Cascade Locks, Ore. – The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the remains of Kenneth Martin, Barbara Martin, and Barbie Martin following DNA analysis by Othram, Inc. of remains located in the Columbia River within the wreckage of the Martin family car. The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office has concluded its investigation, having found no evidence of a crime.
The Martin family originally disappeared in December of 1958 while reportedly visiting the Columbia River Gorge to collect Christmas greenery. The remains of Virginia (13) and Susan (11) Martin were found downstream months later, but the parents, Kenneth and Barbara, and oldest daughter Barbara (“Barbie”, 14) were never found despite extensive searching and diving.
In 2024, a private diver located what he believed to be the Martin family car in a catch-basin area within the original locks in Cascade Locks, Oregon. In early 2025, the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office contracted a crane to attempt to pull the vehicle out of the river. Due to the extent to which the vehicle had been encased in sediment, only the frame and some of the attached components were able to be pulled from the water. Analysis of those items along with other items retrieved by the diver allowed investigators to conclude that this was in fact the Martin car.
Later in 2025, the diver located human remains, which were turned over to the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, and subsequently to the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office.
To assist with identification, the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office and the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office partnered with Othram Inc., a forensic genetics laboratory specializing in advanced DNA analysis. Othram uses the identity inference method, which allows scientists to identify individuals from DNA evidence even when no direct comparison sample is initially available. Recovered forensic evidence from the case was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas.
Othram scientists developed DNA extracts from the remains and generated a comprehensive Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) profile for one of the unidentified individuals. SNPs are the most common type of genetic variation and are commonly used in forensic genetic genealogy. Unfortunately, the other two DNA profiles were too degraded to be fully sequenced.
The successfully generated profile was directly compared with family reference standards obtained from known relatives of the Martin family. This comparison enabled investigators to evaluate biological relationships with a high degree of accuracy.
Through this process, Kenneth Martin was positively identified and based on the totality of the circumstances in which the remains were recovered, and the anthropological assessment of the remains, Barbara Martin and Barbie Martin were also identified.
This identification reflects a sustained coordinated effort, scientific partnership, and continued advancements in forensic genetic genealogy. We appreciate the work of Othram Inc. in conducting the specialized testing, the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) for supporting the analyses.
Following the successful identification, the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office notified next of kin, who wish for privacy and have requested no media contact.
The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office for their support with locating relevant records to assist with the investigation. We would also like to thank the members of the Columbia Gorge Major Crimes Team and the Oregon State Police Forensic Services Division for their support. For the identification efforts, special thanks goes out to the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, Othram, Inc., and the Research Triangle Institute, as well as to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System for their financial assistance in funding the genetic testing.