In 2004, This Fifteen-Year-Old Missouri Teen Disappeared After Visiting Her Local Public Pool

Fifteen-year-old Ashley Martinez attended Robidoux Middle School in St. Joseph, Missouri, and was known to be a happy teen.

Ashley had two brothers with whom she was very close and a cherished pet cat she adopted.

But, the Martinez family’s life turned upside down during the summer of 2004. It all began on July 6, after Ashley visited the local Kurg Pool with her younger brother to get some relief from the heat.

Later that afternoon, she supposedly borrowed a friend’s cellphone to contact Christopher Hart– a thirty-two-year-old man who lived in the neighborhood.

Apparently, Ashley and Chris wanted to road trip together and were deciding between California and Oregon. The Martinez family had no knowledge of this, though– only Ashley’s friends did.

Then, once Mrs. Martinez traveled to the pool to pick up her children, Ashley was gone. The mom immediately reported Ashley missing, despite her having a tendency to run away in the past.

Mrs. Martinez just had a gut feeling that this incident was different– especially since Ashley left all of her belongings behind.

At the time of Ashley’s disappearance, Chris had been on house arrest due to numerous arrest charges, including assault, resisting arrest, and unlawful use of a weapon.

TheDoeNetwork; pictured above is Ashley

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And, beforehand, he had also accepted a plea deal for an assault charge in the second degree.

The plea required Chris to partake in court-mandated drug treatment, which he violated on June 1, 2004.

Chris also never showed up to a court hearing on July 8, 2004– just two days after Ashley’s disappearance. This prompted the St. Louis court to execute a warrant for his arrest on July 22, 2004.

About a month and a half later, Chris was eventually arrested in Olympia, Washington, for stealing a woman’s purse.

At the time of his arrest, Chris was found without Ashley and without his car– a 1995 gray Pontiac Bonneville.

And following his return to Missouri, Chris was unhelpful to authorities in Ashley’s case and has only remained a person of interest in her disappearance.

Still, what happened on July 6, 2004, pushed many community members to believe that Chris was responsible for years. It was not until 2009– nearly five years after Ashley vanished– that another theory was revealed.

Apparently, a former vice principal at Ashley’s middle school– Denise Campbell– spotted Ashley in the fall of 2004.

Denise claimed she saw the teen standing on the corner of Frederick Avenue and Leonard with a Black man.

Denise also swore that Ashley waved to her before the teen walked away down Leonard Street.

The former principal retold the events in a sworn affidavit, but the document was never made public until 2009.

Authorities also never confirmed the sighting, and Ashley’s case still remains cold today.

In honor of their daughter, the Martinez family planted a sugar maple tree at Krug Pool in 2014. Nonetheless, they are still hopeful that answers will surface.

Ashley was last seen wearing a black shirt, blue jean shorts, and white Reebok sneakers.

She was five foot three inches tall, weighed one hundred and ten pounds, and had blonde hair and blue eyes. Ashley also has a scar on her left wrist and tongue, naval, and ear piercings.

If you have any information regarding Ashley’s disappearance, you are encouraged to contact the St. Joseph Police Department at (816) 271-4747.

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Katharina Buczek graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Digital Arts. Specializing ... More about Katharina Buczek

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