Haynes moved from San Francisco, California to Boulder, Colorado to attend the University of Colorado. He arrived in Colorado on July 22. The next day, he called his father, asked for money and promised to keep in touch. Haynes called a friend on July 24. On July 26, a sheriffs deputy saw Haynes's car, a beige two-door 1981 Subaru hatchback, off a county road in the small town of Nederland, Colorado. Since Haynes was not reported missing until August 10, police had no reason to be suspicious about the vehicle and did not pick it up. A few days later, the police returned to the scene, the vehicle was gone. It has never been seen again and neither has Haynes. On the way from San Francisco to Boulder, Haynes had picked up a hitchhiker, who later told police that Haynes mentioned plans to buy marijuana in Boulder. The hitchhiker is not considered a suspect in Haynes's disappearance.

He was declared legally dead in March 1983, still his body has not been found yet.