One of the most mysterious missing child cases in the United States occurred in the Great Smoky Mountains in 1969.
On Father’s Day weekend, Dennis Martin, a six-year-old from nearby Knoxville, visited Spence Field in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with his father, grandfather, and older brother. Sometime around 4:40 p.m. on June 14, 1969, Martin disappeared while wearing a red shirt.
Spence Field is a mountain highland meadow with an elevation of almost 5,000 feet, situated along the Tennessee-North Carolina border. The Appalachian Trail passes through the area, and a backcountry shelter located just off the trail provides an overnight stopover for hikers.
According to the incident report filed, Dennis had been playing a game of hide and seek with his brother and other children from a separate family when he suddenly disappeared. Martin’s father had spotted the group of children crouched in the bushes alongside the trail. After not seeing Dennis for about five minutes, and with all the other children having returned to the campsite, his father became concerned and began searching for him. Those minutes would turn to hours, and by 8:30 p.m., family members hiked a reported six miles to the nearest ranger station in Cades Cove.
Later that night, a downpour broke out over the area, dropping nearly 3 inches of rain, with temperatures dropping to 50 degrees, delaying search efforts. At the peak of the search, over 1,400 people gathered to look for Dennis, marking the largest turnout in the history of search and rescue operations in the United States.
By June 25, just 11 days later, the case expanded nationwide, with the search ending on June 29.
Dennis Martin would never be seen again after playing a friendly game of Hide and seek on June 14, 1969.
It has been a mystery that has haunted many for the past 56 years. Some believe that he got lost and became disoriented, while others believe he was abducted just yards away from his family.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.