CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. (AP) — Genetic testing has confirmed that human remains discovered inside a submerged vehicle in the Columbia River belong to an Oregon family who disappeared nearly 67 years ago during a Christmas outing, officials announced Thursday.
Oregon’s state medical examiner has positively identified the remains as Kenneth Martin, his wife Barbara Martin, and their daughter Barbie, according to the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators have closed the case after finding no indication of criminal activity.
A diver who had spent years searching for the missing family located their Ford station wagon in the river during 2024. Recovery teams extracted portions of the vehicle from the water the next year.
The Martin family disappeared in December 1958 during what was supposed to be a holiday trip to gather Christmas decorations. While the bodies of two other family children were recovered months following their disappearance, the remaining three family members were never found.
The mystery captivated the nation and sparked theories about possible criminal involvement, with authorities offering a $1,000 reward for tips.
“Where do you search if you’ve already searched every place logic and fragmentary clues would suggest?” an Associated Press report questioned in 1959, months following the family’s vanishing.
Recovery teams could only retrieve the vehicle’s frame and certain attached parts due to how extensively sediment had buried the car over the decades, sheriff’s officials explained. Examination of these components confirmed the vehicle belonged to the Martin family.
The same diver discovered human remains in 2025, which were subsequently transferred to state medical examiners.
Forensic experts extracted genetic material from the remains and created DNA profiles that were matched against samples from Martin family relatives, enabling positive identification, authorities reported.
