On August 12, 1984, 13-year-old Eugene Wade Martin vanished while delivering newspapers in Des Moines, Iowa. Just two years earlier, another paperboy, Johnny Gosch, disappeared under eerily similar circumstances only miles away.
Despite extensive investigations, countless theories, and decades of speculation, neither boy has ever been found. In Part One of The Paper Boy Abductions, I walk you through the mysterious disappearance of Eugene Martin, the haunting parallels to Johnny Gosch's case, and the questions that continue to surround two of Iowa's most infamous unsolved child disappearances.
Anyone with information about Eugene Martin is asked to call Det. Jeff Shannon at the Des Moines Police Department at (515) 283-4864. You may also call Det. Larry Penland at (515) 237-1550.
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Alex, T. (1984, August 16). Branstad gives moral support to Martin family. The Des Moines Register, 15A.
Alex, T. (2001, September 3). Officer who investigated missing carrier retires. The Des Moines Register, 2B.
Beedle, D. (2020, September 15). Eugene Wade Martin. Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215645180/martin
COLD CASE SPOTLIGHT: Johnny Gosch. (2015, June 11). NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/cold-case-spotlight/cold-case-spotlight-johnny-gosch-n234291
D.M. police don’t know where to search. (1984, August 19). The Des Moines Register, 1B-3B.
EUGENE WADE MARTIN | Missing Person Information Clearinghouse. (n.d.). https://missingpersons.iowa.gov/divisions/criminal-investigation/missing-persons/eugene-wade-martin
Gene didn’t run away. . .his birthday was coming. (1984, September 2). The Des Moines Register, 1A-7A.I
owa Cold Cases, Inc. (2026, March 28). Eugene Martin | Iowa Cold cases. Iowa Cold Cases. https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/eugene-martin/
Krenz, A. (2015, November 6). Eugene Martin case remains open after 31 years. weareiowa.com. https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/eugene-martin-case-remains-open-after-31-years/524-02cb76a5-43bd-4297-af0d-5275df5aee9e
Mokrzycki, P. (2015). Lost in the Heartland: Childhood, Region, and Iowa’s Missing Paperboys. Annals of Iowa, 74(1), 29–69. https://doi.org/10.17077/0003-4827.12170
Santiago, F. (1997, August 27). Gosch lives, mom is told. The Des Moines Register, 2A.
Santiago, F., & Alex, T. (1994, August 22). Private eye believes Martin disappearance was planned. The Des Moines Register, 2A.
Sederstrom, J. (2024, August 22). Why don’t missing kids appear on milk cartons anymore? Oxygen. https://www.oxygen.com/the-girl-on-the-milk-carton/crime-news/why-dont-missing-kids-appear-on-milk-cartons-anymore
Short, M. (2025, June 7). Eugene Martin: 1984 Disappearance of Iowa Paperboy Still Unsolved. Medium. https://medium.com/bizarre-unsolved-cases/eugene-martin-1984-disappearance-of-iowa-paperboy-still-unsolved-27d88991a6c1
Smith, G. (1985, August 10). Eugene Martin case no closer to solution. The Cedar Rapids Gazette, 5A.
Suk, T. (1990, March 27). D.M. officers follow Martin case to Mexico. The Des Moines Register, 9.
Tauscheck, M. (2017, October 9). Eugene Martin’s brother talks about hope case will be solved. KCCI. https://www.kcci.com/article/eugene-martin-s-brother-talks-about-hope-case-will-be-solved/6923136
The Associated Press. (1985, February 10). Parents heat up search. Quad City Times, 8A.
The disappearance of Eugene Martin. (2025, April 14). Crime and Coffee Couple. https://crimeandcoffeecouple.wordpress.com/2024/07/11/the-disappearance-of-eugene-martin/
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS). (n.d.). NamUs.gov. https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/6348?nav
VanBaale, K. W. (2025, September 22). The Legacy of the Paperboy Abductions | A&E. AETV. https://www.aetv.com/articles/paperboy-abductions-milk-carton
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Stay safe, stay curious, and stay vigilant.