McDonald was a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada at the time of her disappearance. In 2001, she took a Hawaiian cruise by herself on the ship Patriot. She was last seen in her cabin at 6:00 p.m. on February 8, when the ship departed Hilo, Hawaii for Kona, Hawaii. She has never been heard from again.

The Patriot left Kona the next day for Honolulu, Hawaii, arriving at 8:00 a.m. on February 10. After it docked in Honolulu, McDonald was discovered missing. There were no indications of foul play aboard the ship and it is unclear when she disappeared. Her luggage, purse, money and identification were found in her cabin, the bed was neatly made and only her passport was missing. Patriot officials tried to contact McDonald in Las Vegas by mail, and when their efforts came to nothing they reported her as a missing person on February 17.

McDonald previously lived in Oahu, Hawaii; she moved to Nevada in 1992 or 1993. Her disappearance remains unsolved.