Brittanee Drexel Alleged Murderer Charged

Brittany Drexel, 17, went missing from Myrtle Beach SC in 2009 during spring break. She was originally from Rochester NY.  Her remains were found last week during the search of a wooded area in Georgetown County on Thursday. Heavy equipment was brought onto the property during the search. The search came days after Raymond Moody, a person of interest in her disappearance from over a decade ago, was arrested with obstruction of justice in Georgetown County. The location where her body was found was 2.5 miles from the motel where Moody was living at the time that Drexel disappeared. They positively identified the remains as belonging to Drexel through dental records.

Now Moody is being charged with more counts connected to this case. His charges include rape, murder, and kidnapping. Authorities have accused Raymond Moody of burying the deceased Drexel where her body was found Thursday last week. According to the arrest warrants for Moody, he killed the girl by strangling her. Authorities believe that she died on or around the night of April 25th, 2009, while still in the limits of Georgetown County. The arrest warrants added that Moody took action to conceal and dispose of evidence of a crime, that he did unlawfully seize Drexel without authority by law, that he committed nonconsensual sexual battery on Drexel during the commission of the kidnapping and that he had done it with aggravating force. Although her body was found in Old Town Ave. authorities believe that she was raped and murdered at the Santee River.

#NEW: warrants for Raymond Moody show #BrittaneeDrexel died by “manual strangulation” in April 2009. The obstruction of justice alleges Moody “concealed and/or disposed of evidence.” @ABCNews4 #scnews pic.twitter.com/A6fbz3TAno

— Katy Solt (@katysolt) May 16, 2022

“We mourn with you and pray with you as you cope with the tragedies of 13 years ago. No one deserves to go through this, and our heart goes out to you,” Sheriff Weaver said. The chief of police called it bittersweet because at least authorities could bring some closure to Drexel’s loved ones. “This is truly a mother’s worst nightmare. I am mourning my beautiful daughter, Brittanee, as I have been for 13 years,” said Dawn Pleckan. Drexel’s parents, Chad Drexel and Dawn Pleckan, said that there would be a celebration of her life in both Rochester, NY and Myrtle Beach, SC sometime in the near future. They asked for privacy during this difficult time also. They concluded by thanking law enforcement for their diligent work on this case and added that they were ready to bring their daughter home.

Brittanee’s parents are at the podium now. “This is truly a mother’s worst nightmare. I am mourning my beautiful daughter, Brittanee, as I have been for 13 years.” #BrittaneeDrexel #scnews pic.twitter.com/b6Kodr2TCu

— Katy Solt (@katysolt) May 16, 2022

Raymond Moody has not been given bond as of yet for the murder, rape, and kidnapping charges. He did have a bond of $100,000 for the obstruction of justice charges. Moody is a known sex offender that had been convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a child in the 1980s. It is unknown if Moody has obtained an attorney, yet. Moody is currently being held in the county jail under the careful watch of Sheriff Weaver. It is unclear why Moody was arrested for obstruction of justice in the first place and why he was not allowed to have a bail hearing within 24 hours after that charge.