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William Ryan Goodwin

william ryan goodwin cold case missingWILLIAM ‘RYAN’ GOODWIN was last seen 07/02/18 at 5747 Topsy Bel Road in Ragley, Louisiana.1 He was 33-years-old at the time of his disappearance, and lived at 3629 Cayton Road in Westlake.2

Ryan is a much-loved father of one, a friend, a comrade, and a US Army Veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan.3 Family created Finding William Ryan Goodwin FB page to generate leads and share memories.

UPDATE:  On 08/15/21, family announced via FB page that skeletal remains were discovered in Topsy. DNA results of several bone fragments are pending from LSU FACES. As of 02/28/22, no further updates have been publicized.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF DISAPPEARANCE

Ryan was last seen 07/02/18 at 5747 Topsy Bel Road in Ragley.1 Family believes he was picked up by Eric Matthew Hebert, who at the time resided at Lone Pine RV Park, 9271 US Highway 190 in Ragley.4

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
  • Nicknames: Ryan
  • Physical: 5’11, 175-200 pounds, blond hair, green eyes
  • Marks/Tattoos: Scar from a wound on lower back (oval shaped).’GOODWIN’ in an old English script on back of right upper arm, tribal band with ‘RG’ on left upper arm.
  • Clothing: unknown
  • Jewelry: none
SEARCH & RECOVERY EFFORTS

On 05/18/19 a search for Ryan was conducted by family, friends, and volunteers, as well as The Cajun Navy Relief & Rescue. Unfortunately, he was not located.5

THEORIES & SUSPICIONS

Ryan endangered missingOn 10/23/18 Corey James Lapoint was charged with Accessory after the Fact, Simple Battery and First Degree Murder in the death of Devin Marc Sanders, and was booked into the Jefferson Davis Parish Jail. Allegedly on 11/02/18 he attempted to convince a friend to collect his belongings from the Jail, to remove Ryan’s debit card from his belongings, and give it to the mother of Ryan’s child. Money to help support his child would then be deposited each month onto the card.

On 11/04/18 the incident was reported to Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office, who pulled the recording and confirmed the conversation occurred. As a result, Lapoint was also charged with Identity Theft, Access Device Fraud, and Theft value of $1,000 but less than a value of $5,000.6

As of this writing, he remains incarcerated on $20,000 bond.7

On 04/06/19 a “Herman Brooks” sent a FaceBook message that alleged Ryan was beaten to death by two acquaintances, and disclosed the names of four individuals that presumably either witnessed or participated in the crime. Family believes “Herman” is a bogus profile, but nevertheless family turned the information over to Jefferson Davis Sheriff’s Office, who allegedly have yet to act on it.8

FAMILY COMMENTS

Ryan’s little girl asks “’Where’s my dad?” Her mom Sara McVey replies “I don’t know, I don’t know… I have people helping me find him, but I don’t know where he is.” What a difficult conversation to have with a young child! “No matter what was going on with his lifestyle, he was still loved.”9

PAST OFFENSES

It’s unknown if his disappearance is related to his 2016 arrest by Jefferson Davis Sheriff’s Office, or his 2017 arrest by Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office for the theft of a utility trailer and lawn equipment.10 11

HAVE INFORMATION?

Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office and Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office are working to locate William Ryan Goodwin and bring the person(s) responsible to justice. If you have information about his disappearance or know his current whereabouts, please call (337) 463-3281 or (337) 824-3850.

Rev. 02/28/22

Submit corrections/updates here.

Sources:
  1. NamUs: #MP64645, accessed 07/17/20. [↩][↩]
  2. American Press: Westlake man apprehended for possession of stolen goods, published 06/21/17. [↩]
  3. FaceBook Page: Finding William Ryan Goodwin, post of 05/17/19. [↩]
  4. FaceBook Page: Finding William Ryan Goodwin, post of 06/27/19. [↩]
  5. FaceBook Page: Finding William Ryan Goodwin, post of 05/19/19. [↩]
  6. FaceBook Page: Finding William Ryan Goodwin, post of 03/17/19. [↩]
  7. Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office, Inmate Profile #144129, accessed 07/17/20. [↩]
  8. FaceBook Page: Finding William Ryan Goodwin, post of 06/27/19. [↩]
  9. KPLC News Channel 7: Search continues for Jeff Davis Parish man missing since 2018, aired 05/18/19. [↩]
  10. FaceBook Page: Jeff Davis Sheriff’s Office, post of 06/21/17. [↩]
  11. FaceBook Page: Jeff Davis Sheriff’s Office, post of 11/02/16. [↩]

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