In 2009, when Brittanee Drexel’s family life came to a halt, the young woman vanished during her spring break vacation. Drewel, who was just seventeen at the time, traveled from New York to Myrtle Beach – but she had no idea that a predator in Myrtle Beach would abuse her and take her life before she ever got the opportunity to see her beloved family members again.
It has been thirteen years since Drexel vanished, and police have finally discovered her body. Furthermore, officials were able to disclose on Monday that a sex perpetrator had been arrested and charged with murder, kidnapping, and rape, with a trial expected to begin soon in a state known for being harsh on offenders.
Drexel’s last known appearance was in April 2009, when she was going for a stroll between two hotels on Myrtle Beach. Her lover, who had remained at home in Rochester, New York, became very worried about his girlfriend’s health because she ceased responding to his text messages. This was a strong indication that something was wrong because the pair were constantly in contact with one another and always informed the other where they were and what they were doing.
For thirteen years, the police had no idea what had happened to the lovely teenager. Last Wednesday, authorities followed a lead to Georgetown County, about 35 miles down the coast from where she was last seen, and discovered her lifeless body. After sex offender Raymond Douglas Moody was arrested on an unrelated charge on May 4th of this year, law enforcement received information about his past work as a fisherman.
Moody is now considered to have kidnapped Drexel that April night in 2009, according to police. After she was taken and held against her will, Moody raped the minor girl and then murdered her before tossing her body into a neighboring county reported Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver during a press conference on Monday.
According to police, there was no information on Drexel’s death until Moody was arrested on Monday.
Moody has a “extensive sex offender history,” according to Sheriff Weaver, but he did not go into specifics about the people he liked to prey on. However, Moody was on the list for a 1983 crime in South Carolina’s sex offender registry where he perpetrated sodomy to someone under age fourteen – another child victim.
Drexel’s body was identified by dental records.
“It’s a good day to soberly be reminded of Brittanee and all that she and her family have had to go through,” said Solicitor Jimmy Richardson.
Her parents, who were on vacation in Myrtle Beach at the time, went to get some closure after their child’s body was discovered.
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter. The search for Brittanee is now a pursuit of Brittanee’s justice,” said Drexel’s mother, Dawn. “This is truly a mother’s worst nightmare. I am mourning my beautiful daughter Brittanee as I have for the past 13 years.”
Meanwhile, Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock, who was working on the case when Drexel vanished, said that this case has haunted her because it remains unresolved.
“It’s not the final chapter we had been hoping for,” Prock stated. “Every police officer has that one case that frequents their every waking thought.”
