Mystery of Oregon family who vanished in 1958 while going to get a Christmas tree is finally solved [The Martins]

Daily Mail ^ | 17 April 2026 | By JENSEN BIRD

[Ezekiel]

Detectives finally discovered the fate of the family who vanished in their car almost 70 years ago on their way to find Christmas decorations in Oregon.

The group of five went missing in December 1958 in a case that gripped America.

Two of the children were found dead months after the disappearance, but the other members had not turned up.

But now, parents Kenneth and Barbara, and daughter, Barbie Martin, have been identified from human remains found in the Columbia River, officials said.

[MayflowerMadam]

“Wow you have the nasty mode up at full sped today.”

That’s not really fair; it wasn’t meant that way at all. “Family annihilator” is an actual thing. (John List is the most infamous of all.) Most often the culprit lets himself live after killing the family, but not always.

[pa_dweller]

Car went into thee river for some reason.

- ' =

I read that they were going out for a Christmas tree.  That suggests weather was a factor.

[Ezekiel]

That story got a lot of coverage.

I’d missed news months later about the remains, but then only now for the official results to be published.

Seems like that took a while. Better late than never.

Too bad the son never knew what had happened to his entire family.

[TexasGator]

“I read that they were going out for a Christmas tree. “

Did you read past that headline?

[PghBaldy]

There another child - a son. He lost his whole family. Died in 04.

[PghBaldy]

Creepy, sad thought: they found more cars down there!

[Inyo-Mono]

The first thing I remember that "gripped America" was the kid who fell into the open vertical pipe. I think that was before the Kennedy assassination.

I have dim memories of that too, I was 13 when Kennedy was assassinated. I do remember reading about a kid who fell into a well in Los Angeles, in I think, 1949 and was the first live TV broadcast on KTLA channel 5 of of a disastrous situation.

[Dr. Zzyzx]

One vertical-pipe kid was Baby Jessica in Texas. She just got arrested this week as it turns out. Domestic violence I think.

[Theodore R.]

Just think if they had used artificial decorations, none of this would have probably happened. But not many used artificial trees in 1958.

[Chickensoup]

Yes it sometimes happens.

But hold your fire until there is a shred of evidence?

[Fiji Hill]

Kathy Fiscus died from falling into am abandoned well at San Marino High School in San Marino, Calif. in 1949.

[Steely Tom]

Yes! That sounds like it!

[Steely Tom]

Yes. Thank you!

[SteveH]

According to a web search, little Timmy never fell into a well, and the alleged plot line was a recurring fabrication. (It fooled me too!)

[Steely Tom]

It’s a gripping story line, no question about it.

[alternatives?]

My grandpa used a silver foil tree. He was proud of it.

[Fiji Hill]

The Death of Little Kathy Fiscus--Jimmie Osborne (1949)

[unread]

"The first thing I remember that "gripped America" was the kid who fell into the open vertical pipe."

Didn't that turn out to be a hoax.?

[Steely Tom]

I was exploring with some friends at a construction site, when I was nine or ten. There were some open pipes that were maybe 10 or 12 inches in diameter. I dropped a stone into one, and couldn't believe how long it took to hit the bottom. Two or three seconds. Three seconds would be around 140', not counting air resistance. Is that possible? I think they were building something tall, but it was a long time ago.

Not quite large enough for me to fit into, but still it gave me the willies.

[AbolishCSEU]

Timmy’s in the well.