Kochendorfer departed from his family's residence in Palmer, Alaska on October 27, 2000. He planned to go hunting bears near the face of the Knik Glacier in Butte, Alaska for three or four days. Kochendorfer's wife said that he is an experienced hunter who has gone on multi-day trips alone before and is familiar with the Butte area. He was last seen at a gasoline station in Butte later in the day. Kochendorfer has never been heard from again. He was carrying hunting supplies at the time of his disappearance, including cold weather gear, extra gasoline tanks and a gray dome tent.

Kochendorfer's all-terrain vehicle (ATV) was discovered abandoned several days later. Two hunters located the ATV along a trail in the Jim Creek area near Butte. There was no sign of Kochendorfer at the scene. An extensive search of the area, lasting several days, produced no clues as to his whereabouts. Kochendorfer's case remains unsolved.