Sexton was last seen after 2:00 a.m. on April 17, 1989, leaving the now-defunct Office Cocktail Lounge, which is located in the 100 block of south Center Street in Turlock, California. She left with some friends and was last seen talking to a man in the parking lot of the lounge before getting into her own car and driving away. She has never been heard from again.

Ten days after Sexton's disappearance, her 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme was found submerged in an irrigation canal near Turlock Lake. The keys were still in the ignition. Some of her clothing and personal belongings as well as groceries were inside the car, but her purse was missing. No other trace of Sexton was ever found.

Sexton is missing under suspicious circumstances. Authorities suspect foul play in her case; they believe she was the victim of a homicide. Her case may be drug-related; she had some friends who were drug traffickers and may have known too much for her safety. Sexton's disappearance remains unsolved. Investigators believe they know who killed her, but no one has been charged in connection with her case.

Some agencies state that Sexton disappeared on April 16, 1989.