Raymond Moody’s Confession
Raymond Moody, 62, admitted to the abduction and murder of 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel, who went missing 13 years prior. Moody, charged with murder, kidnapping, and criminal sexual conduct, confessed to his crimes during a plea hearing in Georgetown, South Carolina.
The Disappearance of Brittanee Drexel
Brittanee Drexel, a teenager from Rochester, New York, traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, without her parents’ permission for spring break. One night, she encountered Raymond Moody and his girlfriend, Angel Vause. The trio went to a campsite, where Moody sexually assaulted and strangled Brittanee to death. Her body was left in a wooded area.
Investigation and Cold Case
Brittanee’s disappearance prompted her boyfriend to contact her mother, who then involved the police. Moody, a registered sex offender with a previous 20-year prison sentence for kidnapping and sexual assault, was an early suspect. However, due to insufficient evidence, the case went cold for over a decade.
Breakthrough with Cell Phone Data
Thirteen years later, investigators used cell phone data to link Brittanee’s phone with Moody’s vehicle at the time of her disappearance. Upon arrest, Moody confessed to the crime and led the police to Brittanee’s remains.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
During the plea hearing, Judge R. Ferrell Cothran accepted Moody’s guilty plea. Brittanee’s family delivered emotional victim impact statements. Her adoptive father, Chad Drexel, expressed the agony of losing his daughter and the torment of not knowing her fate for years. Brittanee’s mother, Dawn Pleckan, demanded the maximum sentence for Moody.
Moody’s Statement and Sentencing
Moody acknowledged his monstrous actions and expressed remorse for his crimes. Judge Cothran sentenced Moody to life imprisonment for murder, with an additional 60 years for kidnapping and sexual misconduct. Moody will not be eligible for parole. His girlfriend, Angel Vause, who cooperated with the investigation, was not charged.
