On the morning of August 12, 1984, a 13-year-old boy named Eugene Martin disappeared between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa.
He had been delivering papers for The Des Moines Register. Usually, he delivered the papers with his older stepbrother, but his stepbrother was not with him that day because he was at a sleepover.
Between 5:00 and 5:15 a.m., witnesses saw Eugene talking to an unidentified man on Southwest 12th Street and Highview Drive. The man appeared to be in his thirties and was described as clean-cut.
It is believed that Eugene was kidnapped, but he has never been found, dead or alive. Sadly, his case has gone cold after all these years.
Eugene Martin was born on August 17, 1970, in Des Moines, Iowa. His parents got divorced shortly after he was born. He had two brothers and four step-siblings. He lived with his dad and stepmom.
Eugene enjoyed playing video games, watching cartoons, fishing, football, and skating. He was described as a quiet, shy, and polite boy.
He had only started working as a paperboy a few months before his disappearance to earn some money.
On Sunday, August 12, 1984, he left his house at around 5:00 a.m. The last time anyone saw him was between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. At approximately 7:15 a.m., Eugene’s route manager called his family to inform them that Eugene had never picked up his newspaper sack from the corner of Southwest 14th and Highview Streets.
Around 7:30 a.m., the manager called back and reported that the papers were still unclaimed. Eugene’s father went out looking for him. He contacted the police at 8:40 a.m. to report his son missing.
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Eugene disappeared in the same area where 12-year-old paperboy John Gosch went missing on September 5, 1982. The two cases are eerily similar, but it is unclear if they are related.
In the weeks following Eugene’s disappearance, a local grocery store printed out and posted pictures of Eugene and John on their paper bags.
Soon, a milk company in Des Moines started printing pictures and short descriptions on the sides of its half-gallon milk cartons. The practice spread to dairy companies in Illinois and California.
In January 1985, the National Child Safety Council launched its nationwide “Missing Children Milk Carton Program.” By the late 1980s, the milk program was phased out, as plastic milk jugs had replaced cartons.
The Des Moines Register announced a $5,000 reward for any information about Eugene’s whereabouts. Later, the reward amount was increased to $25,000.
Eugene’s dad and stepmom divorced shortly after he went missing. His father passed away in 2010 without ever learning what happened to him.
At the time of his disappearance, Eugene was five feet tall and weighed 110 pounds. He had brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a gray and white striped T-shirt with red sleeves, jeans, and blue sneakers. He had a scar on his right knee and wore a cast for his broken right wrist.
Today, Eugene Martin has been missing for over 40 years. His case is technically still open, but he is presumed dead by authorities.
If you have any information about Eugene’s case, you can contact the Des Moines Police Department at 515-283-4864.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
