Strassburger was last seen on his way home from work in Le Claire, Iowa at 12:15 a.m. on August 6, 1982. He never arrived home and has never been heard from again. His car was found abandoned on the Le Claire bridge over the Mississippi River on Interstate 80, about fifteen miles from his home. Extensive searches of the river and the area around it turned up no sign of Strassburger.

Strassburger was employed as a machinist at Rock Island Arsenal at the time of his disappearance. He lived with his parents in Davenport, Iowa. Investigators say there is no evidence of foul play in Strassburger's case, which remains unsolved.