Lenz was last seen in Harrison County, Iowa on May 6, 1989. At the time of her disappearance, her mother was hospitalized with pneumonia and Lenz visited her every day. When she did not visit her mother for two days in a row, her mother sent relatives to check Lenz's residence. They found her coffee pot half-full and switched on inside her home, her laundry half-folded, and Lenz's keys and purse left there. She has never been heard from again.

Investigators believe Lenz was taken against her will. She left behind a three-year-old daughter. Her case remains unsolved.