Katharina Buczek
Five days after Brandi disappeared, her car– a black four-door 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix with license plate J50ZTD– was discovered parked on Interstate 20 at Texas Highway 21.
The car had initially vanished along with Brandi. And after being found, authorities noticed that the car had suffered damage above the passenger side’s front wheel.
Some of Brandi’s personal belongings– including her purse, wallet, and ex-boyfriend’s cell phone– were also left inside.
Investigators did not find any evidence of Brandi being at the scene and did not identify any signs of a struggle within the car.
Strangely, though, the driver’s seat had been pushed back– as if someone much taller than Brandi had been the last one to drive the vehicle.
In the weeks following Brandi’s disappearance, her cell phone– which vanished with her– also had some activity. Three people found the phone and used it at one point or another.
The police tracked down these individuals and subjected them all to a polygraph test. Two of the men passed; meanwhile, one failed.
Still, that man was never publicly identified by police. And despite interviewing him numerous times, the man was never named an official suspect in Brandi’s disappearance.
Unfortunately, no other leads have ever proved fruitful, either– so Brandi has remained missing for over sixteen years.
The Wells family has still held onto hope, despite the frustration of not knowing what happened to Brandi.
“You know, people don’t realize what they do to not only the victim of the crime, but the family,” Brandi’s mother, Ellen, said in an interview with Longview News-Journal.
