Margery Magill, the Washington D.C. dog walker who was stabbed to death, had interned in the city and developed a passion for working on international agriculture, food security issues, and the empowerment of women.
Metropolitan police named Magill, 27, of Northwest, D.C., as the victim of the random attack on the street. Police wrote that, on August 28, 2109, Eliyas Aregahegne, 24, of Northwest, D.C., was “arrested and charged with first degree murder while armed.”
“It’s absolutely tragic. I still can’t wrap my head around it,” Magill’s sister, Raeann Magill, told News4. “You know, out walking a dog and to be attacked like that. How can anyone even fathom that? I mean, it’s truly tragic and I even think to myself, why her?” Police say they don’t know the motive, but they don’t think robbery or sexual assault were involved.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Margery Magill Wrote That Returning to D.C. Was ‘My Latest Adventure’ & She ‘Was Always Up for a Challenge’
Margery Magill
On her LinkedIn page, Magill wrote that she had visited many countries. “I’m always up for a challenge and my latest adventure is returning to Washington, D.C. after two years abroad in Istanbul and London,” she wrote.
“I’m an experienced communicator and writer with a demonstrated work history in startup, nonprofit, and international organizations. Skilled in program management, workshop facilitation, social media marketing, event planning, and youth development. Strong passion to work in food security and women empowerment with a Master of Arts in International Relations and a Bachelor of Science in International Agricultural Development.”
She wrote that she was currently “Program Coordinator – Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship” in Washington D.C., saying her duties were to “Manage and advise 90 graduate-level students during a two-year intensive professional development fellowship preparing students to enter the Foreign Service with the U.S. Department of State upon graduation.”
Magill’s sister told NBC she “loved the city. She loved the energy. She really wanted to build her career here and thrive off of the energy that was Washington, D.C.” Her father told The Washington Post: “She had more of a life in her 27 years than a lot of people have in their whole lives.”
2. Magill Studied International Agricultural Development & Interned at the Jane Goodall Institute
Margery Magill
Magill had a bachelor of science degree in International Agricultural Development from University of California, Davis. She also had a master’s degree from the University of Westminster and interned at the Jane Goodall Institute in International Agricultural Development.
In an interview on the Jane Goodall experience, she explained, “I assisted with all outreach, marketing, and event planning for our organization’s founder, particularly in planning national and international speaking engagements. The greatest reward was contributing to an international non-profit that focuses on youth development and environmental contribution, two interests of mine.”
She fell in love with D.C. through that experience, saying, “This internship introduced me to living and working in the D.C. area, and I knew after that summer that I would definitely return one day for good.”
3. A Couple Heard Magill, Who Was Walking Dogs, Cry Out for Help
In a news release, the Metropolitan Police Department wrote that an arrest was made in the homicide that occurred in the 400 block of Irving Street Northwest.
They described it as a “fatal stabbing” that occurred on August 27, 2019.
At about 8:49 p.m., police responded to the location for a “report of an unconscious person.” Upon arrival, they “located an adult female victim suffering from multiple stab wounds. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the victim to an area hospital. After all lifesaving efforts failed, the victim was pronounced dead.”
The Washington Post described how a couple in the area heard cries of “Oh, no!” and “Help me!” and found Magill “lying on her back, bloodied, her eyeglasses on the sidewalk.” The dog she was walking was nearby, howling.
The motive is unclear, but police told the Post they can’t find any link between the suspect and victim. They also don’t think sexual assault or robbery were involved, The Post reported.
4. Margery Magill Helped a Women’s Organization in Turkey & Worked as a Trivia Host
On LinkedIn, Magill wrote that she held many other positions.
She was marketing and communications manager for Turkish Women’s International Network in Istanbul, Turkey from 2017 to 2018. She was program coordinator for Inspire Kentucky, Project High Hopes, in Louisville, from 2016-2017.
She also worked as a trivia host in Louisville and grain merchandiser in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
In addition, Magill wrote that she served as a “national collegiate agriculture ambassador” and on the student advisory team for “Agriculture Future of America.” She also wrote that she was a study abroad adviser at UC Davis.
5. Magill, Who Was From Yuba City, Studied the Changing Climate in Multiple Countries
This is Margery Magill, 27.
She was a UC Davis grad with a master’s degree from Westminster University in London.
She spent her time studying international agricultural development.
She wanted to help others.
Margery was stabbed to death last night while walking a dog in DC.
The U.S. Embassy in Spain and Andorra published a short bio on Margery Magill on a page titled, “Meet the Virtual Foreign Service Interns.”
“Hi! My name is Margery Magill and I am from Yuba City in Northern California,” the bio for Margery reads. “Growing up I participated in 4-H and Future Farmers of America where I competed in speech contests, raised meat goats as a small business and developed a love for the agricultural industry. Currently I am a fourth-year student at the University of California, Davis campus pursuing a Bachelor of Science in International Agricultural Development with a concentration in Environmental Issues. I chose to apply for the U.S. Department of State’s eInternship Program because I wanted to get a taste of the work that the State Department does and see if it would be an ideal career choice for me in the future.”
The bio continues, “This past school year I studied abroad with the School for International Training (SIT) on an 8-month-long journey to Tanzania, India, New Zealand, and Mexico. The program’s focus was on the effects of urbanization and changing climate toward indigenous populations and natural resources. Thanks to my participation in the program I now have a new interest in pursuing work related to environmental policy on a global scale.”
She added: “Following my grand tour around the world, I stayed home for most of the summer working at my county fair and took a class at my community college. Wanderlust got the best of me, however, and I decided to take off again right before starting school to teach English in Turkey for a month and tour a few of the neighboring countries. Now that I am back in Davis, I am excited to take on this internship and see if I can learn more about American agriculture and its influence on the rest of the world.”