Ella Elizabeth Johnson, a 20-year-old student from Wellesley, Massachusetts, was reported missing to the University City Police Department in the early afternoon of Wednesday, January 14, 2026. She was a junior at Washington University in St. Louis, studying economics and design, and lived in an apartment in the 6650 block of Kingsbury Boulevard in University City.
Concern arose after Johnson left her residence around midnight on the morning of January 14. A critical detail noted by her family was that she had left her cell phone behind. After they were unable to contact her throughout the day, they filed a missing person report with UCPD. Authorities, citing past suicidal statements made by Johnson, issued an Endangered Person Advisory to aid in the search.
The search for Ella Johnson and her vehicle, a black 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan with Massachusetts license plate JF9307, spanned several days. Law enforcement agencies across the St. Louis region, including the St. Louis County Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, assisted in the effort. Her car was last captured on traffic cameras in Richmond Heights, traveling eastbound on Elinor Avenue near Hanley Road.
On the afternoon of Monday, January 19, 2026, a grim discovery was made. Johnson’s Volkswagen Tiguan was found abandoned in a parking lot behind a retail building on Manchester Road in the western St. Louis County suburb of Ellisville. Inside the vehicle, investigators found a suicide note. A short distance away from the car, in a nearby wooded area, the body of Ella Elizabeth Johnson was discovered.
The St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene. While an official cause of death is pending the completion of an autopsy, preliminary findings and the evidence at the scene led authorities to indicate the death appears to be a suicide. No foul play is suspected.
The Washington University community, along with Johnson’s family and friends in Massachusetts, are mourning her loss. The university has mobilized counseling and support services for students and staff affected by this tragedy. The investigation by the Ellisville Police Department and St. Louis County Police remains open but is considered to be nearing its conclusion, with the evidence strongly pointing to a case of suicide.