Kelsey was last seen at the Western Lights Plaza in Syracuse, New York on August 22, 1984. She was shopping with her family. Her former boyfriend approached her at the shopping center and asked her to marry him, but Kelsey refused. Afterwards, she and her ex-boyfriend left together on his bicycle. He later said he dropped her off at 5:30 p.m. at Fayette and North Geddes Streets. She has never been heard from again. Her loved ones filed a missing persons report the next day.

Authorities initially believed Kelsey may have left of her own accord, but as time passed without her contacting anyone, they began to suspect foul play. She does not have a prior history of leaving without warning. Kelsey's ex-boyfriend, whom she had dated for eight years, cooperated with the investigation at first, but dropped out of sight after a few days. A month later, after he was arrested for probation violation, he said he had been camping along Onondaga Lake. Investigators searched the campsite, but turned up no evidence in Kelsey's disappearance.

Kelsey's case remains unsolved.