Lombard was last seen in Merced, California on December 17, 1993. He left his home to go to a towing yard on Yosemite Park Way. He planned to pick up his paycheck and do shopping for Christmas, then meet his wife. He did arrive at work, but was unable to collect his check due to a clerical error. He never returned home and has never been heard from again. Lombard resided on Langtry Avenue, northwest of Merced, at the time of his disappearance. His hobbies include panning for gold in Mariposa County.

Just two hours before Lombard disappeared, his co-worker, Paul Armstrong, vanished from his home in Merced. The men were both employed as tow truck drivers for RTS Towing, but they were not close to each other and their loved ones do not believe they would have gone anywhere together. Investigators are unsure whether their cases are related.

Lombard's maroon and white 1965 Ford F-250 pickup truck was found abandoned in a K-Mart parking lot in south Merced following his disappearance. There was a cup of coffee on the console, the truck's keys were inside, the windows were rolled down and the door was left unlocked, which is uncharacteristic of Lombard.

Armstrong and Lombard are considered to be missing under suspicious circumstances; their cases are being investigated as homicides. Armstrong reportedly believed his coworkers were engaged in illegal activity at the time of his disappearance, and Lombard had a dispute with his boss on the day that he vanished. Both men's cases are unsolved.