Sermons was last seen in Lakeland, Florida on May 3, 1992. She worked with horses and was involved in the rodeo culture. That evening, she attended a rodeo in Dade City, Florida with Elwin Lawrence "Larry" Costine Jr. A photo of Costine is posted below this case summary. Costine and a friend were in a team roping contest at the rodeo; they won and split the $350 prize. At 2:00 a.m. the next day, Sermons and Costine went to breakfast with a friend. The couple is believed to have gone to Costine's home at 4:15 a.m. Authorities determined that Sermons never returned to her own Lakeland residence. She has never been seen again.

Sermons and Costine's families both filed missing persons' reports with law enforcement when they failed to locate their loved ones by the following day. Costine's nude body was discovered inside the bedroom of his trailer home in the 12600 block of Moore Road in Lakeland on May 5, 1992, two days after he and Sermons were last seen. He had been shot to death. One of his guns was missing, but there were no signs of a struggle or a robbery at the scene. His bed had not been slept in. There was no trace of Sermons inside Costine's residence.

There have been reported sightings of Sermons alive and well at truck stops in Florida, Kansas and Texas since her disappearance, but investigators don't believe the stories are reliable. Some authorities believe Sermons was involved in some way in Costine's murder, but no charges have been filed against anyone in his death and Costine's family believes she is innocent. Sermons's ex-boyfriend was interviewed and ruled out as a suspect in the case. Sermons's case remains unsolved.

Above: Costine, circa 1992