Jennifer was reportedly last seen leaving her family's residence at Holly Hills Mobile Home Park in the 1400 block of north Fort Bragg Boulevard in Spring Lake, North Carolina on June 23, 1991. Jennifer planned to walk to a neighbor's home at approximately 1:15 p.m. She never arrived at her destination and has not been heard from again. She was reported missing at 6:00 p.m. Extensive searches of the area did not produce any evidence as to her whereabouts.

At the time of her disapperance, Jennifer's parents were divorced but were still living together. Her father, Alan Patterson, failed a polygraph exam following his daughter's 1991 disappearance. He was viewed as a possible suspect by law enforcement at the time, and police said there was no evidence that Jennifer ever left her home that day. Alan was involved in a custody dispute over Jennifer at the time of her disappearance, and he was scheduled to take a paternity test. When interviewed by police, he initially said Jennifer had disappeared as a result of the custody dispute and was alive and being cared for. He later maintained that he was speaking hypothetically and did not intend for his statements to be taken as fact. Jennifer's parents separated and moved away to different states a few months after she disappeared. Her father maintains his innocence in her disappearance, stating he was at work when she went missing.

Authorities now call Alan their prime suspect. They stated that forensic technology that was unavailable in 1991 may help solve Jennifer's case. They suspect she is deceased. Jennifer's disappearance remains unsolved. The mobile home park where she lived has now been abandoned.