LAFAYETTE, La. — The case of a Louisiana woman who went missing after reportedly taking a person to Texas while driving for Lyft has been escalated from a missing person to a homicide investigation.
(Editor's note: The above video is from an April 7, 2022 newscast.)
Ella Goodie, 33, has not been seen or heard from by family members since March 9, 2022, according to a Louisiana State Police release. The investigation into her case and witness statements has led detectives to believe a homicide has taken place.
Goodie is described as being 5’3” and weighing 168lbs. She was last seen wearing a denim jacket with blue pants.
Louisiana State Police are continuing to work with the Scott Police Department, the St. Josephs Police Department and other agencies to solve Goodie’s case. Anyone with any information regarding Goodie is encouraged to contact the Louisiana State Police at 318-484-2194.
Goodie was last seen driving her 2012 Audi Q5 with Texas license plate NRN6551 on Interstate 10 towards Texas. Twelve hours later, traffic cameras caught her vehicle coming back into Louisiana.
Family members said when they last spoke to Goodie, she said she was driving for the Lyft rideshare app and was headed to Texas to drop someone off.
Social media posts claimed Goodie was dropping off a Lyft customer in Port Arthur before she was last heard from. 12News was not able to confirm this report.
On April 4, the St. Joseph Police Department in Missouri found Goodie’s vehicle, in St. Joseph, according to the release.
On Wednesday, March 16, the Scott Police Department named Brandon Jermaine Francisco as a person of interest concerning her disappearance.
Brandon Jermaine Francisco, 36, was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center on April 6, according to jail records from the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office. Francisco was extradited back to Louisiana after being arrested in Missouri.
Francisco was arrested in Missouri on March 25 for unlawful possession of a firearm. He was booked on two counts of contempt of court, and is being held without bond at the request of The Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office.
Francisco is believed to have been the last person to have come in contact with Goodie, according to a Scott Police Department release.
The FBI and U.S. Marshals have joined the investigation due to multi-jurisdictional purposes, according to the release.
The Scott Police Department is located west of Lafayette.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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