Remains pulled from Oregon river identified as family missing since 1958
CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. (KPTV/Gray News) – Human remains found in the Columbia River in Oregon last year have been identified as members of a family missing since 1958.
On Thursday, the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office said the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the remains found in 2025 were Kenneth Martin, Barbara Martin and their daughter Barbie Martin following DNA analysis.
Kenneth Martin, his wife Barbara, and their three daughters – ages 11, 13 and 14 – were last seen in December 1958, driving their 1954 cream-colored station wagon. Authorities said the family of five left their home in Portland to reportedly go look for greenery for Christmas wreaths and were never seen again.
The case was investigated by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, and evidence led investigators to believe the family had possibly been in Hood River and Wasco counties.
In May 1959, two of the children’s bodies – 13-year-old Virginia and 11-year-old Susan – were recovered in the Columbia River. One was found near Camas, Washington, and the other near Bonneville Dam.
In the fall of 2024, diver and researcher Archer Mayo found what was believed to be the family’s car beneath 60 feet of water in the Cascade Locks canal.
Parts of the car were removed from the river in spring of 2025. In July, Mayo said he found human remains in the same area.
The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office said it has concluded its investigation, having found no evidence of a crime.
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