The Disappearance of Marvin Clark: 96 Years Later

To this day, Marvin Clark’s disappearance remains the oldest missing person case in the United States. After going missing while on his way to his daughter’s house in 1926, Clark’s body was never recovered. While a John Doe who could possibly have been Clark was discovered in 1986, there proved to be no connection between this missing person and Clark. This October 30th will mark 96 full years since his disappearance.

Marvin Clark was born between 1851 and 1857, as few details about his personal life have been recorded, according to Mary Hallberg. He held several jobs throughout his life, marrying a woman named Mary and having children, before settling down in Tigard, Oregon. In 1926, around 75 years of age, Clark took a stagecoach to supposedly take a trip to see his daughter, who lived in Portland. Clark’s daughter Sidney was unaware that her father planned on visiting, and Clark’s family realized he had disappeared when Mary Clark called Sidney, asking when Clark planned on returning, according to CrimeBeat. Witnesses recalled seeing Clark between November 2nd and 3rd, and a postcard from Marvin was either sent to Mary or his son Grover’s wife later that month.

It would not be until 1986, sixty years after Clark’s disappearance, that loggers discovered the skeleton of a John Doe initially thought to be Clark between Tigard and Portland. While several items found nearby date to before Clark’s disappearance, such as a 1919 penny, the victim was determined to be between 35 to 55 at the time of death, according to CrimeBeat. Clark’s granddaughter Dorothy Willoughby suspected the John Doe to be her grandfather, but no identification could be made before her death in 1991. In 2018, Clark’s great-great-granddaughter and her son provided DNA samples, which showed no connection to the John Doe and Marvin Clark. Sgt. Hakala, who joined the case in 2014, remains optimistic that the case can be solved, keeping the DNA samples on file, according to Grunge.  

The disappearance of Marvin Clark remains a distinct unsolved case in American history. It is still possible that Clark’s remains may be found.