Kovack was last seen in Blacksburg, Virginia on September 18, 1998. He was a graduate student of architecture at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, otherwise known as Virginia Tech, at the time. Kovack had planned on driving to his family's home in Rivesville, West Virginia on the day of his disappearance. His roommates said that he also planned to watch a West Virginia University football game there. It has been established that Kovack withdrew $80 from an automatic teller machine (ATM) in Blacksburg at 5:21 p.m. This was the last confirmed sighting of him before his disappearance. Authorities believe Kovack was driving his red soft-top 1992 Geo Tracker to Rivesville between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. He never arrived at his family's residence and has not been heard from again.

Kovack's vehicle was discovered abandoned on Route 19 in Fayetteville, West Virginia on September 23. A photo of a red Geo Tracker is posted below this case summary. Kovack's vehicle was located one mile from the New River Gorge bridge and apparently ran out of gasoline. There was no sign of him at the scene. The vehicle was in a neat but dirty condition. The driver's side door was locked, but not the passenger side door. Kovack's loved ones stated it's uncharacteristic of him to allow his car to get dirty or to run out of fuel. The Tracker was also in four-wheel drive; Kovack wouldn't have needed four-wheel drive on the highway and he didn't normally use the four-wheel drive unless it was necessary.

A convenience store employee near Route 19 claimed that an individual matching Kovack's description purchased gasoline on September 18. The worker said that the man told him his car ran out of fuel. Authorities have not confirmed if the person was Kovack. Several investigators theorized that Kovack never left the Blacksburg area on the day of his disappearance. He left the majority of his personal belongings behind at his residence, including his shaving kit, toothbrush and toothpaste, which he would normally take with him when he went to visit his parents. Kovack's father said that his son normally called before arriving at his family's house, but he did not contact his parents on September 18. Extensive searches failed to find Kovack. Some clothing, hats, and a piece of paper with numbers on it was located, but authorities were unable to confirm whether the items belonged to him. Kovack's wallet and credit cards disappeared with him and have never been found. He carried a $12,000 balance on the cards at the time of his disappearance. Since he went missing, he hasn't accessed his bank account.

Kovack may have had a blue plastic laundry basket and clothes with him in his vehicle at the time of his disappearance. These have never been located. He was an excellent student at Virginia Tech and held a position as a graduate teaching assistant. By the time of his disappearance he had nearly completed graduate school and had already been secured a job with Blackwood and Associates, an architecture firm in Richmond, Virginia. He graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 1991 and got his bachelor's degree at Fairmont State University. Authorities do not believe Kovack committed suicide, but they are uncertain as to what caused his disappearance. His case remains unsolved. West Virginia police are assisting with the investigation.

Above: A Geo Tracker similar to Kovack's vehicle