Barbara was last seen in Harrison County, Iowa on May 6, 1989. At the time of her disappearance, her mother was hospitalized and Barbara visited her every day. When she did not visit her mother for two days in a row, her mother sent relatives to check Barbara's residence. They found her coffee pot half-full and switched on inside her home, her laundry half-folded, and Barbara's keys and purse left there. She has never been heard from again. Investigators believe Barbara was taken against her will. Her case remains unsolved.

On March 13th, 2025 Robert Davis was charged with first-degree murder in the 1989 disappearance of Barbara Lenz. Court records show he raped and attempted to kidnap another woman seven years after Lenz went missing.