Missing Person: Brandi Ellen Wells
Age at the time of disappearance: age 23
Date Last Seen: August 2, 2006
Location Last Seen: Brandi was last seen leaving Graham Central Station in Longview, Texas
Date Located: STILL MISSING
Brandy was studying at Trinity Valley Community College to become a teacher.
August 2, 2006 Brandi came in to her mom’s apartment, changed her clothes and said she was headed to the club to hang out with some friends. She asked her mom to use her vehicle because Brandi’s was low on gas. Her mother’s vehicle was also low on gas, so Brandi just took her own. She didn’t say which club she was going to. The next day her mother couldn’t reach her on the phone and all calls went straight to her voicemail. Brandi’s sister told her mom it was a bar more than 45 minutes from their residence at Graham Central Station in Longview.
Law Enforcement received a copy of the surveillance tapes of the club that night. It showed that Brandi did enter the club about 10:36 P.M. and two minutes later she was seen at the counter checking in. Patrons at the club reported that Brandi asked people for money so she could put gasoline in her car. She got lost driving and ran out of gas. She was there at the club until she left just before 12:30 A.M. She was seen walking out of the club by the counter and out the front door. A man in a white cowboy hat followed behind her. He is seen walking left out of the club and looks over toward Brandi, and you can see her walking toward him.
The family found out later a somewhat timeline of events for Brandi that night. The first place Brandi went with her vehicle was at the local bowling alley where the bartender was a family friend and knew Brandi. She bought a drink which she asked to put on her mother’s tab. Brandi did not have money that night. She told the bartender she was planning on going to Grand Central Station about 45 minutes away by herself. The bartender said she tried to persuade her not to go because it was so far away. She said Brandi chose to go anyway.
August 3, 2006 about 9:00 A.M. State Police located her vehicle abandoned on Interstate 20. It was found near Farm-To-Market Road 2087 between Longview and Kilgore. No one would know it was Brandi’s vehicle for another week. A gas can was found in the trunk. All of Brandi’s belongings were found inside the vehicle. Her ex-boyfriend’s cell phone was also inside the vehicle. Her personal cell phone was missing. The gas can was not Brandi’s. The driver’s seat was adjusted for someone taller than Brandi. The position of her vehicle was located at an angle. The keys were missing. The driver’s door was open. The vehicle was found about 500 yards from the exit which would have put her driving toward Tyler.
Brandi’s mom made the initial missing persons report with the Tyler Police Department. August 5th, the Longview Police Department took over.
August 6, 2006 a passerby confirmed that Brandi’s vehicle, a 2000 black Pontiac Grand Prix was still there on the side of I20. That is when they put that abandoned vehicle with missing Brandi. During this vehicle search they found a napkin inside the vehicle with a man’s name and phone number written on it. He cooperated and reported that he offered her a drink, which she declined, they left and parted ways. He is not considered a suspect.
Later the FBI was called in.
Looking at the cell phone found in her car, they finally realized that wasn’t her cell phone, but of her ex-boyfriend that was at the time deployed overseas. They then went for her cell phone records.
Her phone records showed radio silence until 9 days after her disappearance, showing there were multiple phone calls traced to two men. Reports show that police questioned three men who used her phone. This third man lead to a person of interest who said he found her cell phone on the side of the road about a week after her disappearance. The area he said where he found her phone was on the south side of town near where her abandoned vehicle was located, also known to be an area for drug and sex trafficking. His story changed more than once. He failed a polygraph test. The other two men passed the polygraph. No charges were made.
All leads have been followed. Brandi is still missing. No arrests have been made. There have been many searches, leads and tips, all with negative results.
If you have any information on Brandi’s disappearance or whereabouts, it’s time to do the right thing. Contact the Texas Department of Public Safety, Missing Persons Clearinghouse at (512) 424-5074 or the Longwood Police Department at (903) 237-1110
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