1958 Oregon Family Remains ID'd via DNA in River

Authorities in Oregon have identified the remains of a family missing since 1958 through DNA analysis of human bones recovered from their submerged vehicle in the Columbia River, bringing decades-long closure to a case that once captivated the nation.

The Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the identities of Kenneth Martin, his wife Barbara, and their 13-year-old daughter Barbie, according to the Hood River County Sheriff's Office. The three disappeared in December 1958 while driving from their home in Portland to gather Christmas greenery near the river, about 40 miles east of the city. The family's 1954 Ford station wagon was located upside down and buried in mud roughly 50 feet underwater in the Cascade Locks area last fall by private diver Archer Mayo, who had searched for it over several years.

Investigators had narrowed the search using records of Kenneth Martin's credit card purchase for fuel at a gas station near Cascade Locks shortly before the disappearance. In early 2025, the sheriff's office used a crane to retrieve the vehicle's frame and some attached components, as the rest remained encased in heavy sediment. "Analysis of those items along with other...