Sexton was last seen leaving her family's home in Elyria, Ohio on May 1, 1981. She said she was going out to walk her dog, but never returned home. She was accompanied by an adult male drug dealer at the time of her disappearance. He later returned to the Elyria area alone. The dealer was subsequently imprisoned. He is now deceased and never provided any information as to Sexton's whereabouts. She was last known to be in the Tampa, Florida area. Sexton may have traveled to Mexico shortly afterwards. Her mother last heard from her in 1984, three years after her disappearance. Her case remains unsolved.

Authorities tested Sexton's dental records against those of an unidentified St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana murder victim for a possible match in September 2003. The woman, who was pregnant at the time of her death, was found in Lake Pontchartrain. She was buried in a potter's field in 1986. The woman physically resembles Sexton, but the dental records did not match. Sexton remains missing and the Louisiana murder victim remains unidentified.

Some agencies may list September 1, 1984 as the date of Sexton's disappearance, and give the place of her disappearance as Fort Lauderdale, Florida.