Police initially speculated that the family's car may have crashed into the river, though the circumstances surrounding the event could not be fully explained. Complicating the case was the discovery of a stolen handgun and the arrest of two ex-convicts in the area the day after the family's disappearance. Investigators were unable to determine if the incidents were in any way connected.
The whereabouts of Kenneth, Barbara and Barbie remain undetermined. Their vehicle was discovered in 2024. The family's disappearance has been described as one of the "most baffling" mysteries in Oregon history, and it sparked the greatest manhunt the state had undertaken at the time.
During the search, a .38 Colt Commander handgun was found, which had been disposed of in the bushes and was covered in dried blood.
The handgun was turned over to law enforcement but never processed for evidence. The gun's serial number was traced to a Meier & Frank department store. It was discovered that the gun had been among several sporting good items that the Martins' son Donald had been accused of stealing while working at a Meier and Frank two years prior. Donald, aged 28 when his family disappeared, was a United States Navy veteran and graduate student at Columbia University in New York City at the time
In December 1966, Donald—the only surviving member of the family—inherited the family's "modest" estate, which had been in mandated probate for seven years. He later moved to Kapolei, Hawaii, and became a teacher at James Campbell High School, ʻEwa Beach. Donald died in October 2004, at the age of 73, leaving three children behind.
On May 1, 1959, three months after the tire tracks were reported, a river drilling rig near The Dalles reportedly hooked something of substantial weight to its anchor. It became dislodged before it could be pulled to the surface. In the early morning hours of May 2, a fisherman and his wife reported seeing what appeared to be two bodies floating downstream near Cascade Locks. They later encountered the bodies near Bonneville Dam.
On the afternoon of May 3, the body of Susan was discovered on the north bank of the Columbia River, near Camas, Washington, roughly 70 miles west of The Dalles. Her identity was positively confirmed via dental records. The next morning, the body of Virginia was discovered near Bonneville Dam, roughly 46 miles west of The Dalles
The vehicle was located approximately 50 feet below the water's surface, buried beneath rock, silt, and other debris, and was unearthed using a vacuum dredge. Several other vehicles were also found in the process.
Recovery efforts began last Thursday. Portions of the vehicle, including the chassis, rear axle and engine, were extracted and sent to the Oregon State crime laboratory for examination.
No comments:
Post a Comment