Brandi was last seen in Nipton, California on October 9, 1982.
Her mother went to work, leaving her in the care of her boyfriend, 37-year-old Daniel Waters. Brandi's mother had been living with Waters for about six months by this time. When she returned home from work, both Brandi and Waters were missing. A stuffed teddy bear, a blue blanket with an embroidered yellow duck and a multicolored patchwork blanket had also disappeared from the home.
Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Waters, but they were unable to locate him or Brandi. Police finally found Waters in a remote desert area near Blue Diamond, Nevada on January 3, 1983. He was driving a 1971 Volkswagen with a spare tire mounted on the front, a chrome luggage rack on the top, and the California license plate number 118CXP. Brandi wasn't with him. She has never been heard from again.
Waters refused to discuss Brandi's whereabouts or what he had been doing in the the three months between the time he and Brandi disappeared and the time he was arrested. Authorities believe Brandi may have been murdered. Her case remains unsolved.