Shcherbakova was last seen in Monterey, California on April 5, 1998. She left her home on Casanova Street and went to a friend's home on the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Judson Street in Seaside, California. Her friend later said Shcherbakova left at 8:00 p.m. and was last seen walking toward Fremont Boulevard. She never arrived home and have never been heard from again.

Shcherbakova was born in Russia and moved to the United States at the age of five. Her mother stated she got involved with the wrong crowd after she entered sixth grade at King Middle School. She briefly enrolled in a Fitch Middle School class for children with behavioral problems, then returned to King Middle School. Both the police and Shcherbakova's mother believe she left of her own accord when she disappeared in April 1998. Some clothing was missing from her room, and there were several reported sightings of her in the local area after her disappearance. Investigators are now considering foul play in her disappearance, however, due to the length of time she has been missing.

Two months after Shcherbakova disappeared, twelve-year-old Christina Williams was abducted from Marina, California. Her body was found seven months later, but her murder remains unsolved. Authorities believe the homicide and Shcherbakova's disappearance may be connected. Both girls were King Middle School students, both had brown hair and they were about the same size. Both of them disappeared while walking alone at dusk. Charles Holifield is the prime suspect in Williams's murder. He is presently serving a life sentence for the attempted kidnapping of a jogger in September 1998. Holifield has been linked to sexual assaults on three teen girls, beginning in 1979, although he was only prosecuted for two of them. All of the victims had shoulder-length brown hair, appeared to be in their early teens, and were current or former Fitch Middle School students; he himself attended that school. Shcherbakova disappeared only a few blocks from Holifield's brother's home, and Holifield frequently stayed there. He is considered a possible suspect in her disappearance.

It should be emphasized that Holifield has not been charged in Shcherbakova's disappearance and only the circumstances link him to her case. Her mother hopes she is still alive. Her case remains unsolved.