LONGVIEW — A surveillance video and hope are all Brandi Wells' family has left to hold onto after she vanished 12 years ago from Graham Central Station in Longview.
The recently enrolled Trinity Valley Community College student was working on getting her degree in teaching after putting it on hold a few years before while trying to start a family.
Brandi was newly divorced and back in Tyler living with her mother.
"She had been doing everything to get her degree in teaching," say Michelle Cole, Brandi's godmother.
She had applied for a job at Walmart and was eager to start classes, but long desired friends.
"She had been away for awhile, so she didn't have any real connections besides family, so she had gone to this club to meet new people," says Cole, "no one in particular just to meet new people that she could hang out with on the weekends."
On August 2nd, 2006 Brandi had decided to go to Graham Central Station alone, despite a warning from her godmother.
"I tried to discourage her from going, I certainly told her if she was going, not to go alone. Brandi still made the decision to go alone which should have been okay," said Cole.
It was when Brandi didn't come home that her family knew it was nothing close to okay.
"I rushed to the phone, picked it up and Ellen said Brandi didn't come home, and I said what do you mean Brandi didn't come home," said Cole.
Brandi didn't come home and has never been seen again... besides on a screen, on the surveillance video from the bar showing her arriving at 10:36 p.m. and leaving at 12:30 a.m.
Weeks were spent searching for Brandi, and her car was found later on in the week but withheld no information that would lead them in the direction Brandi went.
"I searched myself for Brandi all day and all night and it was just horrible - nothing has ever come out of that so that just backed up what I was already thinking," says Cole.
While there is no evidence and no clear answer about what happened to her, Michelle has her own theory.
"At this very moment I'm afraid that she is in the sex trade industry and I am afraid she is right under our nose. I feel like she is right here and I don't even feel like they took her away far, I think she is still right here and it's just so very frustrating to think that and not know where to go to find her, it's just crushing, absolutely crushing," says Cole.
There have not been any new leads in years, but Longview Police Department is hoping that someone, somewhere knows something and comes forward to help bring Brandi home.
If you have any information on the Brandi Wells case call Longview Police department at (903) 237-1199.