Rochelle Ihm, a San Diego, California resident in 1986, decided to visit some friends in Phoenix, Arizona, in July of that year. Her former family gardener, Robert Yama, paid for her airfare and picked her up at the airport upon her arrival. On July 12, Ihm attended a party with her friends, and she was last seen on July 13 at around 11:00 a.m. Her friends reported that Yama was unhappy that she had spent the weekend partying with them instead of spending time with him. Ihm's family believed that Yama was attracted to her.

Yama claimed that he dropped Ihm off at a Greyhound bus station near 6th Street and Washington Street so she could catch a bus back to California. However, authorities later discovered that she never boarded the bus. Ihm was expected to start her new job as a paralegal the following day, but she never showed up. Unfortunately, Ihm has not been seen or heard from since that time.

Yama was uncooperative with the investigation into Ihm's disappearance, and he is considered a possible suspect in the case. He died in 2005 without ever being charged. Ihm's loved ones and authorities suspect foul play in her disappearance, which remains unsolved.