Carter was last seen in the vicinity of the 4500 block of Kensington in Kansas City, Missouri at 6:00 p.m. on July 5, 1984. She left her three children in the care of a girlfriend and went to work. Afterwards she called a friend, indicated she was in some kind of trouble, and asked for a ride home. Carter only had time to say the phrase "20 in Kansas" before the line went dead. She never arrived home.

One of Carter's friends claims he heard from her on July 7, when she called him between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. She told him she was on Interstate 35 in Kansas and asked for a ride home. Her friend told her he could not pick her up, and she said, "One of the men said he would take me home." Carter may been seen riding a green Chevrolet Nova during this time period. She has not been heard from since.

Carter dropped out of high school, and had her first child at age 15. At the time of her disappearance, she was allegedly leading a risky lifestyle and had some unsavory acquaintances. Carter's family believes she met with foul play, as it is uncharacteristic of her to abandon her children. Her case remains unsolved.