LA ELLA GOODIE: Missing from Scott, LA - 9 March 2022 - Age 32 *ARREST*

Lafayette woman missing after reportedly driving customer to Texas

The family of 33-year-old Ella Goodie said they last saw her Wednesday, March 9. They said she’s a contract driver, and she was picking up a passenger that she was supposed to drop off in Hou…

www.klfy.com

Lafayette woman missing after reportedly driving customer to Texas​

The family of 33-year-old Ella Goodie said they last saw her Wednesday, March 9. They said she’s a contract driver, and she was picking up a passenger that she was supposed to drop off in Houston.

The Scott Police Department (SPD) said her vehicle was seen on March 9 on I-10 heading toward Texas. SPD said that about 12 hours later, traffic cameras saw her vehicle coming back into Louisiana.

The next day, however, her vehicle was located back in Texas, North of Dallas.

Scott Police said they were not able to track her car since then, and her family has not heard from her.


MEDIA - ELLA GOODIE: Missing from Scott, LA - 9 March 2022 - Age 32

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Police searching area off I-10 in hunt for missing Scott woman

State Trooper Derek Senegal said the last known coordinates from a cell phone led officials to search the area for Ella Goodie.

www.kalb.com

Police searching area off I-10 in hunt for missing Scott woman​

Authorities are searching an area off I-10 in the hunt for a missing Scott woman.

Law enforcement officials are using helicopters, dogs, and other tools to scour a 50-square-mile block near I-10 and US 165.

State Trooper Derek Senegal said the last known coordinates from a cell phone led officials to search the area for Ella Goodie.

So far nothing has been found, but authorities will return again tomorrow, he said.

Louisiana State Police, the Jeff Davis and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Wildlife and Fisheries are some of the agencies participating in the search.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Police finish searching area near Iowa for missing woman Ella Goodie

Multiple agencies were in the area near US 165, looking for clues in the disappearance of missing Scott woman Ella Goodie.

www.kplctv.com

Police finish searching area near Iowa for missing woman Ella Goodie​

Authorities have wrapped up the two-day search of an area off I-10.

Multiple agencies were in the area near US 165, looking for clues in the disappearance of missing Scott woman Ella Goodie.

State Trooper Derek Senegal said the last known coordinates from a cell phone led officials to search the area for Goodie.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Ella Goodie missing persons case now being investigated as homicide

Goodie, 33, of Scott, was last seen on March 9, 2022.

www.wafb.com

Ella Goodie missing persons case now being investigated as homicide​

Ella Goodie’s disappearance is now being investigated as a homicide, Louisiana State Police officials said.

Goodie, 33, of Scott, was last seen on March 9, 2022.

After nearly two months, her family is pleading for answers.

“We all hurt,” Denasha Johnson, Goodie’s cousin said. “Ella was a good person, so good to everybody.”

“We just need answers, we need to know what is going on, what happened, everything,” Johnson said.

“Based on investigative techniques and witness statements, detectives and investigators have transitioned from a missing person’s case to a homicide investigation,” State Trooper Derek Senegal said in a statement. “The State Police will continue to work with the Scott Police Department, the St. Joseph Police Department, and other agencies.”

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

‘We miss her every day.’ Ella Goodie’s cousin speaks out ahead of Friday vigil for missing woman

A candlelight vigil for Ella Goodie is scheduled for Friday night in Lafayette, the first community event of its kind since the 33-year-old Lyft driver disappeared on March 9.

www.theadvocate.com

A candlelight vigil for Ella Goodie is scheduled for Friday night in Lafayette, the first community event of its kind since the 33-year-old Lyft driver disappeared on March 9.

The vigil is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center.

“We want the people of this community to keep having faith with us. Have faith that Ella will come back to us. Don’t stop,” said Jessica Goodie, Ella’s cousin, in the first interview released by a member of Goodie’s family since she disappeared.

“Please continue to say her name, show her face. Continue to do that,” she said. “We can’t forget her.”

“Ella is my first cousin. She is a phenomenal girl, a phenomenal woman. Everything you needed, she has always been there for you. She is strong but kindhearted,” Jessica Goodie said.

“We miss her every day.”

“They have a family member missing, a person who used to be there every day and that, right now, is just gone. We want to be encouraging to them and do whatever we can as part of the same, compassionate community,” she added.

Thibeaux said those who want to attend should bring their own candle to remember Goodie during the vigil. Goodie’s family members will attend, too.

“We want that the community will continue to have faith that she will come back, that they will continue with the prayers,” said Jessica Goodie.


As the investigation continues, it’s still not clear what Goodie's relationship was with Brandon Francisco, the last known person to see her alive. Francisco was captured by U.S. Marshals Service in St. Joseph, Missouri, on March 25, and he is still a person of interest in the case, according to the Louisiana State Police.

Francisco, whose court records show a long criminal history, was extradited back to Louisiana after his arrest. He had been scheduled to appear in an Alexandria courtroom in connection to a 2018 shooting in March, the same day he was seen with Goodie.

“The vigil Friday is also a women’s awareness event,” said Thibeaux, who also coordinated the billboard initiative to help find Goodie. “We need to be aware of how things work for women across the country. Every time you turn on the TV, you hear of similar episodes, episodes of women caught up in these situations.”

The State Police continues to investigate, along with the Scott Police Department, the St. Joseph Police Department in Missouri, and other agencies. Anyone with information regarding Goodie is encouraged to contact the Louisiana State Police at (318) 484-2194.

“We keep in faith that she will come back with us, and her kids, and her friends,” said Jessica Goodie.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Mansura man pleads not guilty to ‘out of state bail jumping’ charge

A Mansura man named as a person of interest in the March disappearance of a Scott, Louisiana contract driver, Ella Goodie, has pleaded not guilty to a count of “out of state bail jumping.”

www.kalb.com

Mansura man pleads not guilty to ‘out of state bail jumping’ charge​

A Mansura man named as a person of interest in the March disappearance of a Scott, Louisiana contract driver, Ella Goodie, has pleaded not guilty to a count of “out of state bail jumping.”

That charge came after Brandon Francisco did not show up for a trial in Rapides Parish for a 2018 shooting in Cheneyville. Francisco was supposed to be in court on March 9 but did not show up. That same day he was seen being driven to Houston by Goodie.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Search reaches 3 months for missing person Ella Goodie

It has been exactly three months since a Scott woman was reported missing by her family.

www.klfy.com

Search reaches 3 months for missing person Ella Goodie​

It has been exactly three months since a Scott woman was last seen leaving her home to pick up a passenger and drive out of state.

Ella Goodie, 33, on March 9 reportedly left Acadiana heading to Houston.

It remains unclear if Goodie ever made it to Texas, however her vehicle, a 2012 Audi Q5 was seen on Interstate 10 driving toward Texas. About 12 hours later, traffic cameras saw the vehicle coming back into Louisiana.


Despite Louisiana State Police now investigating Goodie’s disappearance as a homicide, her family says they don’t believe she’s dead.

“It don’t make me feel no type of way because I don’t believe it’s a homicide because there’s no body. How can it be a homicide when there’s no body that’s been found? I don’t believe it,” Amy Washington, Goodie’s cousin said last month.

Anyone who may have come into contact with Goodie or Brandon Francisco is asked to come forward and tell police when and where that was.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Person of interest in disappearance of Acadiana ride-share driver in court ahead of unrelated trial

Brandon Francisco, 36, of Mansura, who is a person-of-interest in the disappearance of Ella Goodie of Scott, was in court in Rapides Parish on Wednesday, ahead of a trial scheduled

www.theadvocate.com

• STAFF REPORT
• AUG 12, 2022 - 4:32 PM

Brandon Francisco, 36, of Mansura, who is a person-of-interest in the disappearance of Ella Goodie of Scott, was in court in Rapides Parish on Wednesday, ahead of a trial scheduled in two weeks in a different case on a charge of attempted second-degree murder, according to KPLC.

In addition to the attempted second-degree murder charge, Francisco is charged with conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He’s accused of a Christmas Eve 2018 shooting near Cheneyville, which court documents state involved an alleged outstanding drug debt.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

New trial date set for Brandon Francisco after mistrial declared last week

A new trial date has been set for Brandon Francisco after a joint motion for a mistrial was granted last week.

www.kalb.com

By Brooke Buford
Published: Sep. 6, 2022 at 11:58 AM EDT

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) - A new trial date has been set for Brandon Francisco, 36, of Mansura, after a joint motion for a mistrial was granted last week by Judge Greg Beard in the Rapides Parish courthouse.

Francisco is charged with attempted second-degree murder for a Dec. 24, 2018, shooting near Cheneyville, which court documents state involved an alleged outstanding drug debt.

Before jury selection began two weeks ago for Francisco’s trial, Beard granted a state motion to allow in evidence of a prior conviction of Francisco’s for attempted second-degree murder. In that case, Francisco pleaded guilty to stabbing his ex-girlfriend upwards of 20 times in Avoyelles Parish in 2007.

Francisco’s defense attorney, Tiffany Sanders, filed a writ with the Third Circuit Court of Appeal to review Judge Beard’s decision because she believed the cases were too different - one was domestic and one allegedly involved drugs. The Third Circuit sided with Sanders.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Ella Goodie still missing 6 months later, “The world would have responded differently if Ella was white” [VIDEO]

The Village 337 is putting the spotlight back on missing Scott woman, Ella Goodie. The 33-year-old was last seen on March 9 of this year.

www.klfy.com

Ella Goodie still missing 6 months later, “The world would have responded differently if Ella was white” [VIDEO]​

The Village 337 is putting the spotlight back on missing Scott woman, Ella Goodie. The 33-year-old was last seen on March 9 of this year.

Her family says that she was driving a passenger to Houston. The next week, Brandon Francisco, 36, was named as a person of interest and believed to be the last person in contact with Goodie.

On March 25, Francisco was arrested on unrelated charges, however, in May, Louisiana State Police (LSP) said they were investigating Goodie’s disappearance as a homicide.

Since then, there has been no new information released.

A spokesperson for The Village 337 said that if Goodie was white, she would have been found by now.

As Ella’s 34th birthday was this week, her family hoped she would be back home celebrating with them. Instead, Friday will mark six months since they last saw her.

“How do you celebrate the birthday of a person you haven’t seen in 6 months without them? You can’t talk to them. You don’t know where they are. You can’t go to a headstone or a grave. You don’t even know if there is one to be prepared,” said President and Director of The Village 337 Devon Norman.

He said that he questions why Ella’s family still has no answers.

“I think that it’s apparent that when somebody who is not a person of color dies in this community or goes missing or vanishes out of nowhere and there is a person of interest, there’s so much work to be done to make sure we find out who it is and that this person is brought to justice. That doesn’t happen for us.”

 

[GrandmaBear]

Ella Goodie still missing 6 months later, “The world would have responded differently if Ella was white” [VIDEO]

The Village 337 is putting the spotlight back on missing Scott woman, Ella Goodie. The 33-year-old was last seen on March 9 of this year.

www.klfy.com

Ella Goodie still missing 6 months later, “The world would have responded differently if Ella was white” [VIDEO]​

The Village 337 is putting the spotlight back on missing Scott woman, Ella Goodie. The 33-year-old was last seen on March 9 of this year.

Her family says that she was driving a passenger to Houston. The next week, Brandon Francisco, 36, was named as a person of interest and believed to be the last person in contact with Goodie.

On March 25, Francisco was arrested on unrelated charges, however, in May, Louisiana State Police (LSP) said they were investigating Goodie’s disappearance as a homicide.

Since then, there has been no new information released.

A spokesperson for The Village 337 said that if Goodie was white, she would have been found by now.

As Ella’s 34th birthday was this week, her family hoped she would be back home celebrating with them. Instead, Friday will mark six months since they last saw her.

“How do you celebrate the birthday of a person you haven’t seen in 6 months without them? You can’t talk to them. You don’t know where they are. You can’t go to a headstone or a grave. You don’t even know if there is one to be prepared,” said President and Director of The Village 337 Devon Norman.

He said that he questions why Ella’s family still has no answers.

“I think that it’s apparent that when somebody who is not a person of color dies in this community or goes missing or vanishes out of nowhere and there is a person of interest, there’s so much work to be done to make sure we find out who it is and that this person is brought to justice. That doesn’t happen for us.”

There are tons of missing people that are never found, both white and black, adult and child. For him to say if she was white she would have been found by now doesn't line up with that fact. We have for instance that case where the woman was an attorney and her husband looks likely but there is not even an arrest in that one and they have not found her. And yes she is white. In both cases the women were also out of state and they are not even sure which area to look for them in (maybe the know but there ws interstate travel involved). That case also has little attention and has not blown up into a big one well known.

I think a lot plays into searches and attention on the cases and much of that is how much family or friends get out there about it and online, etc. and it also depends on if there is enough info for long enough.

At least there is an arrest in this case so it seems to me it has been hard worked on and maybe even more than some. I don't agree with this man.

I do however feel for the family and agree with him on how hard not knowing or having her body is. And I do hope she is found.

One of the BIGGEST PUBLIC interest cases online in the last year or two were the two little black boys, Orson and Orrin West. Tons of people searching and massive interest and they have not been found.

I could go on and on as could we all about the missing and they come from every color and every background. I can't even think of the name of the attorney one above and that just shows you how not in the news it is that the name hasn't stuck. There is another one a missing Florida woman whose father has begged and done all he can to try to get more attention on it and I can't think of her name either but would know it if i heard it, I think Laura something. Some YTers and others have tried to help him and get the interest in it but it just never lasts long. He hears nothing from cops either. And it is another case there just isn't any news on it so it doesn't stay in the spotlight.

Maybe this guy should get on the perp as to telling him and all WHERE he left her. That's the real problem.

Since there is an arrest they have upgraded to her murder, I would say this case was focused on well by LE and they took it serously.

Also is he asking volunteer searchers to help and do they have locations to search? I mean is he just complaining or has he done all that to no avail?

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Ella Goodie, missing Lafayette woman, gets national attention; here's the latest on her disappearance

On Monday, CBS News published a "Dateline" story about Ella Goodie, the 33-year-old Lafayette woman who has been missing since March 9. They spoke with Felicia Broussard, a Lafayette woman

www.nola.com

• Staff report
• PUBLISHED NOV 2, 2022 AT 11:54 AM | UPDATED NOV 2, 2022 AT 1:50 PM

On Monday, CBS News published a "Dateline" story about Ella Goodie, the 33-year-old Lafayette woman who has been missing since March 9. They spoke with Felicia Broussard, a Lafayette woman who says she's been Goodie's best friend and "big sister" for 22 years. Broussard is trying to keep Goodie's face and name in front of the media so they don't forget her friend and continue the search to find her.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Brandon Francisco pleads guilty in 2018 attempted second-degree murder case

Brandon Francisco has pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder one week before his trial was set to begin.

www.kalb.com

By Brooke Buford and Alena Noakes
Published: Oct. 4, 2022 at 6:32 PM EDT|Updated: Oct. 4, 2022 at 7:08 PM EDT

RAPIDES PARISH, La. (KALB) - Brandon Francisco, 36 of Mansura, has entered a “guilty” plea to a charge of attempted second-degree murder one week before his trial was set to begin for the second time in Rapides Parish.

Francisco will serve 30 years in prison without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

More at link

 

[kdg411]

Brandon Francisco pleads guilty in 2018 attempted second-degree murder case

Brandon Francisco has pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder one week before his trial was set to begin.

www.kalb.com

By Brooke Buford and Alena Noakes
Published: Oct. 4, 2022 at 6:32 PM EDT|Updated: Oct. 4, 2022 at 7:08 PM EDT

RAPIDES PARISH, La. (KALB) - Brandon Francisco, 36 of Mansura, has entered a “guilty” plea to a charge of attempted second-degree murder one week before his trial was set to begin for the second time in Rapides Parish.

Francisco will serve 30 years in prison without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

More at link

So the plea was for a 2018 murder charge?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

So the plea was for a 2018 murder charge?

Yes.

Brandon Francisco, of interest in missing Lafayette Lyft driver case, accused in 2018 shooting

Brandon Jermaine Francisco was scheduled to appear in an Alexandria courtroom in connection to a violent 2018 crime on the same day he was seen with a missing Lafayette Lyft

www.theadvocate.com

Brandon Francisco, of interest in missing Lafayette Lyft driver case, accused in 2018 shooting​

Brandon Jermaine Francisco was scheduled to appear in an Alexandria courtroom in connection to a violent 2018 crime on the same day he was seen with a missing Lafayette Lyft driver.

The Scott Police Department on Wednesday named Francisco, 36, of Mansura, a person of interest in the March 9 disappearance of 32-year-old Ella Quiana Goodie.

There is an active warrant for Francisco's arrest after he failed to appear in a Rapides Parish courtroom on March 9, the same day police say he was last seen with Goodie.

The hearing concerned Francisco's alleged role in a Christmas Eve shooting in 2018 that critically wounded a man in the Rapides Parish town of Cheneyville. Francisco and another Mansura man, Travelle Markez Louis, are accused of shooting a man on the side of U.S. 71 and stealing his vehicle.

The victim was later found, wounded, in a nearby ditch, the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office said at the time.

Francisco faces charges of attempted second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, obstruction of justice and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in connection to the case. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Francisco was missing in the courtroom at least once prior to his missed March 9 hearing, according to court records.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Ella Goodie Update: Louisiana Ride Share Driver Still Missing, Friend Pleads for Answers

Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series this month spotlighting missing Black women in America. A childhood friend of a missing Louisiana ride-share driver is hoping for answers as the anniversary of her disappearance nears. As CrimeOnline previously reported, Ella Goodie, 32, told her...

www.crimeonline.com

by Leigh Egan
February 10, 2023

Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series this month spotlighting missing Black women in America.

A childhood friend of a missing Louisiana ride-share driver is hoping for answers as the anniversary of her disappearance nears.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Ella Goodie, 32, told her teenage daughters on March 9 she was giving a man a ride to Houston from Scott, Louisiana, but she never returned. She was last seen driving a 2012 Audi Q5 with Lousiana license plate number, NRN6551.

Scott police said they tracked her vehicle on Interstate 10 heading toward Texas and again 12 hours later coming back to the Lafayette area. But the following day, the vehicle was north of Dallas.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Ella Goodie’s family now searching for another family member

The family of missing Scott woman Ella Goodie is now searching for another family member whose disappearance comes almost one year after Goodie was first reported missing.

www.klfy.com

Ella Goodie’s family now searching for another family member​

The family of missing Scott woman Ella Goodie is now searching for another family member whose disappearance comes almost one year after Goodie was first reported missing.

She still hasn’t been found and her family is now forced to relive these memories, as they search for 33-year-old Rakim Celestine.

“When you lose somebody and you can never get closure to find out where they person is, your mind will always wonder. You’ll never be the same,” Rakim’s mother Eva Celestine said.

Celestine watched Ella Goodie grow up then watched as her missing persons case turned into a homicide investigation. A man was announced as a person of interest and arrested on unrelated charges, though never charged in Goodie’s case. As Rakim’s mom watched Goodie’s case go cold, she fears the same will happen to her son.

“It’s going to be a year on the 9th, and they haven’t even found her yet. So do you know how I’m thinking?” Celestine asked.

She said that she last spoke to her son, 33-year-old Rakim Celestine, on February 7. He was living at an apartment he shared in Dallas with his girlfriend. His mother also said that Rakim had recently received a large cash settlement in a court battle with men who allegedly stole from him and beat him.

Six days after Celestine last spoke to her son, she was in Dallas herself, filing a missing persons report with Dallas police. She said that both of his vehicles are also missing.

It has now been almost a month. She said that police have no leads, and she’s no closer to finding him, though she has started her own investigation into his disappearance.


Ella Goodie’s cousin, Myra Celestine, said that she feels like she’s reliving Goodie’s disappearance, as her last known location was also Texas.

“It’s just a hurting feeling to have two close family members missing, both from Louisiana. They’re out there somewhere in Texas,” Myra added.

 

[Mel70]

My instinct is that his disappearance is related to his large settlement. That it was someone he knew for sure. I'm sure he was very happy. I would be. It was a form of justice.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

One year later, Ella Goodie’s family, friends continue the search for missing mom

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) It has been a tough year for family and friends of Ella Goodie who disappeared on this day (March 9) in 2022. Goodie, 33 of Scott was last seen by family when she left home as…

www.klfy.com

One year later, Ella Goodie’s family, friends continue the search for missing mom​

With heavy hearts, family members of missing loved ones gathered for prayer and hoping for closure.

“We are going to continue to say her name “Ella Goodie.”

 

[Summer_Breeze]

UPDATE: Ella Goodie case under review; headed to grand jury

The mother of two disappeared after taking a rideshare customer to Houston. Her car was later found in another state.

www.katc.com

Posted at 7:58 AM, Mar 22, 2023

and last updated 8:58 AM, Mar 22, 2023

The Calcasieu District Attorney's Office is reviewing the Ella Goodie case.

As we reported Tuesday, State Police investigators have turned over the homicide case to the District Attorney's Office.

When the case file was turned over to the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney, the only person of interest was Brandon Francisco, and it was still considered a homicide, a State Police spokesman said.

"We received the case very recently and are actively reviewing it. It’s a pretty large file so it will take us some time to review it, but once we do, it will be taken to grand jury," said DA spokesperson Bethany Bryant.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Where is Ella Goodie? Scott woman missing for two years

It’s been two years since anyone has seen or heard from Ella Goodie, the missing Scott woman whose disappearance is being investigated as a homicide.

www.kplctv.com

Where is Ella Goodie? Scott woman missing for two years​

It’s been two years since anyone has seen or heard from Ella Goodie, the missing Scott woman whose disappearance is being investigated as a homicide.

Her family is still fighting for justice, but they are fearful the case may become cold.

“We just want answers,” Goodie’s cousin Denasha Johnson said. “We just want some type of answers. “It eats us up every day.”

Goodie went missing after she reportedly gave Brandon Jermaine Francisco a ride from Louisiana to Texas.

“I just want her to come home,” Ella’s brother Authrey Goodie said. “If you knew Ella, that was enough. She was going to give you the shirt off her back. She’d help you if she had it.”

Ella Goodie was 33 years old when she was last heard from on March 9, 2022. She was driving to Texas and back along I-10, giving a ride to Francisco.

Her car was spotted the next day, March 10, 2022, north of Dallas.

“Anyone who does something or did something to her, you are heartless. You are heartless,” Johnson said.


With each day that passes Goodie’s family fights for answers.

“If anybody knows something, I plead, I’m begging for answers,” Authrey said. “Please let us know. Please.”

“It hurts you every day knowing how the day’s passing,” Johnson said. “We still got somebody who we know is missing. How can we move on? There’s no moving on. I still have faith that one day we’re going to hear something, somebody going to soften up their heart and come and say something. Let us know something, any piece of information.”

Johnson encourages the public to continue to help by spreading awareness about Goodie’s case.

“I don’t care what post you see, keep sharing,” she said. “I don’t care what state you’re in because a lot of people don’t know about the case. A lot of people don’t know who’s Ella. But if you see it, please keep sharing. Ella Goodie, we love you and we miss you so much.”

The D.A. said Goodie’s case is still under investigation. Francisco remains the only person of interest.