Tran was a student at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) in 1997. He told his landlady he was going on vacation up north for Spring Break. He rented a car in San Diego and, on March 31, rented another car from the Budget car rental agency in Washington state. Tran did not return this second vehicle to the rental agency and it was reported stolen. He has never been heard from again. On July 22, the car was found abandoned in a hotel parking lot in Washington. It had been there for three or four months.

The circumstances of Tran's disappearance are unclear. His family and friends haven't heard from him since 1997. San Diego police are investigating.