Lima was last seen at 1:30 a.m. on October 28, 2005, when he left his girlfriend's Chelsea, Massashusetts home. He is believed to have arrived at his own residence at south Main Street and River Street in Middleton, Massachusetts afterwards. He lived in a basement apartment in his parents' house. His mother heard what she assumed was his car at 2:00 a.m., but no one actually saw him go into the house.

At 7:00 a.m., Lima's parents woke up and realized Lima wasn't in the house. His wallet, keys and cigarettes on his bed, which had not been slept in. His sneakers were on the doormat just inside the garage. A small window in the living room of Lima's apartment was wide open, although the weather was chilly, and the screen had been pushed out from the inside. Lima has never been heard from again. The doors to the house opened to the backyard, which had motion-detector lights. His parents believe Lima climbed out the window rather than go out the doors and activate the backyard lights.

Lima's cellular phone battery went dead shortly after 2:00 a.m. the day he disappeared and authorities believe the phone has been destroyed. He wasn't carrying any cash or credit cards. He was employed as a construction worker at the time of his disappearance. He has a history of drug abuse, dropped out of high school and had previously served time in jail, but his loved ones stated he had straightened out his life by October 2005 and seemed to be happy. His family believes he met with foul play and police are not ruling that possibility out. His case remains unsolved. Middleton police are investigating.