Circumstances of Disappearance
Vincent was last seen leaving her family's home during the evening of June 15, 1988. Ten days before her disappearance, she had moved with her father and stepmother to Wallingford from Bridgeport. Doreen didn't like Wallingford, but she chose to remain with her father when he moved and appeared to be happy with him. She was about to enter the eighth grade at West Woods Christian Academy in Hamden. The stepmother said Doreen felt isolated living in the woods of Wallingford and longed to be back with her friends in Bridgeport. Doreen had run away from home once before, to her mother's house in Waterbury.
Police were told she left home the evening of June 15, 1988 with money and clothing.
She was not reported missing until three days after her disappearance.

Because investigators initially believed they were looking for a runaway girl who left to be back with friends in the city, the evidence trail went cold. Doreen's fathers account of what happened was contradictory. Her father admitted to the police that he had a volatile temper and that on June 15th he had become angry with Doreen. He said he had hit her and pushed her into a window, breaking it. While searching Doreen's paternal grandmother's Bethel home for possible clues, Wallingford police discovered a gun. Bethel police charged Doreen's father with possession of a revolver by a felon due to a previous conviction, he served a two-year jail term. There was never any substantial evidence to link him with her disappearance.

Police interviewed serial killer Hadden Clark. They didn't adopt the theory that Clark was responsible for Doreen's disappearance and state police came to a similar conclusion after taking Clark on a tour of possible victim burial sites.
Police have searched Huntington Park several times through the years since Doreen disappeared, parts of which are in Redding, Bethel and Newtown.
Foul play is suspected.