Julian was last seen in Scottsdale, Arizona on July 16, 1991. Accounts differ as to whether she was at her lawyer's office, discussing an accident settlement, or at the 7-11 store at Granite Reef and McDowell Road. She has never been heard from again. Julian has two daughters, whose father had custody in 1991. She always contacted her daughters at holidays and on their birthdays. She gave birth to a boy a few months before her disappearance, but the baby died a few days after birth. After her son's death, Julian said she wanted to turn her life around. She planned to move in with a friend and go into rehabilitation for her substance abuse issues, but disappeared before she was able to do either of those things.

Julian worked as a waitress and bartender in 1991 and often hitchhiked, particularly from truck stops. She occasionally dropped out of sight for weeks at a time, but her family says she would never have gone this long without contact. Her case was reopened in 2003, but it remains unsolved. Although her children believe she met with foul play, her disappearance is classified as a simple missing person rather than a crime. Police believe she may be homeless.