Eugene Police Seek Leads in 1975 Cold Case Stabbing Death

Margo Nerine Ascencio was 22 years old when she was killed inside a room at the El Don Motel on West Sixth Avenue. Fifty-one years later, the Eugene Police Department Cold Case Squad still has no one in custody for her death, and investigators are asking the public to help change that.

Ascencio, also known as Margo Castro, was found dead at the motel at 1140 W. Sixth Ave. in west Eugene. Police determined she had been killed sometime between 8:30 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. on March 1, 1975. The cause of death was multiple stab wounds; investigators said she "had been attacked viciously and suffered stab wounds all over her body."

The case has lingered unsolved for more than five decades. During the original investigation, detectives determined that Ascencio had previously been associated with members of the Hessian motorcycle gang, according to Eugene police. No suspects have been publicly named.

The Cold Case Squad is now encouraging anyone with information to come forward, including people who may have encountered relevant details on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. Police said those tips could lead to the identification of a suspect or suspects.

Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Eugene Police Department's cold cases webpage, where the public can also browse other open investigations. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Oregon, which is linked directly from each EPD cold case summary page. Information submitted to Crime Stoppers may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,500.

The El Don Motel property sits along a stretch of West Sixth Avenue that served as a busy commercial corridor in 1970s Eugene. No arrests have ever been reported in connection with Ascencio's death, and the case remains open.