Above: Martha Lambert in 1985 (left) and an age-progressed image to 29, circa 2002 (right)
Martha Jean Lambert
Last seen in Elkton, Florida on November 27, 1985
Vital statistics: White female. Born on March 26, 1973. Shoulder length blond hair, blue eyes. She has protruding front teeth and birthmarks on the front of her chest and on her upper right thigh. Last seen wearing either a two-piece bathing suit or a short-sleeved summer dress. Was twelve at the time.
Circumstances: Martha Lambert was last seen on November 27, 1985 in Elkton, Florida. On that day, Martha’s classes at the Ketterlinus Junior High School in St, Augustine, FL had concluded and after school, she spent time at a friend’s residence. She left her friend’s home at 7:30 p.m. to return to her own home. According to her mother, Martha and her went to a social event at a neighbors house. At some point Martha said she was leaving and would return in five minutes. She left the gathering and never returned. Some neighbors reported seeing a green van passing through the area when Martha was last seen. Other stated they saw her walking near her home west on Kerri - Lynn Road later that night. Authorities at first treated Lambert as a runaway, her house life was dysfunctional and full of anger. Authorities soon concluded that she did not run away. Her mother stated that Martha would never go willingly and wouldn’t even get into a friends car without her permission. She also does not believe that Martha would go with any person willingly. Her mother has always maintained that Martha was abducted outside of her home and taken from the area. Her brother David Lambert was questioned, he gave conflicting accounts about that night. Once he stated he saw Martha get into a black vehicle. He also stated that he saw Martha walking towards a convenience store, L’il Champs, in State Road 207. His third story that he and Martha were having dinner when she said she was going out. When he asked where, she said it was not his concern and she left and walked out into the dark. In 2009, he ultimately confessed to Martha’s murder. He stated that she died as a result of them fighting over money; Martha slapped him and he pushed her back. She fell and landed on a piece of steel that went through the base of her skull, killing her. He then buried her body so he wouldn’t get in trouble. Authorities did complete excavations of the area that she was allegedly buried in but did not find her. She was apparently killed and buried in ten grounds of the then abandoned Florida Memorial College. It was demolished in the 1990s. This may have scattered any existing remains. Her brother’s confession has been deemed very likely but there is no evidence to support it and no evidence to pinpoint Martha’s exact fate. Classified as a Non-Family Abduction.
Theories: I believe that Martha Jean Lambert was the victim of a non-family abduction. According to authorities, the girl was walking home alone from a friends residence at approximately 7:30 pm. Lambert’s mother stated that she and Martha went to a social gathering at a neighboring house. Martha said she was leaving and would be back in five minutes. She left and never returned. I believe that Martha either went to her own home or too a friends house and then was returning to the gathering when she was abducted. According to her mother, she would not get into a vehicle without her permission, I believe she was forced into a vehicle. A green van being driven by two men was seen in the area soon after Martha left. I believe the green van may have been the abduction vehicle and that the two men were her abductors. The green van and the two men were never found. Even if the green van wasn’t the abduction vehicle, I strongly believe that Martha Jean was forced into a vehicle. I’ve also considered that Martha may have fallen victim to a serial killer. The only killer I found was William Lindsey but his victims ranged from their 30s and higher. I’ve also considered that Martha was abducted by members of a sex ring and was sold into one. She may still be alive if that’s possible. I also consider that Martha was abducted by someone or people who could not have a child or lost their own.I mainly believe that Martha was taken for an opportunity of sex and was either kept alive or killed afterwards. Either way I believe Martha was kidnapped on the night of her November 27, 1985 disappearance. I believe she was taken at some point between 8:30 p.m. or 9:00 p.m.
If you have any information as to Martha's whereabouts, please e-mail For The Lost at this address. Or you may contact the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, Eugene Tolbert, at 904-824-8304. Any tips sent by e-mail will be kept confidential.
Information used to compile this casefile came from the following resources:
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The Doe Network
The Charley Project
NamUs National Missing Persons Data System
St. Augustine Record
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