OR OR – Martin Family Ken 54, Barbara 48, Barbie 15, Columbia River Gorge, Dec 7 1958

[Gemmie]

Interesting that he states that they are waiting to positively identify the car, but then states it's been in the river for 66 years.

Enough was seen to determine it was their car IMO. LE just likes to be 100% sure, not 99% before they'll say one way or the other. As they should.

After matching a partial plate, officials now say they are 99% sure this is the Martin’s car. A barge with a crane attached is soon set to pull the car out of the river near Cascade Locks.

https://www.koin.com/news/portland/martin-family-1958-disappearance-significant-tip-03062025/

 

[chart75]

Enough was seen to determine it was their car IMO. LE just likes to be 100% sure, not 99% before they'll say one way or the other. As they should.

After matching a partial plate, officials now say they are 99% sure this is the Martin’s car. A barge with a crane attached is soon set to pull the car out of the river near Cascade Locks.

https://www.koin.com/news/portland/martin-family-1958-disappearance-significant-tip-03062025/

I agree 100% that it was their car. LE could have just said they "believed" the vehicle had been in the water for 66 years. The odds would be astronomical that another 1954 red and cream Ford station wagon would be found in the vicinity of where the Martin's were last seen, especially given the matching partial license plate.

The odds would also be astronomical that it was coincidence that the bloodstained gun that Donald stole from M&F was discovered nearby where the Martin's went missing.

Does anyone know if LE interviewed the taxi driver that sat in front of the Martin's home for an hour the day after they disappeared to get a description of who hired him? There could not have been too many taxi drivers working in Portland back then, and probably only one company that had black taxis.

 

[Valiant]

Even the engine won’t positively ID it as the Martin’s car. A license plate or serial number/VIN tag would verify the car.

 

[Gemmie]

Even the engine won’t positively ID it as the Martin’s car. A license plate or serial number/VIN tag would verify the car.

Which they saw (plate), which made them 99% sure it was the right car (along with other details).

 

[Warwick1991]

Even the engine won’t positively ID it as the Martin’s car. A license plate or serial number/VIN tag would verify the car.

At that time, engines had serial numbers that were similar to VINs.

It's all in the numbers: Ford's serial numbers 1950-1980

Old Cars' guide to decoding Ford's serial numbers from 1950-1980.

www.oldcarsweekly.com

 

[Valiant]

At that time, engines had serial numbers that were similar to VINs.

It's all in the numbers: Ford's serial numbers 1950-1980

Old Cars' guide to decoding Ford's serial numbers from 1950-1980.

www.oldcarsweekly.com

The dataplate is the only place the serial number could be found in the 1950s. That's from that article as the engine serial number no longer identified the car after 1949.
If they have the license plate, it's pretty much confirmed (the odds of the license plate being on a car that looked like the Martin car is very small).
The dataplate, which might be from something like aluminum would be the 100% identifier and is on or around the driver door possibly on the pillar.

 

[Megnut]

>>>>Due to the difficulties associated with retrieving the chassis, and the corroded condition that it was in, HRCSO does not feel that expending further time or resources on the retrieval of the remainder of the vehicle would be prudent, nor would it be guaranteed of success,” a spokesperson with the sheriff’s office wrote in a press release.<<<<

Authorities halt recovery efforts for car linked to 1958 Martin family disappearance

Authorities are suspending recovery efforts for a vehicle thought to be connected to the 1958 disappearance of the Martin family.

katu.com

 

[Austin023]

>>>>Due to the difficulties associated with retrieving the chassis, and the corroded condition that it was in, HRCSO does not feel that expending further time or resources on the retrieval of the remainder of the vehicle would be prudent, nor would it be guaranteed of success,” a spokesperson with the sheriff’s office wrote in a press release.<<<<

Authorities halt recovery efforts for car linked to 1958 Martin family disappearance

Authorities are suspending recovery efforts for a vehicle thought to be connected to the 1958 disappearance of the Martin family.

katu.com

That's a shame, though by no means unexpected. At the very least, the (highly likely) location of the Martin car is now known. I suppose more efforts can be made in the future. But still, a bit disappointing as there could well be human remains still in that deposit where the wreckage was found.

 

[FoxxTraxx]

I was also hoping for a better outcome. The car is almost certainly the Martins since there are no reports of a similar vehicle missing. Also, some eyewitnesses saw the Martins in the Cascade Locks area late afternoon on 12/7/58. We may never know if foul play was involved or if it was an accident.

 

[Warwick7]

That's a shame, though by no means unexpected. At the very least, the (highly likely) location of the Martin car is now known. I suppose more efforts can be made in the future. But still, a bit disappointing as there could well be human remains still in that deposit where the wreckage was found.

That's exactly what I thought.

 

[chart75]

Detective Graven always thought finding the missing vehicle was the key to solving the case. Perhaps had it been found 50 years ago it would have been a game changer. Sad that's not the case today.

Interesting that this article states that the car had "matching serial numbers to records from the Ford Motor Company at the time," and the sheriff once again states that "it's been in there for 66 years" without positively identifying it as the Martin car. As others have stated, I'm not sure who else's car it could be if it's not the Martin's.

https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/car-columbia-river-no-match-to-martin-family-station-wagon-03242025/

I read in a different blog that Ken Martin had ordered the car with custom seat belts. With the time underwater, all sign of those might be missing as well.

 

[strangerthanfiction1200]

So, the car has been 99% identified, does this mean that the case is closed? Has the military been involved to bring it up.? I know they have deep sea drivers that bring up long ago boats, airplanes etc from the water.

 

[chart75]

So, the car has been 99% identified, does this mean that the case is closed? Has the military been involved to bring it up.? I know they have deep sea drivers that bring up long ago boats, airplanes etc from the water.

I don't think the case is closed. Kenneth, Barbara and one of the daughters is still missing. At this point I believe it is still an unsolved missing person's case.

There have been multiple dives over the years by various agencies, but probably not the military. The car, or what is left of it, was found buried in rocks and sediment. Outside of draining the Columbia and doing a huge scale dredging operation, I don't think LE will continue to search.

 

[strangerthanfiction1200]

I don't think the case is closed. Kenneth, Barbara and one of the daughters is still missing. At this point I believe it is still an unsolved missing person's case.

There have been multiple dives over the years by various agencies, but probably not the military. The car, or what is left of it, was found buried in rocks and sediment. Outside of draining the Columbia and doing a huge scale dredging operation, I don't think LE will continue to search.

Thank you for responding.

 

[Austin023]

I don't think the case is closed. Kenneth, Barbara and one of the daughters is still missing. At this point I believe it is still an unsolved missing person's case.

There have been multiple dives over the years by various agencies, but probably not the military. The car, or what is left of it, was found buried in rocks and sediment. Outside of draining the Columbia and doing a huge scale dredging operation, I don't think LE will continue to search.

I don't think it's closed, either. Any further searches or salvage by LE are suspended indefinitely, from what I've read lately.

However, I do not think this endeavor was a bust at all. Finding the car at least confirms once and for all that it indeed went into the river.
Clues can still be gleaned from the wreckage of the Ford that was recently salvaged: the frame, with its four wheels, the engine and (I'm guessing here), it's drivetrain. Even just having those very well may give clues to what happened: was the engine running when it went into the water? (Seized from major internal damage as it hit the water while running should be apparent)...does the transmission indicate a drive, reverse or neutral position? (And I'm talking about examining the transmission itself, not the indicator on the non-recovered steering column).

But at least now we know where the car is, or a substantial part of it. I'd still consider it very possible for human remains to be present in that "pit" that the wreckage was found in, which prevented the car from being pushed any further downstream. Given what's been found, it's pretty safe to say, at 99% that's this is indeed the Martin's car.
And there are probably some other avenues of investigation as well besides just the car...but finding it really opens up the possibilities now of figuring out what happened.

 

[FoxxTraxx]

And there are probably some other avenues of investigation as well besides just the car...but finding it really opens up the possibilities now of figuring out what happened.

Agree. The diver who discovered the car, Archer Mayo, had photos from the tailgate area. I guess the car literally fell apart when they raised the chassis. Perhaps at some point he could dive again and take pictures of what is still down there.

https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/di...ly-car-cascade-locks-columbia-river-04222025/

 

[FoxxTraxx]

There is an effort to keep searching for the remains of the Martin family car. Archer Mayo, the diver, is trying to get support from the public. It would be great to have 100% confirmation that the car is indeed the Martin's.Diver to recover presumed Martin Family car from Cascade Locks

The link to the story is not working at KOIN news. I attached a photo of the partial license plate that was pulled up from the river bottom.

<Admin edited to add link>

https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/photos-car-parts-likely-tied-to-1958-martin-family-disappearance/

 

[tealrose]

KATU News:
Human remains found in car of Martin family missing for nearly 70 years , diver says

 

[tealrose]

And KOIN News:
Martin Family remains likely discovered inside vehicle submerged in Cascade Locks

And Oregonian:
Human remains recovered from car in Columbia River, diver says; mystery obsessed investigators for decades

It might finally be over. Am VERY curious if they'll be able to determine whether or not any of them were shot with that pistol... because I'm still of the belief that's what happened and the son had something to do with it. Too coincidental otherwise, especially since the car was found at Cascade Locks and not in The Dalles.

 

[Gemmie]

KATU News:
Human remains found in car of Martin family missing for nearly 70 years , diver says

While I don't doubt for one minute that the diver knows what skeletal remains look like, and likely clothed at that, LE isn't confirming the find (understandable, that info will come from them when they feel the time is right) but I love that they said the case was still under investigation.

From your link: The Hood River Sheriff’s Office would not confirm Friday that human remains had been found. It said the case was still under investigation