TX TX- Margaret Mary Hart, 25, Nude remains on military property, El Paso, 9 Sept' 79

[dotr]

MARGARET MARY HART — FBI

Date(s) of Birth Used April 26, 1954
Hair Brown
Eyes Brown
Height 5'6"
Weight 130 pounds
Sex Female
Race White
Nationality American
Remarks:
Hart previously had ties to Illinois, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona. She attended the following schools in El Paso: St. Joseph’s Parochial School, Loretto Academy, and possibly Burges High School.


''The Federal Bureau of Investigation's El Paso Field Office is seeking information regarding the death of Margaret Mary Hart. On September 9, 1979, a group of teenagers hiking in the area near Transmountain Road found badly decomposed human remains on military property in the Franklin Mountains. The body was later identified as Margaret Mary Hart. Hart's body was found nude, with her clothing nearby. Her t-shirt read “Keep the Magic.” Hart was found with two pieces of jewelry. Her necklace was made of catgut or fishing line with a small ivory heart framed by two metal doves, and her gold-colored ring was inscribed with, "Love M.W.B.”

Hart had surgery on her right knee earlier in the same year in which she was murdered, which hindered her mobility.

Submit a Tip:
If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.

Field Office: El Paso

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[dotr]

Trish Long
April 28 2022
FBI looking for leads in 1979 cold case murder of Margaret Mary Hart (elpasotimes.com)
''The FBI El Paso Field Office announced a campaign Wednesday, April 27, to develop leads on the cold case death of Margaret Mary Hart.''

''The first mention I found of Hart was her marriage to Thomas James Hewkin. There was a public notice listing in both the Times and the Herald Post. County records show they were married May 30, 1973.

The Sept. 10, 1979 edition of the Times reported that a body had been found off Transmountain Road in the area of Castner Range.''

 

[Bit of hope]

https://twitter.com/FBIElPaso/status/1519392194527903750?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

The #FBI seeks info about the death of Margaret Mary Hart, whose remains were found Sept 9, 1979, on military property in the Franklin Mountains near Transmountain Road in El Paso, TX. She was found with her clothing, necklace, & gold-colored ring nearby: http://ow.ly/9LgI50ITNt2

Any idea what the inscription in her ring means: "Love M.W.B"? Is it a phrase...initials? Was she still married with Thomas James Hewkin when she was found? Was she reported missing at the time? Did she live nearby? Is the fact that she was found on military property relevant? Why this case in particular? I've so many questions.

 

[Bit of hope]

To answer a few of my questions.

FBI looking for leads in 1979 cold case murder of Margaret Mary Hart

The body of a young woman, which was discovered last Sunday on military property in the Franklin Mountains has been identified as being that of Margaret Mary Hart, 25, of N(orth?) Mesa (street?) in El Paso.

Identification of the badly decomposed body of the woman was made by the Identification and Records unit of El Paso Police Department working with the El Paso office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is in charge of the overall investigation into the woman’s death.

The FBI spokesman in the case, Roger Terrazas, said the cause of death was strangulation.

The woman was reported missing Sept. 6 by her boyfriend, Brian Robinson, 23. According to a police report, Robinson said Miss Hart had left the couple’s apartment walking to a nearby drugstore and never returned. So she must have been estranged or divorced from her husband having a boyfriend and living together. They also said she had a wedding band when she was found, maybe it wasn't...

 

[Bit of hope]

To get a view. Notice: Fort Bliss (a military base) is near.

 

[Bit of hope]

Number op murders in El Paso through the years. In 1979 there were 33 murders....(Margaret was murdered in September) Then a sudden raise of murders in 1980....54 murders. Just plain numbers. To know if there was some kind of pattern going on in relation to Margaret's murder and possible killer, we will have to analyse all the details of this murders. There might have been a gang war f.i. The FBI probably knows much more about potential suspects at the time and later, but ran out of leads. Is it safe to say the (ex) husband and boyfriend were ruled out?

El Paso police release murder statistics from 1960 to 2018

 

[annemc2]

It might have to do with the rapid population growth during this period. The numbers creep up pretty quickly after 1973. The cartel stuff didn't get really heated until the 1990s.

A key factor in the city's surpluses of low skills and low worker expectations has been the explosive growth of the labor force — a 3.4 percent annual growth between 1974 and 1990. Twice the national rate, this growth arose from conditions similar to those operating in Mexico at the same time: rapid population growth, swollen cohorts reaching working age, and higher participation rates among Hispanic women. https://cis.org/Report/Immigration-Population-and-Economic-Growth-El-Paso-Texas

It looks like Transmountain Road opened in 1969. It must have been pretty desolate at the time. It's pretty built up now but still has stretches of emptiness in the mountain area.

 

[Bit of hope]

It might have to do with the rapid population growth during this period. The numbers creep up pretty quickly after 1973. The cartel stuff didn't get really heated until the 1990s.

A key factor in the city's surpluses of low skills and low worker expectations has been the explosive growth of the labor force — a 3.4 percent annual growth between 1974 and 1990. Twice the national rate, this growth arose from conditions similar to those operating in Mexico at the same time: rapid population growth, swollen cohorts reaching working age, and higher participation rates among Hispanic women. https://cis.org/Report/Immigration-Population-and-Economic-Growth-El-Paso-Texas

It looks like Transmountain Road opened in 1969. It must have been pretty desolate at the time. It's pretty built up now but still has stretches of emptiness in the mountain area.

Yes, that would be a good explanation for an increase in murders. Transmountain Road, I believe, is part of a nature park now, with lots of trails and still quite "empty". It must have been desolate then....the property was and is still owned by the military. I don't think the place she was found has a relation with the military property persé.....it's more the fact that it's so desolate. I don't know why but my underbelly says, this was done by a person stationed at Fort Bliss at the time. (just speculation)

Also more questions:
Did she have a job, if yes, where?
Did she have a connection with the military? F.i. her father was a WWII vet, if I recall right. What occupation did her ex-husband had, was he in the military....her boyfriend?
She was walking to a nearby drugstore, did she arrive there? Was this checked with the clerk/owner? Are these persons questioned, were they ruled out? She was a native of El Paso...was she known in the neighborhood?

I know this is not going to happen, but what would it be nice if a detective working/worked this case could join us.
ETA and typos.

 

[rob525]

Is it odd that the body was so badly decomposed and yet it sounds like the victim was reported missing only three days prior to being found? It sounds like, and I may be misunderstanding, that the boyfriend is saying he last saw her on the 6th. Decomposition was so extensive that it was thought to be the body of a man. Also, death estimates were seemingly 1-2 weeks prior to discovery, not three days. Either her actual day of last being seen is not the 6th or someone is purposely trying to throw off the time line.

 

[Bit of hope]

Is it odd that the body was so badly decomposed and yet it sounds like the victim was reported missing only three days prior to being found? It sounds like, and I may be misunderstanding, that the boyfriend is saying he last saw her on the 6th. Decomposition was so extensive that it was thought to be the body of a man. Also, death estimates were seemingly 1-2 weeks prior to discovery, not three days. Either her actual day of last being seen is not the 6th or someone is purposely trying to throw off the time line.

Sharp...IMO she was reported missing on the 6th by her boyfriend....that doesn't mean she was last seen on that day...you wait at least one night over???? but still that doesn't fit with the badly decomposed body. Texas seems to be very hot....don't know about that in September......let's say she was out there a week....could it be? I didn't see a date about when she went to the convenience store, leaving the couples apartment...It could be 1-2 week earlier....but why wait then?

For the record. September 6, 1979 was a Thursday.
Temperature for September 1979
In September 1979 the average high temperature in El Paso, TX was 90.4°F, and this was 1.7°F warmer than the average of 88.7°F. The hottest day in September 1979 was 7 September when the temperature reached 100.9°F. Overnight the average temperature in September is 62.8°F and in 1979 the average overnight temperature was 5.0°F cooler at 57.8°F.

Can we conclude it was really hot....making decomposition quicker?

 

[HopeRains]

From newspapers.com ElPaso Times 14 Sep 79, pg 10

 

[rob525]

S0, last seen on the 5th and discovered on the 9th? Appeared to some to have been deceased for a week or two? And, a woman with recent knee surgery, unable to walk very well, setting off on foot to the pharmacy on a 90 degree day?

 

[Bit of hope]

S0, last seen on the 5th and discovered on the 9th? Appeared to some to have been deceased for a week or two? And, a woman with recent knee surgery, unable to walk very well, setting off on foot to the pharmacy on a 90 degree day?

Good question.....I also wonder why LE had her fingerprints to match up with when she was found (per newspaper clipping) Was she known in the police files? Interesting. She was a civilian and had no connections with the military.

 

[Bit of hope]

From newspapers.com ElPaso Times 14 Sep 79, pg 10

View attachment 342492

Thank you, very interesting "extras".

 

[Richard]

Margaret Mary Hart, age 25. Murdered September 1979.

LINKS:

MARGARET MARY HART | Federal Bureau of Investigation

Homicide Victim El Paso, Texas September 9, 1979

www.fbi.gov

https://news.yah [URL unfurl="true...s-for-new-leads-to-solve-1979-el-paso-murder/

FBI looking for leads in 1979 cold case murder of Margaret Mary Hart

In 1979, four teenage boys hiking in the Franklin Mountains found a decomposed body. The body was identified as that of Margret Mary Hart.

www.elpasotimes.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/margaret-mary-hart/@@download.pdf

FBI looking for leads in 1979 cold case murder of Margaret Mary Hart

In 1979, four teenage boys hiking in the Franklin Mountains found a decomposed body. The body was identified as that of Margret Mary Hart.

www.elpasotimes.com

FBI looks for new leads to solve 1979 El Paso murder

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – This week, officials with the FBI Office in El Paso started a new campaign to help solve a 40-plus year old cold case murder. The Federal Bureau of Investigation&#8217…

www.ktsm.com

 

[Richard]

The bit of information about her body being found on "Military property" might be misleading.

Some Army bases in the west include vast tracts or ranges which are not fenced in and are open to the general public. Also, back in the 1970's many military bases were either readily accessible to anyone passing through, or at most closed to traffic between certain hours.

Except for some restricted areas, the current tight security measures in effect at military bases did not go into effect until September 11th, 2001.