Pagnac and her father stopped at the Holiday Inn gasoline station in Osseo, Minnesota at 4:30 p.m. on August 5, 1989. They were on their way home from a visit to the family farm at the time; they lived in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Pagnac's father went inside the station for a brief moment to use the toilet. When he returned, he saw that she had disappeared from their parked vehicle. She has never been heard from again.

Authorities initially believed Pagnac ran away from home. She had done so once before after packing clothing, but had only been gone for a day. She is no longer considered a runaway; it is thought that Pagnac may have had a seizure while her father was inside the building and became disoriented as a result. She may have walked away from their car afterwards.

There was a possible sighting of Pagnac in July of 2002. Someone reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Pagnac, who would have been 26 at the time, may have been seen in Bay City, Michigan and was possibly a student at a local college or university in the area. Nothing came of the lead, however.

Pagnac remains missing and her case is unsolved. Her family has kept the same telephone number since her disappearance in case she attempts to contact them. Maple Grove police are investigating her disappearance.