Yes, the case remains an open and active homicide investigation. In the United States, there is no statute of limitations on murder. Because no charges have ever been filed and the individual(s) responsible have not been brought to justice, the Latah County Sheriff’s Office officially classifies Hazel Martin’s 1996 death as an open, unsolved cold case.

Previously unreported details or changes in relationships that prompt someone to finally come forward. Periodic evaluations of recovered evidence (such as the bedding found near the Palouse River or items from the site where her remains were discovered in 1997) to see if modern forensic technology or advanced DNA testing can yield new leads.

While law enforcement holds specific forensic details closely, several major pieces of physical evidence have been publicly identified since Hazel’s disappearance on May 17, 1996.

The Scene at the House: When family members arrived at Hazel’s home along State Highway 6 the morning after her disappearance, they found the drapes drawn and her morning newspaper still in the door. Inside, her purse and eyeglasses were left behind. Crucially, investigators noted there was no obvious sign of a struggle inside the residence, suggesting she may have been taken by surprise, or by someone she knew, while preparing for bed.

Recovered Bedding and Slippers: During large-scale community searches in the weeks following her disappearance, search teams located two pillows, two bedsheets, and a pair of slippers belonging to Hazel near the Palouse River. Family members later visually confirmed the items were hers.

Skeletal Remains: On May 5, 1997, nearly a year after she vanished, mushroom hunters discovered Hazel's skull in a heavily wooded area approximately 50 yards off Highway 6, just a few miles north of her home. A subsequent search of the area with specialized human remains detection dogs was conducted by the Sheriff's Office to recover further forensic evidence from the site.

Note on Forensic Technology: At the time of the discovery, items like the recovered bedding were subjected to initial DNA testing. Because forensic science has advanced significantly since 1996 and 1997, these items remain preserved in evidence, serving as the primary candidates for modern touch-DNA evaluation or advanced genetic genealogy testing if viable biological samples are intact.

Officially, no suspects have ever been publicly named or charged by law enforcement. Because the investigation remains open and unsolved, the Latah County Sheriff's Office closely guards information regarding individuals they have interviewed over the years to protect the integrity of the case and avoid compromising potential future prosecution. While there are no public suspects, investigators have focused on specific contextual details of the crime to guide their theories: The "Someone She Knew" Theory: Because there were no signs of forced entry or a struggle at Hazel’s home, investigators have strongly considered the possibility that she knew her abductor or was taken completely by surprise by someone she felt safe opening the door for late at night. The Opportunity Angle: Hazel had just won $7 playing pinochle at the Princeton Grange Hall and returned home shortly before she vanished. Investigators thoroughly vetted the timeline of her drive home along State Highway 6, looking into whether she was followed from the Grange Hall or targeted by someone familiar with her routine. Transient or Random Actor: Because her remains were found a year later just 50 yards off Highway 6, a main thoroughfare, investigators have never entirely ruled out a crime of opportunity by a passing motorist, though the lack of forced entry makes a targeted encounter a primary point of discussion. A Note on Speculation: Over the decades, various local rumors and true-crime theories have surfaced online regarding acquaintances, neighbors, or passing travelers. Law enforcement repeatedly cautions that unverified public speculation can muddy the waters. They maintain that the key to solving the case lies in a direct, verifiable tip regarding someone's behavior, movements, or unexplained absences on the night of May 17, 1996.

While Latah County is historically a very safe, low-crime region, the summer of 1996 saw two specific incidents that drew the attention of local law enforcement:

The Pullfame Condominium Break-In and Death (July 1996): Just two months after Hazel disappeared, police in nearby Pullman, Washington (about 30 miles southwest of Princeton) investigated the suspicious death of an 89-year-old woman named Dorothy Martin (no known relation). Her death occurred shortly after a break-in at her condo manager's office where apartment keys were stolen. Because of the timing and the vulnerability of the victim, Latah County investigators actively reviewed the case to see if there were any crossover leads, though it was ultimately considered a coincidence.

The Wil Hendrick Disappearance (November 1999): While it occurred a few years later, the disappearance and murder of University of Idaho student Wil Hendrick in Moscow, Idaho, shook the county. His car was found abandoned downtown, and his remains were discovered years later in rural Latah County. Because both cases involved mysterious disappearances and left behind vehicles or belongings with very few clues, they are often discussed together in the context of Latah County’s unresolved cold cases from the 1990s, though they are not believed to be linked.

Was a serial actor or transient suspected? Because Princeton sits along State Highway 6, a route frequently used by regional travelers, truckers, and loggers passing between Idaho and Washington, investigators have historically looked into whether Hazel was targeted by a transient offender. In the mid-to-late 1990s, regional task forces routinely checked the timelines of known traveling offenders operating in the Pacific Northwest, but no definitive link to Hazel’s case has ever been established. Note on Regional

Context: The high-profile 1996 murder of Angie Dodge also occurred in Idaho that same summer, but it took place in Idaho Falls, hundreds of miles away in the southeastern part of the state, and has since been solved via investigative genetic genealogy, with no connection to the Palouse region.

Law enforcement and the family continue to emphasize that even the smallest detail remembered from the night of May 17, 1996, could be the missing piece of the puzzle. Anyone who saw anything unusual near Highway 6 or the Princeton Grange Hall that night is urged to contact the Latah County Sheriff's Office.