1984 - Eugene Wade Martin

Des Moines, IA
Went Missing: August 12, 1984

Case Summary

On the morning of August 12, 1984, 13-year-old Eugene Wade Martin disappeared while delivering newspapers on his route in Des Moines. Witnesses saw Eugene riding his bike and delivering papers in the predawn hours near Southwest 12th Street and Highview Drive, but sometime after approximately 5:00 a.m., he vanished without a trace. His newspapers were later found undelivered, and despite an extensive search, Eugene was never located. The case drew immediate comparisons to the disappearance of Johnny Gosch, another Iowa paperboy who vanished two years earlier under similarly unsettling circumstances. Over the decades, investigators pursued countless leads, sightings, and theories, but no definitive answers have ever emerged. Eugene’s disappearance remains one of the most haunting unsolved missing child cases of the 1980s, leaving behind decades of unanswered questions and a family still searching for the truth.

Timeline

August 12, 1984 Around 4:00 a.m.
13-year-old Eugene Wade Martin leaves his home in Des Moines to begin delivering newspapers for his Sunday morning route for the Des Moines Register.

August 12, 1984 Approximately 4:30–5:00 a.m.
Witnesses see Eugene riding his bike and delivering papers near Southwest 12th Street and Highview Drive on Des Moines’ south side.

August 12, 1984 Around 5:00 a.m.
A witness reports seeing Eugene speaking with the driver of a blue-and-white vehicle, possibly a car or van, near his route.

August 12, 1984 Shortly After 5:00 a.m.
Eugene disappears. Some newspapers remain undelivered along his route.

August 12, 1984 Morning
Concern grows when Eugene does not return home after finishing his route. Family members and authorities begin searching the neighborhood.

August 12, 1984 Later That Morning
Eugene’s bicycle and newspaper bag are discovered abandoned near his delivery area. There is no sign of Eugene himself.

August 1984 Following Days
Hundreds of volunteers, police officers, and FBI agents search fields, creeks, neighborhoods, and abandoned areas throughout Des Moines. No confirmed trace of Eugene is found.

1984–1985
Investigators explore possible connections between Eugene’s disappearance and the 1982 disappearance of Johnny Gosch, another Iowa paperboy who vanished while delivering newspapers.

Following Decades
Numerous leads, sightings, and theories emerge, including reports of suspicious vehicles and possible abduction scenarios, but none lead to definitive answers.

Present Day
Eugene Wade Martin remains missing. His case is still considered one of Iowa’s most haunting unsolved child disappearances.

Contact

If you know anything about this case, please contact:

Des Moines Police Department at 515-283-4811 or the FBI Iowa office at 515-223-4278. You can also contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST / 1-800-843-5678. NCMEC case number: 601815.