In 2008, Walters, a junior studying botany at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, traveled to Portland, Oregon, for a summer trip. She decided to extend her stay and later visited friends in Eureka, California, where she developed an interest in spirituality. On November 12, she was found scratched and disoriented outside a rural home near Arcata, claiming someone was after her. Police took her to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where she tested negative for drugs. After being released, she stayed at a hotel and arranged with her parents to fly home, as she had lost her identification. Walters was last seen on November 14 at a copy center in Eureka, appearing nervous. She has not been seen since. Investigators later learned she participated in an ayahuasca tea ceremony a week before her disappearance. It's uncharacteristic of Walters to leave without warning or to be out of touch with her family.