Who is Ella Goodie? What we know about the missing Louisiana ride share driver

Ashley White, Lafayette Daily Advertiser
·4 min read
6

Authorities are still searching for Ella Goodie, a Scott, Louisiana woman who has been missing for two months.

Goodie was last seen by her family on March 9, when she headed to Texas to drop off a rideshare customer. Police said her car was seen 12 hours later coming back into Louisiana. Since then, authorities found Goodie's car and located a person of interest in her disappearance.

Louisiana State Police announced last week the 32-year-old's disappearance was being investigated as a homicide.

Here's what we know about her disappearance and the investigation:

When was Ella Goodie last seen?

Goodie has not been seen or heard from by her family since March 9. Goodie, a mother of two, is from Scott, Louisiana, a small town in Lafayette Parish about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge.

Her sister-in-law posted in a now-deleted Facebook post that Goodie was driving for a rideshare company and was headed to Texas to drop off a customer.

Scott Police Chief Chad Leger said Goodie's 2012 Audi Q5 was seen on Interstate 10 driving toward Texas. About 12 hours later, traffic cameras saw her vehicle coming back into Louisiana. But the next day the vehicle was located back in Texas, North of Dallas, KLFY reported.

The Scott Police Department is searching for 32-year-old Ella Goodie who has been missing since March 9, 2022.
The Scott Police Department is searching for 32-year-old Ella Goodie who has been missing since March 9, 2022.

The car was eventually found on April 1 in St. Joseph, Missouri, which is about 55 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri, near the Kansas-Missouri state line. It was found by the city's police department.

Ella Goodie: Ride share driver Ella Goodie's car found; police searching for woman missing since March 9

Background: Person of interest in rideshare driver Ella Goodie's disappearance arrested on Rapides warrants

Louisiana State Police announced on May 3 that detectives and investigators would transition from a missing person's case to a homicide investigation "based on investigative techniques and witness statements."

Has anyone been arrested in connection with Ella Goodie's disappearance?

Authorities announced Brandon Francisco as a person of interest in Goodie's disappearance.

Scott Police Chief Chad Leger said in a release that Francisco was thought to be the last person to have contact with Goodie.

Francisco has a warrant out for his arrest for failure to appear in Rapides Parish, Leger said. The warrant was issued the same day Goodie was last seen.

He was arrested by U.S. Marshals on March 25 in St. Joseph, Missouri, the same place Goodie's car was found.

Francisco was wanted on an active warrant from Rapides Parish unrelated to Goodie's case.

The warrant was issued after Francisco failed to appear for a March 9 hearing. Prosecutors wanted the Mansura man's bond revoked in connection with a 2018 shooting case.

Authorities are searching for Ella Goodie, a Scott, Louisiana, woman who has been missing since March 9.
Authorities are searching for Ella Goodie, a Scott, Louisiana, woman who has been missing since March 9.

He also was charged by Missouri authorities with unlawful possession of a firearm, according to court records. Francisco was denied bond on March 26 after a Missouri judge ruled he "is a danger to the community and no conditions of release will secure the community's safety," according to court records.

The 36-year-old has since been extradited to Rapides Parish, according to jail records. His bond is set at $1 million.

What agencies have been working on Ella Goodie's case?

The Scott (Louisiana) Police Department first announced Goodie's disappearance in March.

The department on March 18 partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the United States Marshall Service to aid in the search. Louisiana State Police and the St. Joseph (Missouri) Police Department also are helping.

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What is the "Help Find Ella" Facebook page?

A Facebook group "Help Find Ella" was created as a space for "people to receive and discuss up-to-date and factual information" about Goodie's disappearance.

"We welcome suggestions, ideas and assistance with getting Ella's flyers out nationwide as well as messages of support and encouragement," according to the page's about. "Together, we can ALL play a part, no matter how big or small to #HelpFindElla."

People post messages of hope and requests for information. Goodie's family also posts in the group.

"This has been very hard for my family and her (Goodie's) friends," Jessica Goodie posted. "Yes we appreciate all the love from everyone that's shown for Ella.

"If you feel you know something that can get her back to us please call the police we don't want anyone playing detectives and messing things up. God will bring everything to light."

A GoFundMe has been created to help Goodie's family take care of her children and other costs to search for her.

Contact Ashley White at adwhite@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @AshleyyDi. 

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Ella Goodie missing: What we know about Louisiana rideshare driver