The Disappearance of Dennis Lloyd Martin | ST 56

Sasquatch Tracks

On Father's Day Weekend in 1969, six-year-old Dennis Martin was camping with his family near Spence Field in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park when he vanished without a trace, leading to one of the largest searches in the history of the National Park Service. Tragically, he was never found, and the disappearance of Dennis Lloyd Martin remains unresolved after more than half a century.

In recent years, renewed interest in the case has led to speculations about a possible kidnapping, as well as theories that an "Appalachian wild man" akin to Sasquatch may have been involved. Such theories focus on the testimony provided by the late Harold Key and his family, who observed an individual in the park under odd circumstances that unfolded on the same day as the disappearance of Dennis Lloyd Martin.

In this special episode of Sasquatch Tracks, the team takes a deep dive into the details of the disappearance, discussing a recent Hulu series that discusses the kidnapping theory and its possible relevance to what some witnesses liken to wild men or even "apelike" creatures inhabiting the remotest portions of our National Parks. We examine the evidence for this, along with several alternative explanations for the disappearance, and what U.S. government documents and independent research into the landmark search and rescue case reveal.

Stories and other links discussed in this episode:

• Dennis Lloyd Martin: 50 Years Ago, This Boy Vanished in the Great Smoky Mountains
• Cold Cases - Investigative Services (U.S. National Park Service)
• Watch OUT THERE: Crimes of the Paranormal Streaming On Hulu

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