McGovern was last seen walking away from a party in the 600 block of east Bluff Street in Marseilles, Illinois on September 26, 2010. She may have been en route to her home in the 100 block of Cash Street in Seneca, Illinois, four miles away, where she lived with her husband and daughter. She has never been heard from again. Her mother reported her missing on November 4.

McGovern's relationship with her husband was troubled. She filed for divorce four times between 1992 and 2008, and he filed once, and the couple had also filed multiple orders of protection against each other. Her husband has multiple criminal convictions for offenses including arson, domestic battery and violating a protective order. He hasn't cooperated with the investigation into his wife's disappearance.

McGovern has dropped out of sight in the past, but she's never been gone for this long before, and she always kept in touch with her mother. There hasn't been any activity on her bank account, and her cellular phone hasn't been used since the night of her disappearance. Authorities believe McGovern could have been the victim of a homicide. Her case remains unsolved.