Virginia was a patient at the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine on April 24, 1993; she was taken there for treatment after allegedly being assaulted by her husband, Larry Noyes, and his brother, Roger Noyes Jr., outside a tavern. They were her last known visitors in the hospital. Both men were charged with assault, but the charges against him were dropped after Virginia's disappearance.

Virginia apparently left the hospital without permission sometime during the evening. She was seen at a truck stop in Houlton, Maine during the early morning hours the next day, and made phone calls to various people asking for a ride home. She has never been heard from again. Her family believes she was murdered, and police also suspect foul play in her case. Larry and Roger are the prime suspects in her disappearance. Both men have criminal records for a variety of offenses, including burglary, vandalism and arson. Larry stated his wife had had a romantic relationship with his brother prior to marrying him, and one of their children may have in fact been Roger's. Larry maintains his innocence in Virginia's disappearance and stated he never abused her.

Virginia resided in Easton, Maine in 1993, but many of her relatives live in Nova Scotia, Canada. Prior to her marriage she had four children by different men, the first born when she was fourteen years old, and dropped out of high school in her junior year. She married Larry at age 22 and had three additional children afterwards. Two of Virginia's children died in a fire in 1990, three years prior to her disappearance. Her loved ones describe her as a devoted mother who would not have abandoned her family. Her case remains unsolved.