CastlesBurning
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Eight years of Dateline's Missing in America: 169 still missing
Ashley Martinez was only 15 years old when she disappeared from Krug Park in St. Joseph, Missouri on July 6, 2004. She had been spending the day at the pool with her younger brother, but when their mother came to pick them up, Ashley was gone. Her brother and other witnesses said she had gotten into a car with a man later identified as Christopher Hart. Ashley’s friends and witnesses from the pool were questioned and told police that Ashley had talked about running away. In the months following Ashley’s disappearance, Hart was arrested multiple times on unrelated charges. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Missouri for assault and tampering with a motor vehicle. The current investigator on the case, Sgt. Jason Strong, told Dateline that Hart is a person of interest in Ashley's disappearance. He added that authorities have followed up on all recent tips in the case and used Ashley’s DNA to compare with unidentified bodies found in the area, but nothing has led to Ashley. At the time of her disappearance, Ashley was 5’3” tall and weighed about 110 lbs. She has sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, and has a scar on her left wrist. Her tongue, naval and ears are pierced. In July 2014, Ashley’s family and the St. Joseph Parks, Recreation & Civic Faculties Department, planted a sugar maple tree at Krug pool. Tammy told Dateline that the specific tree was chosen because in the fall its leaves turn red - Ashley’s favorite color. The idea of the tree was Ashley’s grandmother’s. In early 2021, Ashley’s grandmother died and the family has since planted another tree, this time in her honor, right next to Ashley’s tree. Anyone with information about Ashley’s case is asked to contact the St. Joseph Police Department at either 816-271-4777 or 816-271-4747. Tips can also be called into the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 1-800-877-3452
Ashley Martinez was only 15 years old when she disappeared from Krug Park in St. Joseph, Missouri on July 6, 2004. She had been spending the day at the pool with her younger brother, but when their mother came to pick them up, Ashley was gone. Her brother and other witnesses said she had gotten into a car with a man later identified as Christopher Hart. Ashley’s friends and witnesses from the pool were questioned and told police that Ashley had talked about running away. In the months following Ashley’s disappearance, Hart was arrested multiple times on unrelated charges. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Missouri for assault and tampering with a motor vehicle. The current investigator on the case, Sgt. Jason Strong, told Dateline that Hart is a person of interest in Ashley's disappearance. He added that authorities have followed up on all recent tips in the case and used Ashley’s DNA to compare with unidentified bodies found in the area, but nothing has led to Ashley. At the time of her disappearance, Ashley was 5’3” tall and weighed about 110 lbs. She has sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, and has a scar on her left wrist. Her tongue, naval and ears are pierced. In July 2014, Ashley’s family and the St. Joseph Parks, Recreation & Civic Faculties Department, planted a sugar maple tree at Krug pool. Tammy told Dateline that the specific tree was chosen because in the fall its leaves turn red - Ashley’s favorite color. The idea of the tree was Ashley’s grandmother’s. In early 2021, Ashley’s grandmother died and the family has since planted another tree, this time in her honor, right next to Ashley’s tree. Anyone with information about Ashley’s case is asked to contact the St. Joseph Police Department at either 816-271-4777 or 816-271-4747. Tips can also be called into the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 1-800-877-3452
