No answers 18 years after Ashley Martinez disappeared

Quinn Ritzdorf, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
·3 min read
1

Jul. 20—It's been 18 years since Ashley Martinez disappeared after a trip to Krug Pool, and her case has left more questions than answers.

In the summer of 2004, 15-year-old Martinez went to Krug Pool with her little brother. But when her mother, Tammy Mack, came to pick them up, Martinez was gone.

"It's like living a nightmare that you just can't wake up out of," Mack said.

Brad Kerns, a sergeant at the St. Joseph Police Department and the main investigator on the case, said Christopher Hart, a man Martinez allegedly was seen with on the day she went missing, remains a person of interest. Supposedly, Martinez got into Hart's car of her own free will that day at Krug Pool.

Julie Wahlgren, Hart's cousin, confirms that the two knew each other and she alleges they were planning a trip to Oregon. Wahlgren was supposed to go on the trip but changed her mind at the last minute.

"I know because I was there," she told News-Press NOW in 2017. "I know that she was going with Chris. I know that it was planned. We were all at the house talking about it, and I know he went because he stopped by the house to get me and I changed my mind."

Hart was arrested and detained at the Buchanan County Jail last year as he awaited trial on domestic violence and unlawful use of a weapon charges. He has since been released on two years of probation. He has not been charged in connection with Martinez's disappearance.

"He is able to plead the Fifth and then (the police) tell me there's nothing they can do," Mack said. "Well, because of that, here we are 18 years later still doing interviews."

New information about the case was discovered more than a year ago, but those leads have since gone cold. News-Press NOW obtained an unseen affidavit provided by the Hart family that says another witness saw Martinez with a different man months after she went missing.

"I saw Ashley Martinez standing on the northeast corner of Frederick Street and Leonard Road with a tall African American man," Denise Campbell, the witness, wrote in the affidavit. "(They) turned north on Leonard Road (and) Ashley waved to me."

Kerns said the police department hasn't found any relevant information regarding the affidavit. He also said a missing person case spanning nearly two decades becomes more difficult with each passing year.

"We put a lot of time and a lot of man-hours and things into this sort of case," Kerns said. "Granted, being the time has been so long and it's become somewhat of a cold case, we still monitor leads and follow up on them, but we're actively following up on other cases too, so it makes it difficult."

Mack continues to have hope and works to find Martinez on her own time. She posts on social media sites and contacts missing person websites.

"Somebody is saying something or heard something," Mack said. "Maybe they think it's not important, but every little bit is very important."

If you know any information about Ashley Martinez's disappearance, contact the St. Joseph Police Department at 816-238-TIPS.

Quinn Ritzdorf can be reached at quinn.ritzdorf@newspressnow.com