Kimberly Doss disappeared in 1982, after taking a Greyhound bus from Houston to Davenport, Iowa to visit her father. However, she never arrived at his house and her family never heard from her again. In 1984, Thursday's Child, an organization that assists homeless or at-risk teenagers, claimed to have made contact with Kimberly. According to them, she was working as a prostitute on Hollywood Boulevard in California, under the name Kimberly Gardner, and was under the control of a pimp named James Wiseman. However, Kimberly's mother did not believe the woman they saw was her daughter, and no investigative action was taken at that time.

In recent years, investigators have reexamined the case and believe that Kimberly Doss and Kimberly Gardner are likely the same person. However, Gardner has not been seen since her alleged encounter with Thursday's Child and has not been definitively identified as Doss. Some agencies may list different dates and locations for Doss's disappearance, but Texas authorities are currently assisting with the investigation.