Christine Meyer Missing Person Case

Nov 06, 2019

Sep 27, 2023

Christine

Meyer

47

17

67 inches

158 lbs

White / Caucasian

Female

On June 4, 1996, a troubling maritime incident unfolded in the waters of Salisbury Sound, approximately 30 miles northwest of Sitka, Alaska, leading to the disappearance of 18-year-old Christine Rena Meyer and her mother, Dianna. They were aboard their family's 50-foot yacht, the Marjo, with Christine's father and Dianna's husband, Robert "Bob" Meyer. The family was traveling to Sitka when the vessel reportedly caught fire and ultimately sank in about 450 feet of water near Sinitsin Island. Robert Meyer was the sole survivor, claiming he awoke to the smell of smoke, alerted his wife and daughter, and after a brief moment of being inside the boat to rescue their two dogs, he returned to find them gone. He stated he then used an outboard skiff they were towing to search for them unsuccessfully before heading to Sitka for help. The official search and rescue mission launched by the U.S. Coast Guard found the Marjo engulfed in flames; it sank shortly after being located. Despite extensive searches of the surrounding waters and beaches, no trace of Christine or Dianna was ever found. As investigators delved into the incident, inconsistencies began to emerge in Robert Meyer's account of the events. An examination of the skiff he used to get to shore revealed a .38 caliber shell casing and a blood smear that was later identified as Dianna's. This discovery, coupled with Robert's refusal to cooperate further with the investigation after his initial statements, shifted the focus of the case from a tragic accident to a criminal investigation. The investigation uncovered that Robert Meyer was having an affair and that his wife, Dianna, was aware of it and had been planning to file for divorce. Authorities came to believe that Robert killed his wife and daughter to avoid losing assets in a divorce and to collect on substantial life insurance policies he had taken out on them, as well as the insurance on the yacht. In 1998, Robert Meyer was charged with the first-degree murders of his wife and daughter and for arson. Before he could stand trial, however, he was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Subsequently, Robert Meyer died by what was reported as an apparent suicide. Although Christine and Dianna's bodies were never recovered from the deep Alaskan waters, they are presumed deceased, and the case officially points to Robert J. Meyer as responsible for their murders.

Jun 04, 1996

Ketchikan

Alaska

Ketchikan Gateway Borough

No

66193

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

960036399

1996-06-04

Alaska State Troopers

na

Brown

Brown

Brown

No

07/19/2026