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55 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, December 9, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 30, 2004 Officers and investigators from Ashland, Medford and Oregon State Police took part in a homicide investigation at the Relax Inn on Clover Lane in Ashland. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Motel death mystery Police investigation continues into violent killing after man’s corpse discovered in Ashland By BILL CHOY Mail Tribune ASHLAND — A man whose body was discovered Friday morning in a motel room appears to be the victim of Ashland’s first homicide in eight years, police said. At 10:50 a.m., Ashland police responded to a call of a body found in Room 8 at the Relax Inn at 535 Clover Lane near Interstate 5, Sgt. Teresa Selby said. A motel employee knocked on the door to clean the room but got no answer. He unlocked the door and saw a man lying on the bed. Selby said he felt something didn’t look right so he quickly left the room to call 9-1-1. Investigators determined the man died violently, and are treating the incident as a homicide, Sgt. Corey Falls said. Police declined to say how the man was killed and did not release many details, saying late Friday that the investigation was still in its early stages. Selby said investigators were still trying to determine possible suspects and a motive for the death. Advertisement "We don't have a lot of information right now," Selby said Friday evening. "We're just trying to access the scene. ... It takes a long time to get everything we need." She said the man appeared to be in his late 60s, but could not release his identity and where he's from until next of kin had been contacted. Motel officials declined to comment. Falls said the man was a guest of the motel who stayed there Thursday night. Deputy District Attorney Tim Barnack said members of the Jackson County's major death investigation unit, made up of officials from different segments of county law enforcement, were at the scene gathering evidence, as well as looking for witnesses and those who stayed at the motel on Thursday night. He would not say how many other people were registered at the motel. Barnack said police spent the afternoon going through the scene, taking fingerprints and photos. Results of an autopsy should be released sometime early next week. Other law enforcement agencies at the scene included the Oregon State Police forensics team, Medford police and the Jackson County Sheriff's Department. Throughout the day, the crime scene was full of activity as officers, detectives and forensic investigators moved in and out of the room. They could be seen working in the room where the victim was found and another room a few doors down. The entire perimeter of the motel was blocked off with yellow police tape. Officers were seen thoroughly going through grass and bushes throughout the property, a few using metal detectors. One officer was on a grassy stretch in the middle of Interstate 5 using a metal detector. The last homicide in Ashland was on Oct. 11, 1996, in a condominium on Lori Lane. Officers discovered the partially dismembered body of 46-year-old Phylliss Golding, who lived at the home. Golding died from "severe blunt head trauma." Police said she was struck 10 to 15 times in the head, most likely with a hammer. She was also stabbed in the back and neck. The couple had moved to Ashland about six months prior from Southern California. Police suspect her husband, Robert Golding, 60, a retired financial consultant, killed his wife. His body was found two days later in his car in a Los Angeles-area shopping center parking lot. He apparently committed suicide by shooting himself. Bill Choy is a reporter for the Mail Tribune and the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 482-3456. Reporter Jack Moran of the Mail Tribune contributed to this story. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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