Eugene Martin, a 13-year-old boy from Des Moines, Iowa, disappeared on the morning of August 12, 1984, while delivering newspapers. He had left home around 5 a.m. to complete his paper route alone, which was unusual since he normally did it with his older stepbrother. Witnesses reported seeing Eugene talking to a man in his 30s in a seemingly friendly conversation near Southwest 12th Street and Highview Drive between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m.
His newspaper bag, still full of undelivered papers, was later found abandoned, but Eugene was nowhere to be seen.
Authorities responded quickly to Eugene’s disappearance, aware of the striking similarities to the case of Johnny Gosch, another Des Moines paperboy who had vanished under similar circumstances two years earlier. Despite extensive searches, investigations, and thousands of leads, no solid evidence was ever found, and Eugene's case remains unsolved to this day. Both cases have been hauntingly linked, though no direct connection between the disappearances has been established.
Eugene’s family, like Johnny Gosch’s, played a pivotal role in raising awareness about missing children. His case, along with others, helped inspire the creation of national campaigns such as the "Milk Carton Kids" program, which featured missing children's photos on milk cartons across the U.S.
To this day, Eugene’s case remains open, and investigators continue to pursue leads, but his whereabouts remain unknown.Last Seen: Aug 12, 1984
