Forest was last seen in Prescott, Arizona on March 29, 2009. She was moving from Cottonwood, Arizona to Austin, Texas and was scheduled to arrive on April 2. She rented a U-Haul trailer in Prescott with a male acquaintance, Robert Reed. She has never been heard from again and her two dogs are also missing. They are both medium-sized, 30 to 40 pounds, with short tan- or rust-colored fur. Forest's red 1997 Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicle (SUV) with Arizona license plates numbered 170ZNJ was later found in Camp Verde, Arizona. The empty rented trailer was dropped off at a U-Haul facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico at approxmiately 2:00 a.m. on April 2. It had been delivered there by an unknown person or persons driving a dark-colored full-size extended cab pickup truck with five cab roof lights.

When he was located in August, Reed claimed he'd bought her SUV. He also had her computer and some other belongings of hers. Authorities discovered he was a fugitive and arrested him. He'd been charged with fourteen felonies after he burned down his own house for the insurance money, and he fled after he was released on bail. He was convicted in absentia in January 2009, but he wasn't located until his August arrest. Between times he'd been homeless and frequented Dead Horse Ranch State Park and the Arizona cities of Cottonwood, Phoenix and Verde Valley.

Reed was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison in October. Authorities stated his account about Forest's case contained "inconsistencies," but they're not calling him a suspect in Forest's disappearance. Photographs of him and Forest's Pathfinder are posted below this case summary. Authorities aren't sure what Reed's relationship is with Forest, but her family said they had never heard of him. Reed also uses the name Charles Olson and the nickname Chef Charlie.

All of Forest's bank account activity ended on March 28. Her case remains unsolved. The circumstances of her disappearance are unclear.

Left and Center: Robert Reed;
Right: 1997 Nissan Pathfinder