Needham checked himself into Pioneer Center North, an inpatient long-term drug abuse treatment facility in the 2200 block of Thompson Road in Bellevue, Washington, on October 20, 1994. During his stay there he called his mother and told her he did not like the facility but he did not mention any plans to leave. On October 26, Pioneer Center North reported Needham as a missing person. He apparently walked off the grounds, though no one saw him leave. The hospital is approximately eighty miles from his home.

At the time of his disappearance, Needham was taking his schizophrenia medication as directed. He could function in society and hold menial jobs. He has never been heard from again and his case remains unsolved.