Remains linked to submerged car solve 1958 missing Oregon family case

Officials say remains recovered near a submerged 1958 station wagon in the Columbia River have been identified as three members of the Martin family after DNA testing and anthropological assessment; the next procedural step is undetermined at this time.

Officials announced that remains tied to a car found in the Columbia River were identified as three members of the Martin family, closing the central question in a case that began in 1958. The family left Portland on Dec. 7, 1958, in a red-and-white Ford station wagon and did not return. A diver located a vehicle in the river in 2024, recovery work continued into 2025, and human remains recovered from the site were examined by the medical examiner in partnership with a DNA testing company. Key findings: - A vehicle linked to the Martin family was located in the Columbia River in 2024; recovery efforts in 2025 removed parts of the car and later recovered human remains. - DNA testing produced one usable profile that matched relatives and identified Kenneth Martin; authorities reported that Barbara Martin and their daughter Barbie were identified based on the recovery circumstances and an anthropological assessment. - Two other daughters, Virginia and Sue, were previously recovered from the river in 1959, and the family had a son, Donald, who was serving in the U.S. Navy at the time of the disappearance. Summary: The identifications bring closure to a decades-old disappearance that prompted extensive searches in 1958 and 1959. Undetermined at this time.