The Dennis Martin Disappearance | FBI Files Reveal Much More To The Story

In 2022, the FBI released 133 pages of formerly classified documents revealing their investigations into the Dennis Martin disappearance in the Smoky Mountains in 1969. What these documents reveal is that the information formerly known by the public prior to 2022 about the disappearance is only the tip of the iceberg.

Follow along as I pour through the most interesting information revealed by these documents and learn more about the Dennis Martin disappearance than you ever knew before.

[carolwalker]

This case is as convoluted as the Summer Wells case. My fear is we may never know what happened to either of them. Thank you for the new review of this puzzling case. Well done.

[jenniferhorstmann]

Those poor parents. If only they could have at least found his body or (later) his skeleton so they could have known he had gotten lost and passed away from exposure. Having to wonder and imagine more horrible things must be far worse.

[caroleking]

So glad you're covering this. It's one of the most interesting stories I have ever heard.

[jamieneal]

Thank you so much for sharing this update and release of records. I didn’t know about them finally being released. I can say I don’t think it involved an animal getting him/attacking him. No signs of ground tracks scratches or torn clothes, shreds, blood, or remains ever found.

[jeanninejones]

My dad was a fireman in Knoxville, they were part of the search. It was something he wouldn't talk about. We had relatives that lived up in the area, after this we had to wear whistles and were told to immediately sit down and stay in one place if we got seperated from family. I don't know what happened but I do know the mountains. Dennis could have easily disappeared that easily, he was 6, seasoned hikers get lost. Realistically it could be that he was just a lost little boy.

[BamaSquirrel]

FBI definitely fucked up with this case 🤬

[CaroleLeamer]

Great information. Thank you for sharing this. Definitely subscribing!

[LindaStoronsky-ykdf]

Nice review. I am subscribing. Thank you.

[monaleigh]

ps: I also heard that a man who had been harvesting ginseng in Smokey Mtn park had come upon a child's skeleton while engaged in the harvesting but didn't report it until years later because he didn't want to admit that he was harvesting ginseng because that was illegal. No idea if that is true.

[unapologeticallyauthentic]

The mountain folk still think there are people living out there in the woods...

[abc-wvin]

Thank you for sharing the info from the FBI files. Very well done; subscribed.
This is such a heartbreaking case.

I think it's likely he was kidnapped as neither he, his shoes, nor his clothing were found in the wild. Not likely he would have just disappeared where so many people were looking; a child couldn't get to extremely isolated places on his own, and there are almost always signs of animal attacks where it happens with torn clothing left and often the body very nearby.

As for his developmental delays, they sound relatively minor to me. I'm not sure how big a factor that was even back then. If severe, yes, but apparently his were very mild. I've read that the reason the kids had him hide separately was because he had on a bright red shirt that was visible. And his dad did see him hiding.

As for the FBI saying there was nothing to lead them to believe a crime had taken place, what about a vanished child?? Shameful they didn't investigate further at the time. Thank Goodness for John Walsh; there are better procedures now when children go missing.

[tinacamen]

Also did u know 500 to 600 children go missing from Tennessee?

[dianneD]

Only know this case from missing 411 .
Thanks for all the new to me info 😊

[benjamineshbach]

Nice to see actual research instead of bullet points and vagueries

[Clydekid]

I heard that some man was seen speeding away from the area

[candeleewoodwardstone]

Notice Dennis went missing 6/14 and Summer went missing 6/15. Neither have been found as of today. 11/27/23 Also both stories have a scream involved, yet both are unfounded. I could go on as, Dennis and Summers sound alike

[mread]

New subscriber here. Well done! I am now running down this rabbit hole as I have never heard of this story. Something really screwy with this case for sure. I lean toward the feral aspect. They ARE there. I lived up in the smokies for awhile. There are things you cannot explain. I never trusted much off the main roads. The national guard was searching? When does that happen? Why was there so much hush hush with the searchers? FBI screwed this up really bad. We will probably never know though. The people up back in no mans land, are practically their own species.

[tapptom]

Is there a Miami Florida connection to this?
Supposedly read something about another family named Martin from Miami involved in construction
And Dennis father was an architect

[sndrllee]

Thank you for the added information. I had not known that Dennis was a learning disabled child. Poor kid. Who knows what really happened to him?! Maybe one if those kids took his shorts. Somebody HAD to have put them under that rock. What a strange missing child case. I remember it, as our family were visiting our grandparents not far outside the park that same weekend, when we were all children. So sad for the family.

[lunamoona]

I read through all 133 pages and I was shocked by the amount that isn’t publicly known. However, nothing much more brought to light 😞 👎🏼