Rachel was last seen on November 13, 2013, near her hometown of Woonsocket, South Dakota. That day, she drove her truck to Huron to pick up her husband, and law enforcement believes she picked him up at a gas station there. Her phone then shut off, and she has not been heard from since. According to the South Dakota Attorney General, the investigation indicates her husband was the last person to see her.

Weeks later, her gray and black 1995 Chevrolet Silverado pickup was found on a bee farm in Huron, South Dakota. A quilt Rachel cherished also appears to have disappeared from her home at the same time she did, and authorities have never located it. They released a photo of the quilt in 2015 in hopes of generating tips.

Officials suspect foul play. Law enforcement has searched scrap yards, ditches, farmland, and public hunting areas, as well as the Sand Creek area with ground-penetrating radar, without finding her. Her mother describes her as a giver who looked out for the people she loved, and her family stated that Rachel was working to get her children back into her care.