Schmidbauer was last seen on September 23, 2007 at the Cedar Glen West Development, a community for seniors in Manchester, New Jersey. His wife went to bed at 11:30 p.m. and he kissed her goodnight. She didn't notice whether he went back to the living room to watch television, or went to bed shortly after she did. The next morning when she woke up, Schmidbauer's newspaper was on the kitchen table like always, but he was gone. His wife originally thought he had gone to talk to a neighbor, but the neighbor had not seen Schmidbauer that morning. He left behind his vehicle, keys, credit cards, medication and cash, but may have been carrying his wallet and identification. Two days later, a motorist reported seeing him along along Route 70 between the intersection of Green Acres Road and Christ Lutheran Church, about three miles from his home. He has never been heard from again.

Schmidbauer was a career Army soldier and served with the 11th Armored Cavalry Black Horse Regiment in Vietnam. He was also stationed in Germany at one point. His wife believes he may have become disoriented and wandered away from home. Foul play is not suspected in his case, but authorities are concerned for his safety. His disappearance remains unsolved.