Can't remove or modify mystery exec file

I'm running 10.4.9 on a 3-yr-old G5. A couple items in the trash won't budge; both are now exec files, though they didn't start out that way. One originally was a text file, the other was a directory; I don't know how/why they were transformed. I'm not sure if this is relevant, but I've been using a new thumb drive to transfer files (these and many others) among my computers.
The following steps have been unsuccessful at removing these folders from the Trash:
Finder: empty trash/secure empty trash; changing permissions; renaming the files (produces a new file in the trash that is removable, but the original remains).
Terminal: rm, chmod, mv commands (they have no effect; the file just sits there).
Two questions: (1) How do I remove the files from the trash? (2) Why/how did the originals get changed to exec files?
thanks,
Richard
G5 tower Mac OS X (10.4.9)
1.4 GHz iBook

Thanks for the suggestions (and the link to the helpful XLab site), but nothing worked. Your suggestion of creating a new file with the same name resulted in Trash with two separate but identically named files (a bit disconcerting); I could delete the new one but not the problem executable file. The sudo route, including all the recommendations from XLab (and from the OSXFAQ site linked therein) didn't work, either. I am listed as owner of these files, and they're in my .Trashes/501 folder, but ! they ! won't ! die!
Any other ideas?
Also, anyone know why/how my originals were transformed into executable files?

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