She Vanished Back In 1985, And Although Her Brother Confessed To Accidentally Killing Her, Her Mom Believes She Was Abducted
On November 27, 1985, a 12-year-old girl left her family’s mobile home in St. Augustine, Florida, and seemingly vanished without a trace.
It wasn’t until more than two decades later, in 2009, that her brother, David A. Lambert, confessed to accidentally killing her, but her mother still believes she was abducted.
That day, Martha Jean Lambert, who was a 7th-grade student at Ketterlinus Junior High, attended school before spending some time at a neighbor’s residence. Then, she returned to her home on Kerri-Lynn Road for dinner.
Sometime after 7:30 p.m., Martha was last spotted walking west on her block. Her brother claimed they’d gone to play at Florida Memorial College when she left to play elsewhere and never saw her again. Martha was reported missing by her family at 3:00 a.m.
The 12-year-old reportedly had a troubled home life and had been in and out of the foster care system. Her brothers also had a history of running away from home, so at first, the police suspected that she might’ve run away, too.
However, according to her case file, Martha’s brother David, who was 14 years old at the time she went missing, was always a suspect as well. His eventual confession in 2009 seemingly confirmed this theory.
It was June of that year when Detectives Sean M. Tice and Howard F. Cole III of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office decided to take another look at Martha’s cold case.
They spoke to her relatives, friends, and neighbors, some of whom indicated that investigators should talk to David again.
So, beginning in August 2009, the police conducted three different interviews with David, amounting to approximately 20 hours. Detective Tice put a photo of Martha on the interview room table and referred to it throughout their discussions.
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David, who was then 38 years old, was slow while making his confession. But in the end, he wrote a few sentences and drew a map depicting the intersection of West King Street and Holmes Boulevard.
“It was like nothing you’ve ever seen. He was in [the interview room] by himself. Picking up the pen, writing a letter or a word. Putting the pen down. Toiling over it. You knew it was real,” Detective Cole recalled.
David claimed that, on November 27, 1985, his father had been yelling about their Thanksgiving turkey getting burned, so he wanted to leave their house.
That’s when he and Martha supposedly visited Florida Memorial College, where King Street and Holmes Boulevard intersected.
The school, which was abandoned, had missing windows and debris scattered all over the property, like glass, wood, cinderblock chunks, and metal shards.
Detective Cole called it “like a poor kids’ Disneyworld,” noting how the Lambert siblings would often go there to play.
David detailed how, leading up to their visit to Florida Memorial College, he had given Martha $20 to use at a local store, and after she had only spent about $4, she had given him the change.
Then, while they were at the school, Martha supposedly asked for an additional $20, and David wouldn’t give her the money.
At that point, he alleged that Martha punched him in the face, and in response, he pushed her. David’s shove allegedly caused Martha to fall backward and become impaled in the skull by a piece of metal that was sticking out of the ground.
When he picked her up, he realized there was a “large hole in the back of her head, and blood was pouring out,” the offense report reads. David also claimed to have yelled for help, but no one heard him.
He was reportedly afraid of telling his parents the truth, saying they would’ve “killed him.” So, David stated that he used a broken sign to dig a shallow hole, which was approximately three feet deep, and bury Martha in it.
Following the confession, authorities divided the area into four different zones, each of which was five acres, and brought in canines. However, Martha’s remains were never found.
Over the 24 years between Martha’s disappearance and David’s confession, the property grounds had been cleared, and older structures were leveled.
So, in a press release, the Sheriff’s Office said this activity was “believed to have removed or scattered any remains that may have existed.”
Upon reviewing David’s confession, the State Attorney’s Office reportedly deemed manslaughter an appropriate charge. Nonetheless, David was never charged with Martha’s accidental killing.
“Changes in the law since 1985 (statute of limitations), the suspect’s age at the time, and other mitigating circumstances would preclude charges from being filed,” the press release stated.
Martha’s mother, Margaret Pichon, doesn’t believe her son’s story, either. In January 2010, she claimed the Sheriff’s Office “wants it closed,” referring to Martha’s case, and pointed out how they still hadn’t found her daughter’s body.
As for why David would confess, Margaret said he would “make up tales to look like he’s involved” in situations to garner attention. So, she reportedly tried to tell the detectives, “No, the case is not going to be closed.”
Margaret still thinks that Martha was kidnapped near their home on Kerri-Lynn Road. Conversely, in 2010, Sergeant Chuck Mulligan revealed that the police believed David was telling the truth and explained that, in cases like this, families sometimes disagree.
“We certainly understand the complexity and the difficulties these situations bring to a family. These are his words,” Sergeant Mulligan noted.
Even if David’s confession was truthful, though, one fact remains: Martha’s body has never been uncovered. On Facebook, there is still a page entitled “Martha Jean Lambert – Missing Since 1985,” dedicated to raising awareness about her case.
Martha was four feet eight, weighed 70 pounds, and had blonde hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information is urged to contact the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office at (904) 824-8304.
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