OR OR - Paul, 45, & Lois Slack, 37, Black Creek Canyon, 7 Sept 1968

Marilynilpa

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On September 7, 1968, Paul and Lois Slack went on a pine cone picking trip in Black Creek Canyon near Eugene, Oregon.

They were last seen alive at 10:30 a.m. September 7, 1968. Their bodies were found on September 14, 1968. Paul had been shot in the chest and abdomen, and Lois was shot in the head. Lois had not been sexually assaulted. Paul pockets were turned out and his wallet was missing. In their car, police found their untouched lunch and coffee.

I have provided links for the meager info I have been able to find on this case. I am a fairly good researcher, and simply can't find much on the murders of this couple.

FYI, ten years later a body was found in the same general area. LE determined that body was of a male hiker who probably fell off a ledge, died and remained in that location for at least five years. It was not linked in any way to the Slack murders.

I have contacted the Sheriff's Department in Eugene, Oregon hoping to find out more info.

If anyone is from that area and remembers this case, please post what you remember.

I find it terrible that such a case received so little coverage.

Links:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H61VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BOEDAAAAIBAJ&dq=paul-slack&pg=4469,4501805

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ia1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BOEDAAAAIBAJ&dq=paul-slack&pg=5779,4734543

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Hq1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3759,4364673

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I61VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1372,5404619

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ja1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3504,6210624

There are also a couple of articles on Newspaper Archives, but they are identical to the info in the linked articles above.
 
I wasn't here in 68, but just a few years ago a couple out hiking and their dog were shot and killed, and that hasn't been solved, either. There's speculation that it was done by people who live out there, like mountain men type thing. They even did a spot on it for one of the psychic detective shows.
 
I live in the area and have never heard of this case. I'll ask around and see if any of the long-timers remember it. (I didn't live around here when the crime happened).
 
Just heard from LE Cold Case Unit - this case has never been solved. There were a couple of good suspects, both of whom are now deceased.
 
Yes, Paul and Lois lived behind us. My husband saw them on the day they disappeared and he, I and our 4 kids picnicked while he was hunting. We were by their car, but didn't know they were dead just a few feet away, the next day. My husband then told them where their car was the following Monday when Paul didn't show up for work and took a helicopter with the police to locate it. The rest is history, except who did it. Some names were thrown about and lots of rumors.

On September 7, 1968, Paul and Lois Slack went on a pine cone picking trip in Black Creek Canyon near Eugene, Oregon.

They were last seen alive at 10:30 a.m. September 7, 1968. Their bodies were found on September 14, 1968. Paul had been shot in the chest and abdomen, and Lois was shot in the head. Lois had not been sexually assaulted. Paul pockets were turned out and his wallet was missing. In their car, police found their untouched lunch and coffee.

I have provided links for the meager info I have been able to find on this case. I am a fairly good researcher, and simply can't find much on the murders of this couple.

FYI, ten years later a body was found in the same general area. LE determined that body was of a male hiker who probably fell off a ledge, died and remained in that location for at least five years. It was not linked in any way to the Slack murders.

I have contacted the Sheriff's Department in Eugene, Oregon hoping to find out more info.

If anyone is from that area and remembers this case, please post what you remember.

I find it terrible that such a case received so little coverage.

Links:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H61VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BOEDAAAAIBAJ&dq=paul-slack&pg=4469,4501805

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ia1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BOEDAAAAIBAJ&dq=paul-slack&pg=5779,4734543

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Hq1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3759,4364673

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I61VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1372,5404619

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ja1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3504,6210624

There are also a couple of articles on Newspaper Archives, but they are identical to the info in the linked articles above.
 
Yes, Paul and Lois lived behind us. My husband saw them on the day they disappeared and he, I and our 4 kids picnicked while he was hunting. We were by their car, but didn't know they were dead just a few feet away, the next day. My husband then told them where their car was the following Monday when Paul didn't show up for work and took a helicopter with the police to locate it. The rest is history, except who did it. Some names were thrown about and lots of rumors.

Thank you for the help you provided to find Paul and Lois. What a sad story!

I found more stories about the murder and two similar ones. An article a year later talked about the investigation. About twenty people voluntarily took polygraphs. Two years later another shooting occurred north of Oakridge. A spotlight was focused for about five minutes on a family sitting at a picnic table. Two people died from the same shot. The father of Paul Slack thinks the two shootings were related. Two Springfield teens were later arrested for the second shooting. They claimed they were spotlighting deer. One was released by 1974, but the other was still serving a seven year sentence at that time. Is it possible one or both were responsible for the shooting of the Slacks as well as the teens shot in 1977 listed below?

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=3eADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6352,2821368&hl=en

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=VOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6061,3093311&hl=en

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=VOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2037,3783706&hl=en

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=U-EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6298,3759453&hl=en

Seven years later in 1977 two teens were shot only seven miles from the site of the second shooting.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=mdkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5985,2339399&hl=en
 
I grew up in Oakridge and was 7 yrs old at the time of the murders. I no longer live there, but I remember hearing several times over the years that the shooter was Ralph Wilton "Scotty" Marino. He has since passed but I know first hand how crazy and mean this man could be...for what it's worth.
 
I grew up in Oakridge and was 7 yrs old at the time of the murders. I no longer live there, but I remember hearing several times over the years that the shooter was Ralph Wilton "Scotty" Marino. He has since passed but I know first hand how crazy and mean this man could be...for what it's worth.
Welcome to Websleuths! This must have left quite an impression on you as a child.

FYI: You'll need to review the terms of service (TOS). If law enforcement (LE) has named this man as a person of interest or a suspect in the case, you'll need to provide a main stream media link (MSM). Otherwise your post will be deleted or a moderator will snip the name out.
 

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