Cooley was last seen on the morning of May 14, 1993 at her apartment in Lake Wales, Florida. Her live-in boyfriend stated that they had argued the night before, but made up by morning and he last saw her at 8:00 a.m. when he'd left the residence to go to his mother's home. When Cooley's boyfriend returned at 9:00 a.m., she was gone.

Cooley's blue 1986 Buick was found parked there, her car keys were handing by the apartment door, her clothes were still hanging in the closet and her purse was on the dining room table. Her shoes and jewelry were left behind as well. Cooley normally kept a handgun in her purse, but it had vanished about two weeks before she did; it is unknown whether this had anything to do with her disappearance.

Cooley's family believes foul play is involved in her disappearance, as she was a dedicated mother and it is uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning. Various leads have placed her living in different parts of the country, but none of them have been substantiated. She was employed as a pharmacy technician at the time of her disappearance and she has three children. Her case remains unsolved.