d be in the field, negative 14 degrees, snowing, trying to complete assignments in the tent,” Murillo said. “My supervisors saw how dedicated I was and pushed me to continue school.”
That discipline eventually led him to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of the Incarnate Word before attending the police academy through San Antonio College.
Before entering law enforcement full time, Murillo worked in the medical field as a surgical technician and later with Child Protective Services. Those experiences shaped how he viewed service and strengthened his desire to directly help vulnerable people.
“I felt like there was more that could be done,” he said. “Law enforcement gave me the opportunity to do more for the community.”
Murillo joined the Boerne Police Department three years ago after discovering the Hill Country during visits to Boerne Lake. What began as an appreciation for the outdoors quickly became something deeper.
“It reminds me of home, but it isn’t home,” Murillo said. “It’s like a new home for me.”
Today, Murillo serves primarily on night shift patrol, where much of the work happens while the city sleeps. He says many residents never fully see the realities officers encounter overnight.
“They don’t see the officers in the middle of the street at night dealing with situations behind the scenes,” he said. “There’s a lot that happens when the city is asleep.”
For Murillo, the work became deeply personal during a case involving a child he had helped earlier in his career. Months later, while working Dickens on Main, the child recognized him in a crowded event and approached him directly.
“She told me, ‘Thank you for rescuing me,’” Murillo said. “Those words just cut through my heart.”
That moment confirmed for him that the difficult work mattered.
“It reminded me why I started,” he said.
Outside of work, Murillo finds ways to decompress through painting, drawing, cooking, fishing, and spending time outdoors. The slower pace of creative hobbies helps balance the intensity of patrol work and allows him to reset after long nights on duty.
Murillo first encountered Hope for Heroes Texas while training as a younger officer. At first, he assumed the organization’s support events were occasional gatherings. Over time, he realized the support was consistent and deeply intentional.
“I thought it was just a special event for that day,” Murillo said. “But then I realized this was constant. It’s a reminder to keep pushing forward and that you’re appreciated for what you do.”
Working nights has limited his ability to attend many of the organization’s daytime luncheons, but he says the impact is still visible throughout the department.
“It gives officers the feeling that there’s a community out there ready to help,” he said. “It creates an open door.”
Murillo also believes organizations like Hope for Heroes Texas help strengthen relationships between first responders across Kendall County by creating opportunities to connect outside of emergencies and stressful calls.
“It’s good to have that interaction in a capacity that isn’t work,” he said. “You get to actually talk to each other and catch up as people.”
For Murillo, support from the community often comes in simple moments. A handshake, a thank you, or someone saying “God bless you” during a long shift can go a long way.
“It reminds you that you’re doing the right thing,” he said.
Brad Cornell, founder of Hope for Heroes Texas, says Murillo’s story reflects the kind of commitment that defines many first responders across the Hill Country.
“Eduardo represents what service looks like when it becomes part of a person’s character,” Cornell said. “Whether through military service, volunteering, protecting children, or serving the Boerne community, he has consistently chosen a life centered around helping others. At Hope for Heroes Texas, our mission is to make sure first responders know their sacrifices are seen, appreciated, and supported by the community they serve.”
From the Hope for Heroes series: Murillo’s path echoes Officer Juan Acosta’s journey from chaos to calling, another Kendall County deputy whose service was forged before the badge. For more on the leadership that shapes the department they serve, read about Sheriff Al Auxier’s life of faith and service.
