McDonald visited Queen Wilhelmina State Park in Polk County, Arkansas on January 26, 2001. She was accompanied by her husband, her stepson and his girlfriend. The group began hiking along a trail that bordered the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge near Rich Mountain at approximately 12:25 p.m. They were headed towards the Lovers' Leap area of the park at the time. Several trees blocked the path ahead and McDonald told the others that she was returning to the Lodge, which houses a restaurant, gift shop and additional facilities. She turned back approximately 150 to 200 yards into the hike.

The group continued walking for another 30 minutes before returning to the Lodge. They discovered that McDonald was missing upon their arrival. Their vehicle was parked in the same location and her purse and additional personal belongings were locked inside of the car. Nothing was missing from the vehicle and extensive searches of the area produced no evidence as to McDonald's whereabouts. She has never been heard from again. McDonald was carrying a Minolta Riva Zoom 90 camera with the serial number 40907425 at the time of her disappearance.

McDonald was a resident of Mena, Arkansas in 2001. She was born in New York and raised in the Texarkana, Texas area. McDonald led an active lifestyle and enjoyed aerobics. She graduated from Texas High School and attended Beech Street Baptist Church. McDonald's family members said that she is not outdoor-oriented. She was employed as a reporter for the Mena Star newspaper and wrote stories about court proceedings, but none of her notes or articles seem to contain any clues about her disappearance. Her case remains unsolved.