Kenneth Martin, 54, and his wife Barbara, 48, left Portland on December 7, 1958, with their three daughters, aged 11, 13, and 14, for what was meant to be a short trip. But they never returned home that evening.
Driving a cream-and-red 1954 Ford Country Squire station wagon, the family set out for the Columbia River Gorge, hoping to gather greenery and Christmas wreaths. It was a trip that would later become one of Oregon’s most haunting unsolved cases.
But just a few weeks later, tragedy struck when the bodies of the two younger daughters, Susan and Virginia, were discovered washed up along the Columbia River.
The remains of Kenneth, Barbara, and their eldest daughter Barbie were never found, leaving the family’s fate an enduring mystery.
By March 2025, investigators had managed to recover parts of the vehicle, including the chassis and engine, along with personal items such as a camera, toys, and what may have been a firearm.
Mayo has now claimed he was able to recover the remains of two adults from inside the vehicle, adding a new chapter to the decades-long search for the truth.
The Sheriff’s Office declined to confirm or deny those claims. Still, Mayo explained that it took months of securing permits and a staggering 60 dives using a dredge to finally uncover an upside-down 1950s Ford station wagon, lodged about 60 feet underwater.
The discovery brought renewed attention to the tragic case, with hope that it could finally provide closure to a mystery that has lingered for generations.
They managed to remove the undercarriage and engine, but the main body of the car — and what was inside — remained trapped in the riverbed, stubbornly refusing to move.
“I was disappointed.” Mayo recalled, describing his feelings about the partial recovery.
By July, Mayo was back in the water working tirelessly to clear the wreck. By August, he succeeded in retrieving personal artifacts and what he believes to be the human remains of at least two, possibly three, members of the missing Martin family.
Reflecting on the heartbreaking but meaningful discovery, Mayo shared: “I feel like I got them out to be restored with their families.” “And that was the dream.”
