More than four decades after Joe and Helen "Toby" Magaskie were found stabbed in their Dundalk home, their murders are still officially unsolved. The couple, longtime operators of a used‑car business on North Point Boulevard, were discovered by a neighbor in July 1983, and no suspect has ever been publicly identified. Family members and former coworkers say the case continues to weigh on the community, and detectives say they are still working leads.
How the Magaskies Were Found
According to Baltimore County Police, officers were called to the 4100 block of Eder Road around midday on July 22, 1983, after a neighbor went to check on the couple. Both Joe and Toby were found inside with multiple stab wounds to the upper body. Investigators reported the house had been ransacked, with a for‑sale sign posted in the yard and mail still sitting in the mailbox. Detectives have never confirmed a motive, and the file remains with the department's Unsolved Case Division.
Business Ties and Motive Theories
Friends and coworkers told reporters the Magaskies had operated Auto Liquidators on North Point Boulevard for more than 20 years and had sold the business roughly seven months before they were killed, as reported by CBS Baltimore. Relatives say Joe often kept cash at the house to make car deals, a detail that has led some family members to suspect the attack may have been tied to a robbery. A former coworker told WMAR‑2 News that the unsolved killings "makes you, like, paranoid."
Cold-Case Tools and Hope
In recent years, investigators have been reopening and re‑examining older files using modern forensic techniques, and those same tools have helped resolve other 1980s cases in the Baltimore area. A detailed investigation into untested DNA evidence has shown how renewed scrutiny of long‑dormant cases can lead to breakthroughs, according to ProPublica.
How to Help
Baltimore County Police urge anyone with information about the deaths of Joe and Toby Magaskie to contact the Homicide & Missing Persons Unit at 410‑887‑3943 or email [email protected]. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Metro Crime Stoppers at 1‑866‑7‑LOCKUP or online, and tips that lead to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000, according to Metro Crime Stoppers.
