FBI looking for leads in 1979 cold case murder of Margaret Mary Hart
The FBI El Paso Field Office announced a campaign Wednesday, April 27, to develop leads on the cold case death of Margaret Mary Hart.
On Sept. 9, 1979, four teenage boys hiking in the Franklin Mountains found a badly decomposed body. The body was identified a week later as that of Margret Mary Hart.
An FBI press release added the following information:
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.
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.
If anyone has information that could lead to the identification and arrest of the suspect, please call the FBI El Paso office at (915) 832-5000 or submit anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.
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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.
Cliff yields decomposed body
Sept. 10, 1979, El Paso Times
The all-volunteer rescue team of the El Paso Police department Sunday night climbed a rocky mountain cliff just off Transmountain Road to lower the decomposed body of an unidentified man found earlier in the evening.
Four Northeast El Paso youths, returning home from an afternoon cookout in the Cottonwood Springs area of Castner Range, made the gruesome discovery as they reached the rocky trail that leads down to Transmountain Road.
“We thought it was a dead animal,” said Eric Gutierrez of Roanoke Drive.
Gutierrez gave reporters his name but later asked it be withheld. He gave no reason. His teenage companions refused to give their names.
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Dead for more than a week
The youth said the decomposed body was that of a man. He said the body was face down, buried in the dirt. It looked as if the man had been dead for more than a week, Gutierrez said.
Police reports estimated the man had been dead for about two weeks. Police did not know whether the man was murdered.
Another youth, 17-year-old Floyd Shaw, and two friends also saw the body while liming the mountain. Shaw reported the body to the police.
He said the body was covered with thick mountain brush and lay with an arm behind its back. The youths said they had not looked to see if the man had been shot.
Rescue group begin climb
Police Sgt. Chuck Adkins was in charge of the rescue group that began the climb around 8:20 p.m.
Lt. Bob Burgess of the Northeast El Paso police sub-station said it would take the rescue team more than four hours to lower the body from the site. He said the group, on reaching the body, was to thoroughly examine the possible clues that would indicate “foul play” was involved.
Two uniformed Army officers were at the scene seeking to learn the identity of the dead man. “We don’t know if he was military personnel,” one officer said.
Late Sunday night, police said the military would take charge of the investigation.
An air of mystery
The Herald Post reported information obtained overnight and into the following day.
Identity of body in Franklin Mountains puzzles police
An air of mystery surrounded the finding late yesterday of a decomposing body, buried in a shallow grave, high up in the Franklin Mountains, which was discovered by several boys who were hiking in the mountains north of Trans-Mountain Road.
First reports were that the body was that of a man. But police sources, who wished to remain anonymous, said this morning that the body was a woman, wearing a wedding ring.
One police source speculated there is a possibility that the body may be a victim of the Bandidos motorcycle gang.
The body was discovered at approximately 6:30 p.m. by Mario Leyva, Juan Torres, Chuck Walker and Eric Gutierrez who uncovered the body in a pile of rocks while hiking.
The youths summoned police and the department’s all-volunteer rescue team climbed the rocky cliffs to bring down the body.
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Official confirms victim was a woman
An army spokesman said that the body was being brought to William Beaumont Army Medical center this morning for identification and an autopsy.
The Fort Bliss Public Information office confirmed the unofficial police report that the body was that of a woman but he was unable to give any details as to her age, race or how she died.
The Army PIO spokesman said the Federal Bureau of Investigation will have jurisdiction in the case it they wish to investigate it and if they do will be assisted by Army Criminal Intelligence division agents.
If the FBI declines the case, the CID will handle the investigation, the spokesman said.
Police learn identity of woman found dead
On Sept. 14, the Times reported that the body had been identified. This is the last mention of Margaret Mary Hart that I found:
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. Mesa.
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.
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Left for drugstore, never returned
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.
Robinson reportedly contacted police again after hearing the description of the body found Sunday.
The local office of the FBI is conducting the investigation into the death of the woman, in cooperation with the El Paso Police department and Fort Bliss officials.
Miss Hart was a native of El Paso and attended St. Joseph’s Parochial School and Loretto Academy.
She is survived by her father, Jack C. Hart, of Jefferson Avenue and two brothers, Jack Hart Jr. of El Paso and Bill Hart of Chicago.
Trish Long may be reached at tlong@elpasotimes.com or 915-546-6179.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: FBI looking for leads in 1979 cold case murder of Margaret Mary Hart
