A set of human remains discovered in 2007 have been identified after all these years by multiple investigation teams, according to an announcement last week. The mystery of Robert Martin, a scuba diver who went missing in 2006, has finally been solved.
The disappearance of Martin occurred on September 30th, 2006 when he was diving in the Atlantic Ocean about 20 miles east of Ponce Inlet. He'd reportedly been 80 feet below the ocean surface, and was last heard calling out for help. He was never seen alive again.
The U.S. Coast Guard searched for over a day over a massive area of water, ultimately failing to find Martin either dead or alive. The 45-year-old condo repair man from New Smyrna Beach, known for his passion for diving, would remain missing for almost two decades.
The next development in the case happened in 2007, when a diver found abandoned diving gear nearby off the coast of Ponce Inlet. It was reported to the Volusia Sheriff's Office, who traced it through its point of purchase to determine that it had belonged to Martin. Later that year, a woman walking in New Smyrna Beach found human remains, and also reported them.
By 2008, Martin was officially entered into the Florida Crime Information Center/National Crime Information Center (FCIC/NCIC) database as a missing person. Detectives with the Volusia Sheriff's Office attempted to track down relatives of Martin's who might be able to supply a DNA sample to compare to the remains that'd been found. They were unsuccessful.
Nothing major happened in the case until January 2025, when it was submitted to the forensics firm Othram, Inc. for analysis. Along with the Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office, the VSO hoped a renewed push to find a DNA comparison would solve a long-standing mystery. With backing from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), a relative of Martin was located.
In May 2025, the FDLE's Genetic Genealogy Investigations team reported back to the VSO with confirmation that the remains found in 2007 indeed belonged to Robert Martin. The Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death accidental, and his next-of-kin has been notified.
