Leventhal was last seen by her husband at 11:30 p.m. on August 21, 1991, as she left her Naples, Florida home. She had been relaxing with her husband in their Jacuzzi after church choir practice when Leventhal decided to go and get some soda. She was driving her blue four-door 1991 Volvo at the time. The car has a vehicle identification number (VIN) of YV2JA894OMA029773 and Louisiana license plates numbered 955X356. Leventhal never returned home and has never been heard from again. Shortly after her disappearance, Her Volvo was found abandoned in an apartment complex parking lot. No fingerprints or other clues were discovered at the scene.

Leventhal was born and raised in Louisiana, where she graduated Louisiana Tech University and became a registered nurse. She married a doctor and moved to Naples, Florida with her two children from a previous relationship. She might have returned to Louisiana after her disappearance. Her nurse's license was still current in that state. There has been no activity on her credit cards since her disappearance.

Some agencies report that Leventhal vanished on August 24, 1991. Her case remains unsolved.