OR OR – Martin Family Ken 54, Barbara 48, Barbie 15, Columbia River Gorge, Dec 7 1958

[Bounceycat]

Donald made no attempt to come home and help with the search (said his aunt told him not to but his aunt said she encouraged him to go back to Oregon and thought it odd that he did not), nor does he come back for the memorial service of his two sisters that were found the next year (said he mixed up the dates).

If he was in the military it's not like he can just come home at will or stay as long as he wanted.

 

[Valiant]

Photo of a Cream and Red 1954 Ford Station Wagon, similar to the one driven by the Martin family when they went missing on 7 December 1958.

While the colors are correct, that is a Chevrolet wagon, not a 1954 Ford wagon.

 

[Valiant]

The other odd thing, and I don’t think it matters too much in the investigation. Donald was 28, the next oldest was Barbie 14, then Virginia 13, and Susan 11. Donald would have been an only child for most of his school life. Then there this whole new group of sisters by the time he’s out of high school. That could explain some of the “distance” there seemed to be emotionally though I’ll admit the gun especially makes one wonder about family/friend connections.

 

[Austin023]

I disagree. Graven was really the only one in LE that really investigated the case and was actually told to stand down with his investigation. There are too many so called "coincidences" for this to have been an accident IMO.

• There were two convicts (stole a car to drive to Oregon) spotted at the same restaurant as the Martins on Sunday afternoon; both left immediately after the Martins did.
• Shortly after, witnesses reported seeing the Martin car parked next to the stolen car along the side of the road with two men outside talking to them
• Donald was fired from Meier and Frank for stealing a gun (and other items), and that same gun is found bloodied and in close proximity to where the Martin car went in the river. Donald said he didn't like guns, but his friend Wayne did. Wayne worked at M&F with Donald and knew one of the before-mentioned convicts.
• Susan and Virginia both appeared to have "clean" bullet holes in their heads (reported by LE and an autopsy technician) but the coroner said it was just "decomposition" and did not investigate
• The morning after the Martin disappearance (Monday, December 8th), a black taxi pulled up in front of the Martin house (7:20 am) and stayed there for an hour. The Martins had not been reported missing yet, but someone obviously knew they weren't home, went inside, took something and eventually left. LE doesn't investigate who the cab driver was until it was too late (logs gone).
• Donald told Graven he suspected foul play with his family's disappearance. Why would he say that given the general theory was that a terrible accident had occurred? Gut feeling? Perhaps, but still an odd thing to say.
• Donald made no attempt to come home and help with the search (said his aunt told him not to but his aunt said she encouraged him to go back to Oregon and thought it odd that he did not), nor does he come back for the memorial service of his two sisters that were found the next year (said he mixed up the dates).
• Did Donald know something? Was he afraid to go back to Portland, or afraid of someone in Portland? Had someone threatened to harm his family? Maybe the human remains will help answer some questions.

I agree. There's still plenty of reason to suspect foul play, even with the car being located (and, reportedly, at least two sets of human remains inside).
Forensic examination of those remains will probably be the deciding factor that reveals if this was a case of multiple murder or something else. Just finding the car by the old lock isn't going to cut it for me (it being indicative of an accident just because it was found there, as some in the press and commenters have suggested).

Aside from the gun found, it's link to Donald's former employer, the stolen car, etc....Donald Martin's post-loss behavior of his family is alarming, in my mind. Not did he fail to claim the two sisters remains (that he had cremated in 1959), but he never even came to retrieve their ashes, which records show were buried about a decade later after going unclaimed. He then moved to Hawaii after the Navy.....his children also avoided all interviews and press. When one indicated they might be interested in talking to a reporter (c.2001), it was quickly canceled after "urging" by other family members. That's not normal behavior for loosing your family, especially 40 years after the fact. I suspect he was "ok" so long as that car and other bodies were not found.

 

[Richard]

While the colors are correct, that is a Chevrolet wagon, not a 1954 Ford wagon.

So much for Google searches. Here is a 1954 Ford Station Wagon of the type driven by the Martin family:

 

[Austin023]

If he was in the military it's not like he can just come home at will or stay as long as he wanted.

That's correct, though he would have been, most likely, able to obtain emergency leave very shortly after he was notified of his family being missing.

However, we know Donald didn't actually make a trip out to Oregon until March of 1959, some three months after his family went missing. He apparently settled some things with his parent's estate during that visit and was interviewed by Det. Craven.
Donald said his reasoning for not travelling to Oregon sooner was he felt there was little he could do to help the investigation.

(The bodies of Susan and Virginia weren't found until early May). Donald claimed a miscommunication caused him to arrive at the funeral home a day after the memorial. He had the two bodies of his sisters cremated, and never came back to reclaim them.
While I am definitely a firm believer in physical evidence, this case has enough coincidences and such to make me pretty uneasy.

 

[SophieRose]

According to Donald's Findagrave linked a few posts up, he was married with children but his wife died at age 50 in 1990. His 2004 obituary lists a "friend" with the initials WV (using initials here, it's spelled out in the obit), in addition to his surviving family. Even as recently as 2004, that was the somewhat acceptable way to list a same sex partner for people of his generation.

In another more detailed obituary WV is listed as his best friend.

 

[Valiant]

There is at least one other site that has the obituary with no mention of WV.

 

[Warwick1991]

I agree. There's still plenty of reason to suspect foul play, even with the car being located (and, reportedly, at least two sets of human remains inside).
Forensic examination of those remains will probably be the deciding factor that reveals if this was a case of multiple murder or something else. Just finding the car by the old lock isn't going to cut it for me (it being indicative of an accident just because it was found there, as some in the press and commenters have suggested).

Aside from the gun found, it's link to Donald's former employer, the stolen car, etc....Donald Martin's post-loss behavior of his family is alarming, in my mind. Not did he fail to claim the two sisters remains (that he had cremated in 1959), but he never even came to retrieve their ashes, which records show were buried about a decade later after going unclaimed. He then moved to Hawaii after the Navy.....his children also avoided all interviews and press. When one indicated they might be interested in talking to a reporter (c.2001), it was quickly canceled after "urging" by other family members. That's not normal behavior for loosing your family, especially 40 years after the fact. I suspect he was "ok" so long as that car and other bodies were not found.

Donald's reaction is troubling, but people react to loss in different ways. While he could reasonably be interpreted as indifferent, he could also have compartmentalized his grief and held it back.

As far a motive is concerned, even if Donald was angry at his parents, would he be angry enough to have his 3 sisters killed as well?

The Martins were not wealthy, and Donald had little to gain by killing his parents. As an enlisted sailor, I don't think Donald would have the funds to hire a killer.

The pistol could be a red herring. If foul play occurred, perhaps Mr Martin had the mystery pistol in the car at some point. Donald may have given it to his father, with his father unaware that it was stolen. Perhaps Mr Martin tried to use it for self defense, and it was somehow seized from Mr Martin during a struggle.

Donald may also have had contacts with detectives that were very upsetting. He may have been accused outright of killing his family by detectives, and decided to stay away from the area. We don't know if he hired an attorney.

At this point, I think several scenarios are possible. I'm less apt to see Donald as a suspect, and tend to see the incident as an accident. Still, if there's evidence, it must be acknowledged. I hope the remains found yield a cause of death, and if they were shot, some evidence. The sheriff's office would have to work on the remains, though, and there's a seeming lack of interest.

 

[Austin023]

Donald's reaction is troubling, but people react to loss in different ways. While he could reasonably be interpreted as indifferent, he could also have compartmentalized his grief and held it back.

As far a motive is concerned, even if Donald was angry at his parents, would he be angry enough to have his 3 sisters killed as well?

The Martins were not wealthy, and Donald had little to gain by killing his parents. As an enlisted sailor, I don't think Donald would have the funds to hire a killer.

The pistol could be a red herring. If foul play occurred, perhaps Mr Martin had the mystery pistol in the car at some point. Donald may have given it to his father, with his father unaware that it was stolen. Perhaps Mr Martin tried to use it for self defense, and it was somehow seized from Mr Martin during a struggle.

Donald may also have had contacts with detectives that were very upsetting. He may have been accused outright of killing his family by detectives, and decided to stay away from the area. We don't know if he hired an attorney.

At this point, I think several scenarios are possible. I'm less apt to see Donald as a suspect, and tend to see the incident as an accident. Still, if there's evidence, it must be acknowledged. I hope the remains found yield a cause of death, and if they were shot, some evidence. The sheriff's office would have to work on the remains, though, and there's a seeming lack of interest.

Those are very good points you bring up. I'll admit, my own feelings about this case, accident vs. foul play are like 35/65 at this point, where the car has been found.
I acknowledge the theories based on foul play are all entirely circumstantial and I'm pretty sure the human remains will be pretty clear in revealing which theory is probably correct.

The thing that makes me the most uneasy with this case is the gun that was found. Plus the stolen car that was linked to two men who knew Donald Martin. The gun serial number revealed it had come from a batch that were sold by the department store that Donald Martin had been fired from (for theft) in 1956. Coincidence, definitely could be. But it's the series of coincidences that make me more uneasy. When you factor in Donald's post-missing reaction and behavior, even many years later, it just left me uneasy.

On the flip side, an accident like backing into the water at the lock is entirely possible, and statistically, more likely. But that gun, and two of Donald's "friends" found, and seen earlier, in that area with a stolen car....it's those two things, while entirely circumstantial, make me lean towards foul play of some sort.
And yes, there could also be the existence of criminal activity in the situation, plus a terrible accident, albeit not likely.

I also think the car itself can reveal some clues: like was the engine running when it went into the water, or was the transmission in gear, or reverse, etc? The divers found a seatbelt that was fastened, but to which seat, he didn't know. Little things like that will help make an idea of what went on.

 

[SophieRose]

Was the car new when bought? The owner must have added the seat belts later as they were not yet used on 1954 models.

"New Ford Seat Belts, an Important Feature of Ford Lifeguard Design," 1956 - The Henry Ford

Ford made safety a central feature of its 1956 models with the "Lifeguard" campaign. Seat belts were a $9 option, and breakaway rear-view mirrors, reinforced door locks, padded dashboards, and steering wheels with recessed hubs were also available. Safety became an increasingly important concern...

www.thehenryford.org

Ford made safety a central feature of its 1956 models with the "Lifeguard" campaign. Seat belts were a $9 option, and breakaway rear-view mirrors, reinforced door locks, padded dashboards, and steering wheels with recessed hubs were also available. Safety became an increasingly important concern for automakers, government regulators, and customers in the following decade.

 

[Austin023]

Was the car new when bought? The owner must have added the seat belts later as they were not yet used on 1954 models.

"New Ford Seat Belts, an Important Feature of Ford Lifeguard Design," 1956 - The Henry Ford

Ford made safety a central feature of its 1956 models with the "Lifeguard" campaign. Seat belts were a $9 option, and breakaway rear-view mirrors, reinforced door locks, padded dashboards, and steering wheels with recessed hubs were also available. Safety became an increasingly important concern...

www.thehenryford.org

Ford made safety a central feature of its 1956 models with the "Lifeguard" campaign. Seat belts were a $9 option, and breakaway rear-view mirrors, reinforced door locks, padded dashboards, and steering wheels with recessed hubs were also available. Safety became an increasingly important concern for automakers, government regulators, and customers in the following decade.

Yes, I'm pretty sure the Ford was bought slightly used. Mrs. Martin had won a sweepstakes for a Jeep in 1952, and given the size of their family, she traded it in for the Ford.
The seatbelts were probably added either by its initial owner when purchased or soon after the Martin's bought it as they were still only offered as an aftermarket device at the time. A tad unusual for the time, too so I guess it shows they were forward, safety thinking.

 

[chart75]

Was the car new when bought? The owner must have added the seat belts later as they were not yet used on 1954 models.

"New Ford Seat Belts, an Important Feature of Ford Lifeguard Design," 1956 - The Henry Ford

Ford made safety a central feature of its 1956 models with the "Lifeguard" campaign. Seat belts were a $9 option, and breakaway rear-view mirrors, reinforced door locks, padded dashboards, and steering wheels with recessed hubs were also available. Safety became an increasingly important concern...

www.thehenryford.org

Ford made safety a central feature of its 1956 models with the "Lifeguard" campaign. Seat belts were a $9 option, and breakaway rear-view mirrors, reinforced door locks, padded dashboards, and steering wheels with recessed hubs were also available. Safety became an increasingly important concern for automakers, government regulators, and customers in the following decade.

I read somewhere (Echo of Distant Water perhaps?) that Ken had ordered custom seatbelts for the station wagon.

I don't think my parent's added seatbelts until 1968 when it became mandatory. Ken was ahead of the game.

 

[Melt71]

Remains in Namus:

UP149885 - adult female, possible name listed as Barbara Jean Martin
UP149889 - no gender/race given but under ID lists possibly Kenneth R Martin
UP149893 - listed as an adolescent, possible ID Barbara 'Barbie' Martin.

Namus description: Vehicle recovered from Columbia River on March 7, 2025. Private SCUBA diver recovered remains August 19, 2025 at vehicle site.

 

[Gemmie]

I think this might be a video not yet posted. It shows what the diver found. Barbara's rubber shoe soles, etc.