Decades-Old Family Vanishing Unraveled: Unexpected Truth Emerges After 60+ Years

Ever wonder what happens when a family’s road trip turns into a decades-long unsolved mystery? Well, buckle up—this isn’t your everyday missing persons story. Back in December 1958, Kenneth and Barbara Martin from Portland, along with their three daughters, hopped into a cream-and-red 1954 Ford Country Squire station wagon for a simple Christmas errand in the Columbia River Gorge. But what unfolded afterward has left whispers and questions swirling for more than 60 years. Two of their daughters tragically washed up weeks later, while Kenneth, Barbara, and their eldest remained ghosts in the mist—until an independent diver named Archer Mayo stirred the waters, literally. After countless dives and a stubborn riverbed, he’s pulled up remnants that might finally close this chilling chapter. It’s a story that makes you ask—how many secrets do old rivers keep, and what will it take for them to give them up? LEARN MORE

The mystery of an American family who went missing over 60 years ago may be edging closer to being solved after a shocking discovery.

Portland couple Kenneth, 54, and Barbara Martin, 48, set off on the road with their three daughters, 11, 13, and 14, on 7 December 1958, but never returned home.

In their cream-and-red 1954 Ford Country Squire station wagon, they headed to the Columbia River Gorge to pick up some greenery and Christmas wreaths.

That afternoon, they were seen by eyewitnesses purchasing some fuel in Cascade Locks, and making a stop at Paradise Snack Bar in Hood River.

Weeks later, however, the bodies of the two younger daughters Susan and Virginia washed up in the Columbia River.

Meanwhile, Kenneth, Barbara, and their eldest daughter Barbie remained missing.

Kenneth (right) and Barbara (middle) disappeared with their three daughters in 1958 (KOIN Archives)

It remained one of Oregon’s most enduring cold mysteries until late 2024 when independent diver Archer Mayo located what he believed to be the family’s station wagon, submerged about 50 feet deep in the Columbia River, near Cascade Locks.

In March 2025, portions of the vehicle, such as its chassis and engine, were recovered for forensic examination, while personal items including a camera, toys, and possibly a firearm were also retrieved.

But now, Mayo says he has managed to recover remains of two adults from inside the car.

Independent diver Archer Mayo hasn’t given up hope after all of these years (GoFundMe)

As reported by Oregon Live, he said ‘nothing more can be done’ after handing the remains over to the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office told the outlet that they wouldn’t confirm or deny the claims.

After months of getting all of the necessary permits, as well as diving 60 times to clear debris with a dredge, Mayo finally found an upside-down 1950s Ford station wagon, buried about 60 feet below the surface.

He informed the Sheriff’s Office, and they hired contractors to pull the car out of the water back in March.

The bodies of two of the daughters were recovered months after the disappearance (KOIN Archives)

It seems contractors were only able to pull out the undercarriage and the engine of the car, but couldn’t seem to budge the body and its contents from the pit.

“I was disappointed,” Mayo said.

“I’ve been dreaming, thinking and obsessing about this for seven years.”

In July, Mayo went back in the river to clear the car wreck, and by August, he recovered artifacts and human remains believed to belong to two, possibly three, missing family members.

“I feel like I got them out to be restored with their families,” he said. “And that was the dream.”

LADbible Group has contacted Hood River County Sheriff’s Office for comment.