Owen resided in Fort Worth, Texas at the time of his disappearance. He was a student at Texas Wesleyan University and had just completed his junior year. He was visiting Hawaii to do some hiking and was last seen at Manoa Falls. He may have been carrying a maroon backpack when he disappeared. Police found his bicycle abandoned at the foot of the Manoa Falls trail. An extensive search by police and volunteers, which was aided by the billionaire entrepreneur Ross Perot, failed to turn up any other signs of Owen.

Owen is a native of Texas. He was working in a restaurant in Wakiki, Hawaii at the time he disappeared. Foul play is not suspected in Owen's disappearance. He enjoyed climbing in high places and authorities believe he met with an accident on the trail, perhaps a fall into a deep valley pocket. Owen's mother stated her son was an avid hiker and naturalist in 1994 and was well-trained in wilderness survival skills. He has never been heard from again.