Wilde was last heard from on September 23, 1998, after a minor car accident. That evening, the other driver involved in the accident called Wilde at her apartment to discuss damages. The following day, Wilde missed her 1:00 p.m. class, a scheduled eye doctor’s appointment, and other commitments. Her father tried calling her to wake her up but got no answer. He drove to her apartment and found it locked. He then reported her missing. Over a week later, Wilde’s vehicle, was found abandoned in the parking lot of a sports bar. The car was unlocked, with the keys in the ignition. Her purse and cell phone were locked in the trunk, where she typically kept them. In 2016, authorities named Matthew John Schneider, the father of Wilde’s unborn child, as a suspect in her case. Schneider was engaged to another woman and did not want his fiancée to find out about the pregnancy. Before Wilde’s disappearance, Wilde informed Schneider’s fiancée and his mother that she was pregnant with his child. Entries in Wilde’s diary revealed Schneider was furious after learning she had spoken to his fiancée.