Felton's sister drove their parents part-way to the airport during the afternoon of June 4, 1987 near their Marion, Indiana home. They were going on a business trip. Felton stayed at their residence while her family was away. When her sister returned home at approximately 5:00 p.m., she discovered that Felton had disappeared. All of her belongings, including her purse and her favorite tennis shoes, where found still in her bedroom.

Felton was initially considered a runaway, but investigators have since changed their classification to Endangered Missing due to the circumstances involved. She is believed to have disappeared from her residence between the hours of 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. on June 7.

Donald W. Grenier was considered a possible suspect in Felton's case at one time. He was charged with the abduction and molestation of a young girl in Indiana in 1999. Grenier's home was searched for evidence concerning Felton's case and the 1993 disappearance of Tricia Reitler. Both young women vanished from the same vicinity and there were other similarities in their cases. The search did not produce any evidence linking Grenier to either case and he was eventually cleared of suspicion in both regards. Felton's case remains open and unsolved.