Abigail Agustin-Paz (Willamette University photo)
A Willamette University sophomore found dead in a south Salem park earlier this month died by suicide, Salem police said Tuesday.
Hikers found the body Abigail Agustin-Paz, 19, dead in Minto Brown Park on Oct. 2.
Police said in a news release the state medical examiner ruled the death a suicide, but did not provide further details. The investigation into her death is ongoing, the release said.
Agustin-Paz was from Wood Village, a city on the eastern edge of Portland, and attending Willamette as a Ford Scholar. She was a leader in Ohana, an organization to help students of color and first-generation students at the university.
Salem police are asking anyone with information about her death to call their tips line at 503-588-8477.
Getting help
YouthLine gives Oregon teens an option to talk to other trained teenagers, via call or text, from 4-10 p.m. weekdays, with calls answered by adults during other hours. YouthLine is available at (877) 968-8491, or by text at 839863.
Warning signs for suicide include withdrawal, isolation and talking about being in unbearable pain or being a burden to others. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has a list of risk factors, warning signs and suggestions for helping someone who may be thinking about suicide.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-TALK(8255), and connects callers with a crisis center near them. For help in Spanish, call 1-888-628-9454.
Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
