Who was behind Brittanee Drexel's murder? Teen's life taken by deceptive 'friend' turned predator in heart-wrenching tragedy
MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA: NBC's longest-running weekly American TV series, 'Dateline NBC' Season 32 Episode 29 'The Last Walk,' is set to air on Sunday, February 25 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. The episode delves into the case of Brittanee Drexel and her mysterious, unresolved disappearance. In April 2009, the 17-year-old from Rochester, New York, went on a trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for spring break without her mother's knowledge.
Last seen on April 25, 2009, leaving a hotel in Myrtle Beach, after 13 years, the facts behind her kidnapping and grueling killing are unearthed. "Keith Morrison reports on the 2009 spring break disappearance of 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel, whose murder would take 13 years to solve," the official synopsis reads. The episode features Chad Drexel, Tarah Friedman, Monica Caison, Chuck Capp, and others.
Who was Brittanee Drexel?
Brittanee Drexel, born on October 7, 1991, in Rochester, New York, faced unique circumstances. Her teenage parents, John Kahyaoglu and Dawn, who were unmarried at her birth, later married, and Chad Drexel adopted Brittanee.
In April 2009, Brittanee, eager to spend spring break in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with friends, encountered resistance from her mother, Dawn. Safety concerns, including unknown friends and lack of supervision, led to days of arguments. Finally, on April 22, Brittanee, without informing her mom, headed off with her friends to enjoy the break.
Disappearance struck when Brittanee was on her way to meet friends at a different hotel. Her boyfriend, John Grieco, and she were in constant contact until her messages abruptly ceased around 9:15 pm local time. Concerned, Grieco attempted to reach out to her friends in Myrtle Beach, but they were unaware of her location. It was only after this that he contacted Drexel's mother, Dawn, who learned about her daughter's secret trip during the call.
How did Brittanee Drexel meet Raymond Moody?
The narrative takes a grim turn as Brittanee Drexel, seeking a change during her trip, crossed paths with Raymond Moody and his girlfriend Angel Vause, as recounted by Moody. Moody asserts that they encountered Brittanee Drexel during their drive to Myrtle Beach, extending an invitation that she willingly accepted. They proceeded to a campsite in Georgetown County, where they smoked marijuana together.
Moody, after consuming marijuana, expressed a desire for consensual activity with Drexel. According to Moody, they engaged in a consensual act, but when he sought to escalate it, prosecutors allege that the situation turned into a kidnapping. Despite Drexel's resistance, Moody pressed on, compelling her to undress and subjecting her to non-consensual acts through threats of violence.
Why did Raymond Moody kill Brittanee Drexel?
The harrowing details of Brittanee Drexel's tragic fate unfold as Raymond Moody's initial act of violence escalated into a horrifying crime. Initially, Moody raped Brittanee Drexel, using threats of violence to coerce her. However, overwhelmed by fear of potential consequences and imprisonment, Moody's actions took a darker turn. Fearing the repercussions, he escalated the violence, ultimately confessing to strangling Drexel, resulting in her death.
In a chilling aftermath, Moody wrapped her lifeless body in a blanket and relocated it to nearby bushes. Subsequently, he buried her body a few miles away, where it remained concealed for 13 agonizing years until Moody led the police to its location. In the wake of Drexel's disappearance, when his girlfriend, Vause, inquired about her whereabouts, Moody callously fabricated a story, falsely claiming that Brittanee's friends had picked her up, and she had departed.
How did the police find Raymond Moody guilty?
Raymond Moody's long-standing connection to Brittanee Drexel's disappearance reached a turning point when he voluntarily turned himself into the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office on an obstruction of justice charge. Initially flagged as a person of interest since 2012, Moody, already a registered sex offender, came under scrutiny when he was stopped for a traffic violation near Myrtle Beach just a day after Drexel went missing.
In a significant breakthrough, authorities discovered Drexel's remains in May, and Moody allegedly confessed, guiding them to the burial site. The arrest warrant outlined charges of kidnapping, sexual assault, and manual strangulation, all occurring around April 25, 2009. Moody's confession, coupled with forensic analysis, not only confirmed Drexel's identity but also established his culpability in the heinous crime.
What sentence was given to Raymond Moody?
Raymond Moody, despite committing the gruesome crime, pleaded guilty and received a life sentence in a South Carolina courtroom on Oct. 19, 2022. The 62-year-old admitted guilt before sentencing in the case of 17-year-old Brittanee, whom he had killed during the spring break trip to Myrtle Beach.
Appearing in court with a crutch, Moody acknowledged that he had not been reformed after previous prison time for kidnapping and raping a 9-year-old, leading to the imposition of a life sentence.
“I served 20 years and I thought it was enough, but it wasn’t. I was a monster then, and I was a monster when I took Brittanee Drexel’s life,” Moody stated in court, as reported by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. “I don’t have the words to express how horrible I feel and I have felt ever since that day. I’m very sorry," he added.
'Dateline NBC' Season 32 airs new episodes every Friday at 8 pm ET on NBC and is available for streaming on Peacock the following day.