Disappearance of Marvin Clark
Marvin Alvin Clark (c. 1852 – disappeared October 30, 1926) was an American man who disappeared under mysterious circumstances while en route to visit his daughter in Portland, Oregon during the Halloween weekend, 1926. Clark's case has the distinction of being the oldest active missing person case in the United States.[1]
Marvin Clark | |
|---|---|
| Born | Marvin Alvin Clark c. 1852 Marion County, Iowa, U.S. |
| Disappeared | October 30, 1926 (aged 73–74) Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Status | Missing for 97 years, 6 months and 26 days |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
On October 30, 1926, Clark departed his home in Tigard, Oregon to meet his daughter in downtown Portland. He never arrived to meet his daughter, and none of his family made contact with him that day. Some witnesses claimed to have seen Clark at a bus terminal in Portland that day, dressed in a dark suit and slacks. Over a week later, on November 9, Clark's wife Mary received a postcard from Bellingham, Washington, apparently sent from her husband. Several witnesses in the area claimed to have seen him there between November 2 and 3.
In 1986, a John Doe was discovered in a wooded area between Portland and Tigard; these remains were estimated to have been between 35 and 55 years old at the time of death, and several mementos from the late-19th and early-20th centuries were discovered along with the body, leading detectives to suspect the remains were Clark's. Reports of this potential connection made national headlines in 2011. However, in 2018, it was determined through DNA testing that these remains were not those of Clark. As of 2024, his whereabouts remain unknown.
Timeline edit
Background edit
According to U.S. census records, Marvin Clark was born circa 1852 in Marion County, Iowa.[a] Both of Clark's parents were from New York.[2] Clark moved to Oregon with his wife, Mary, as early as 1910; according to the 1910 U.S. Census, he resided in the community of Holbrook.[3] Clark was at one time the town marshal of Linton, a district that would later become part of Portland.[4][5]
Disappearance edit
On October 30, 1926, Clark left his home in Tigard around 1 p.m.[6] to visit his daughter, Mrs. Sidney McDougall, who was a resident and manager of the Hereford Hotel[7] at 735 Hoyt Street in Northwest Portland.[8] The initial report of Clark's disappearance on November 6, 1926 by The Morning Oregonian stated that he had embarked to Portland by stagecoach, though a report published the following week said he had traveled by bus.[9]
This was the last reported sighting of Clark.[8] According to the newspaper reports, Clark suffered from paralysis and could not properly use his right arm; he also walked with a limp, a distinction that police hoped would help elicit sightings of him.[8] His daughter offered a $100 reward for information leading to his discovery.[9]
On November 9, The Bellingham Herald, a newspaper in Bellingham, Washington, reported that Clark's wife, Mary, had received a "disconnected" postcard reportedly written by her husband that was postmarked in Bellingham, and that there had been witnesses who saw Clark at two hotels in the area on November 2 and 3.[10] The news article read: "The letter indicated that the aged man's mind is wandering as it was badly jumbled despite the fact that Clark is highly educated, being a graduate of two universities."[10]
1986 discovery of John Doe edit
In 1986, nearly sixty years after Clark's disappearance, loggers discovered a nearly complete human skeleton in the woods between Tigard and Portland. Although no identification could be found with the body, an 1888 Liberty Head nickel, a 1919 penny, a pocket watch, leather shoes, and a Fraternal Order of Eagles pocket knife and four tokens with the inscription "D&P" were found near the body.[11] A .38 revolver and a spent shell were also found near the remains.[1] A pair of wire-rimmed glasses were also discovered.[12] Upon an autopsy, state medical examiner Dr. Karen Gunson observed a bullet hole in the man's skull, and effectively ruled the death a suicide.[1] The estimated age of the John Doe was 35 to 55 years old.
Several days after the discovery, Clark's granddaughter, Dorothy Willoughby, came forward, suspecting the John Doe may have been her missing grandfather, but a positive identification could not be made at the time. Willoughby died in 1991.[1]
Subsequent developments edit
In 2011, Dr. Niki Vance of the Oregon state medical examiner's office revisited Clark's missing person file, and forensic pathologists were able to retrieve sufficient DNA from the skeletal remains of the John Doe, which had remained in storage since its 1986 discovery.[1][13] In a 2014 article published by The Oregonian, it was stated that the medical examiners were unable to locate maternal descendants of Clark in order to make a positive identification.[1] "They're looking for a maternal link," said Vance. "Someone on his mother's side, and following that lineage to shore it up. There's an association there but it's not strong at this point."[1]
In 2018, KOIN-TV reported that Pam Knowles, a great-great-granddaughter of Clark, provided DNA samples along with her son to determine whether or not the remains of the John Doe were in fact Clark's.[5] These DNA samples were sent to the University of North Texas for comparison, whereupon it was determined that the remains were not those of Clark.[5] As of 2018, the identity of the John Doe's remains is unknown.[5] The DNA samples provided by Knowles and her son remain on file with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database for potential future comparison.[14]
Rian Hakla, a Multnomah County police officer, stated: "If at any point in the future bones are sent in and it's Marvin, we will get a positive identification. And who's to say he won't get found by a hunter or a landscaper or developer or something like that happens. So, there's a chance he could be found."[5]
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ While the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System notes Clark's age as 69 at the time of his disappearance, United States Census records from 1920 list his birth year as 1852.[2]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g Laine, Martin (April 30, 2014). "Oldest active missing persons case in U.S. may soon be solved". Digital Journal. Toronto, Ontario. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
- ^ a b "Marvin Alvin Clark, Holbrook, Multnomah, Oregon, United States", United States census, 1920; Multnomah County, Oregon; roll 1505, page 4B, line 86, enumeration district 432, Family History film 1,821,505, National Archives film number T625. Retrieved on November 27, 2016.
- ^ "Marvin Alvin Clark, Holbrook, Multnomah, Oregon, United States", United States census, 1910; Multnomah County, Oregon; roll 1288, page 4A, line 80, enumeration district 121, Family History film 1,375,301, National Archives film number T624. Retrieved on November 27, 2016.
- ^ Quinn, Rob (April 24, 2014). "Stagecoach Passenger Is one of the Oldest Active Missing-Person Case". Newser. New York City. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Frazier, Amy (May 8, 2018). "Marvin Clark of Tigard missing - for 92 years". KOIN. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^ Pursinger, Geoff (April 30, 2014). "Mystery of man's 1926 disappearance may be close to solved". The Times. Pamplin Media. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ Kuehn, Duncan (June 26, 2014). "DNA Needed to Solve One of the Oldest Missing Persons Cases". Genealogy Bank. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Missing Man Sought: Search Under Way for Marvin Clark, 75, of Tigard". The Morning Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. November 6, 1926. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2016 – via Genealogy Trails.
- ^ a b "Reward Up For Clark; Tigard Resident Disappeared Several Days Ago". The Morning Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. November 11, 1926 – via Genealogy Trails.
- ^ a b "Aged Man Missing: Relatives Trace Him from Oregon to Bellingham". The Bellingham Herald. Bellingham, Washington. November 9, 1926. p. 5 – via Genealogy Bank.
- ^ "DNA sought to close 1926 missing-person case". New York Daily News. New York City: The Associated Press. April 30, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^ Sebens, Shelby (April 30, 2014). "Oregon skeleton may solve one of oldest U.S. missing persons cases". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois: Reuters. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
- ^ "Mystery Oregon Corpse Could be Oldest Missing Man Marvin A. Clark". NBC News. New York City. April 30, 2014. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ^ Weiss, Danielle; Schwarting, Dawn; Heurich, Charles; Waltke, Heather (November 20, 2017). "Lost but Not Forgotten: Finding the Nation's Missing". National Institute of Justice (279). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Justice. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
External links edit
- Marvin Alvin Clark at NamUs
- Article on Clark's disappearance at Genealogy Bank