Light was last seen at approximately 2:00 a.m. on November 23, 1989 in Spring, Texas. That day, she'd bought groceries for the upcoming Thanksgiving Day dinner, then went out with friends. She shared an apartment with her sister, Cynthia Migl. When Migl returned home at 3:00 a.m., grocery bags were on the floor and a turkey was defrosting in the sink, but there was no sign of Light.

There was a message on the answering machine. The caller claimed to be Light and said she'd met someone and was going to Mexico for a few days. Migl doesn't believe the caller was actually Light: the voice didn't sound like her, and the caller called Migl "Cindy," a nickname she never used. Migl stated she didn't believe Light would have suddenly left, especially at Thanksgiving. She reported her sister missing after Light missed the family's Thanksgiving dinner.

Six years after Light's disappearance, her boyfriend's father allegedly made some admissions about her disappearance in a nightclub and said no one would ever find her. Two witnesses reported what they'd heard to Migl, who told the police about it, but apparently no action was taken and Migl's police report about the incident has since been lost, along with most of the rest of Light's missing persons file.

Foul play is suspected in Light's case, but no arrests have been made. She left behind a three-year-old daughter.