Authorities have identified the remains discovered in a car at the bottom of the Columbia River as those of an Oregon family that disappeared in 1958 while searching for Christmas greenery. The family members were Kenneth and Barbara Martin and their daughter Barbie, the Hood River County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Thursday.
The Ford station wagon believed to belong to the Martins was found in 2024 by a diver who had been searching for it for several years. Part of the car was retrieved the following year, but only the frame and some attached components could be recovered due to the extent of sediment encasement. In 2025, the same diver located human remains, which were turned over to the state medical examiner's office.
The Martin family vanished in December 1958. The bodies of two of their children were found months after the disappearance, but the parents and another child never turned up. The case became a national news story at the time, leading to speculation about foul play and a $1,000 reward for information.
The sheriff's office stated that investigators found no evidence of a crime after concluding their investigation. The car's frame and components were analysed to confirm it was the Martins' vehicle. DNA extracts were developed from the remains and compared with relatives, allowing for positive identification.
