By Molly Blancett KVAL News

EUGENE, Ore. -- Police have identified a man murdered next to the railroad tracks Saturday morning as 44-year-old Ron Langlois of Springfield. His wife said he worked hard to provide for his family.


A co-worker found Langlois dead of a gunshot wound at West 2nd Avenue and Cleveland Street just before 5 a.m. Langlois' supervisor at Portland & Western Railroad, a Salem-based train transport company, was at the crime scene while police investigated.


The victim's wife did not want to go on camera. Alicia Langlois said she wants to just be around her three kids right now, one of whom is in the Navy and is based out of San Diego. He flew up to Eugene to be with the family Sunday morning.

Alicia Langlois did tell KVAL News that Ron Langlois started working as a conductor for Portland & Western in August 2003, working his way up to locomotive engineer. She said a conductor found her husband and started doing CPR - even though he didn't directly know him.


Considered a second father

Ron Langlois was considered as family to many who knew him. Allison Walton's daughter competes with Langlois' daughter on a cheer-leading team. Though Walton did not want to speak on-camera either, she did say Ron Langlois was very involved in the cheer-leading team - so much so that some of the cheerleaders "considered him a second father."


While everyone learns to live life without Langlois, friends said they will do everything they can to support his family.
A Eugene police spokesperson said they still have no suspects in Langlois' death. They also haven't released information about possible motivations for the crime. Those with any information are asked to call Eugene police at (541) 682-8888.
This case is the first homicide in Eugene for 2010.