Asplund was last seen at a friend's house on January 9, 1994. When he didn't come home by 6:00 a.m. the following day, his fiancee began searching for him. Asplund's car was discovered abandoned in a parking lot west of in Interstate 74, in Bettendorf, Iowa. There was no sign of him at the scene.

Unspecified forensic evidence was discovered inside the vehicle, but test results on it were inconclusive. Several months after the car was found, Asplund's driver's license was located on a bridge at Loud Thunder Forest Preserve in Rock Island County, Illinois. Police searched the river below for his body but found no evidence relevant to the case.

Authorities and Asplund's brother believe foul play was involved in his case. Since his disappearance he has not used his credit cards or withdrawn any money from his bank account. His case remains unsolved.