MORE HEARTACHE FOR MOM OF BRITTANEE DREXEL MURDERED ON SPRING BREAK

Summary

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode Title: MORE HEARTACHE FOR MOM OF BRITTANEE DREXEL MURDERED ON SPRING BREAK
Date: June 6, 2026
Host: Nancy Grace
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

---

Episode Overview

Nancy Grace revisits the harrowing and tragic case of Brittanee Drexel, a 17-year-old who disappeared while on spring break in Myrtle Beach, SC, in 2009. Thirteen years later, her killer, Raymond Moody—a convicted sex offender—is finally brought to justice. However, the episode focuses not just on Brittanee’s disappearance and murder but also on the ongoing suffering of her mother, Dawn Drexel, as Moody now blocks a civil payout awarded for her emotional distress. Nancy brings together lawyers, forensic experts, and Dawn herself to unpack the twists, long-term trauma, and failed systems that have defined this case.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Summary of the Case

• Dawn Drexel’s Ordeal: Brittanee Drexel snuck away for spring break without her mother’s permission, only to vanish from Myrtle Beach. She was last seen on hotel surveillance, after which she was kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered. The case remained cold for 13 years.
• Killer Identified: Raymond Moody, a repeat sex offender, finally confesses—leading authorities to Brittanee’s remains in a remote, wooded area in Georgetown County.
• Further Heartache: After Moody's conviction, Dawn Drexel files a civil suit for emotional distress. Moody, however, blocks her payout, reminiscent of the O.J. Simpson civil suit aftermath.

2. Timeline Highlights & Investigative Challenges

• Last Sighting: Surveillance footage at Blue Water Resort captures Brittanee just before 9 pm (13:56).
• Critical 30 Minutes: Brittanee texted her boyfriend she was walking back; she should have arrived within 30 minutes, but during that crucial window, she vanished (14:22).
• Technology’s Role: Advancements in cell phone tracking helped place Brittanee's phone 50 miles away from the abduction site, in a remote area where her remains were later found (20:12, 50:52).

3. Media and Misinformation

• Investigation Complications: The investigation was plagued by rumors, tips from jailhouse informants, and sensationalized media, including false leads about alligator pits (17:31, 18:21).
• Interview with Moody: In 2011, before being formally charged, Moody is confronted by a reporter and displays a chilling demeanor, demanding the journalist leave him alone (34:02).

4. Justice and Its Limits

• Prosecution: Moody pleads guilty to kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder, receiving life in prison without parole (50:06).
• Civil Suit Struggles: Dawn Drexel's ongoing fight for financial justice echoes the emotional and legal fatigue faced by many victims' families. Moody, despite being convicted, blocks assets and resists payout (24:58, 25:57).

5. Expert and Family Commentary

• Unhealed Wounds: Guests highlight the never-ending suffering of Dawn Drexel—exacerbated by the delays and challenges of the justice system (08:10, 46:32).
• Sex Offender Recidivism: Both Nancy and Dawn argue that sex offenders, especially those with histories like Moody, cannot be rehabilitated—a point affirmed by psychologist Dr. Arnold (30:26, 30:57).
• Emotional Toll and Memories: Dawn shares her last conversation with Brittanee and her most vivid memories—her laughter, love of soccer, and hopeful spirit (47:15, 49:08).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Relief and Heartbreak

• Dawn Drexel on finding Brittanee’s remains:
  “I was really upset when they told me they had found her. But I can tell you that it was a huge relief to me because now I can bring Brittany home.” (07:10)

On the Investigation’s Turmoil

• Nancy Grace:
  “A half an hour, you know, a half an hour and the whole world changed...” (14:22)

On Justice and Closure

• Solicitor Richardson:
  “Justice is never going to be good enough. That’s the fallacy in all of this…closure is not nearly as good as justice, and justice isn’t nearly as good as just having it not happen.” (44:02)

On Sex Offenders and Recidivism

• Dawn Drexel:
  “Raymond Moody is a sex offender…You cannot rehabilitate a sex offender.” (30:26)

Brittanee’s Last Words

• Dawn Drexel:
  “I love you, Mom…And then we hung up the phone.” (47:50)

---

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Nancy Grace Introduces the Case: 02:55
• Discovery of Brittanee’s Remains: 05:10–06:38
• Dawn Drexel's Reaction to Remains: 07:00–07:38
• Critical 30-minute Disappearance Window: 13:56–14:22
• False Leads and Alligator Pit Rumors: 17:31–18:59
• Location of Remains & Cell Phone Technology: 20:12–20:55, 50:52
• Moody’s Criminal Background Explained: 33:26–34:02
• Media Confrontation with Moody: 34:02–35:41
• Moody’s Confession & Sentencing: 42:19–45:43, 50:06
• Brittanee’s Last Contact with Mom: 47:15, 47:50
• Dawn Drexel’s Memories of Brittanee: 49:08
• Final reflections on justice and endurance: 46:32–51:21

---

Language & Tone

The episode maintains Nancy Grace’s signature empathetic yet relentless tone, combining legal insight, emotional resonance, and direct advocacy for victims and their families. Emotional testimonies from Dawn Drexel provide a personal, heartbreaking perspective that keeps the story grounded and raw.

---

Conclusion

Nancy Grace’s deep dive underscores the agony of unresolved crimes and the limitations of the justice system, especially regarding victim restitution. Through Brittanee Drexel’s story, listeners get a sobering look at the resilience of a mother, the persistence of investigators, and the lasting dangers posed by repeat sexual offenders—reminding us, as Nancy closes, that often, even when legal justice is achieved, emotional justice remains out of reach.

---

Transcript

[Nancy Grace]

This is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human

[Mazda CX5 Advertiser]

introducing the all new Mazda CX5 featuring more connection hey Google, where's the nearest Pilates class safety that has your back? More discovery on the scenic routes, more passion in the details and more control in changing weather. The all new Mazda CX5 more to move every side of you. See it in five films at mazdausa.com

[Mazda CX5 Legal Disclaimer]

fivesides Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Sequences shortened and simulated this July 4th

[America 250 Announcer]

come celebrate at America's Block Party hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Experience music, performances from major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history. It's more than just fireworks. Learn more about this landmark celebration at america250.org

[American Military University Advertiser]

service opens doors and at American Military University, it can open doors for the whole family. If you have a loved one who served in the military, you may qualify for reduced tuition. AMU offers flexible online programs designed to fit your schedule so you can keep moving forward with wherever life takes you. Learn [e-mail] Military open doors to the future for you and your family with the help of American Military University

[Narrator/Reporter]

let's

[Health Product Advertiser]

take a minute to unpack The Myths Behind GLP1 Drugs Myth Number One GLP1 is a long term solution for weight loss. True GLP1 can potentially be a long term solution for weight loss. If you want to be on a drug that changes your body's natural instincts, GLP1 can fix your metabolism. False. GLP1s fix hunger and this leads to weight loss. But the GLP1s may actually slow down your metabolic rate as your body adjusts to consuming fewer calories. GLP1 leads to a loss of muscle mass True GLP1 can lead to a loss of muscle mass due to losing weight so rapidly that your body is pulling from both fat and muscle to make up for the energy gap for from consuming so few calories. If you're looking for a natural GLP1 therapy, you should consider Metabolism Ignite. Metabolism Ignite is powered by plants and can help boost your natural GLP 1. Visit VeracityHealth Co to learn more. That's V E R A C I T Y Health Co and type in promo code IHEART for up to 65% off your purchase.

[Nancy Grace]

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

Well, it's Saturday night and I've got something special. You know, you never know the depths of evil. You don't so often. I say, well, I've seen it all. And then something else happens. And then I say I've seen it all. Tonight, heartache for the mother of a beautiful young girl murdered on spring break. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. The mom finds out her daughter snuck off to go to spring break. But that wasn't the end of her shock. She then discovers her 17 year old daughter who had snuck off to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina face every parent's just worst nightmare possible. Her daughter Brittany last seen on security video from Blue Water Resort. After that she was kidnapped, assaulted and murdered. But tonight, believe it or not, it can get worse. For years, the case goes unsolved. And then amazingly, Brittany's killer, Raymond Moody is brought to to justice. After she watches Moody be sentenced to life behind bars, she files a lawsuit accusing Moody and the Blue Water resort where Britney stayed of wrongful conduct leading to Britney's death. And I've got to tell you, this is one of the worst cases I've ever seen what was done to Britney. Just one year ago a jury says Moody intentionally caused by Britney's family great emotional distress. But in the last hours we learn the killer Moody has blocked the mom's payout after years of suffering, oh, I

[Raymond Moody (Confession)]

mean,

[Nancy Grace]

knows no depths, has no remorse, no sympathy, nothing after what he did to this girl. What happened to Brittany Drexel?

First of all, take a listen. WBTW in Myrtle beach.

[News Reporter]

Authorities now say Raymond Moody confessed to

[Mazda CX5 Legal Disclaimer]

killing 17 year old Brittany Drexel 13

[News Reporter]

years ago and then led investigators to her body down in Georgetown county.

[Nancy Grace]

Back in April of 09, Drexel visited Myrtle beach for spring break. She was with friends from New York State. Investigators think that Moody kidnapped her, assaulted her and then strangled her to death. Joining me Nicole Boone, special events anchor wbtw. Britney's remains found where?

[Nicole Boone]

Well, they were found in a wooded area near the town Harmony Township subdivision. And it had been investigators, police had gone to the site a few days before when they had gotten information dug on this site in a remote area of Georgetown County. You know, a very wooded rural area, very remote, off the beaten path. And once they got this tip, I spoke with solicitor Jimmy Richardson, came about getting some really good information and went to this site and did the excavation and that's where her remains were found. Very rural area of Georgetown County, South Carolina along the coast but in inland in a remote area.

[Nancy Grace]

To special guest joining us, this is Dawn Drexel this is Brittany's mother. Ms. Drexel, when did you learn that Brittany's remains had been found?

[Dawn Drexel]

I had spoken with the FBI. They were pretty much updating me, like, every day. I knew when they were starting to search. But on Wednesday, probably about 3 o' clock in the afternoon, they had called me and told me that they had found human remains.

[Nancy Grace]

When you were told that human remains had been found, what went through your mind?

[Dawn Drexel]

I was kind of, I mean, you know, with me, I mean, fighting for as long as I have for Brittany. I was really upset when they told me they had found her. But I can tell you that it was a huge relief to me because now I can bring Brittany home.

[Nancy Grace]

Did you harbor, over the years any secret belief that Brittany was still alive somewhere?

[Dawn Drexel]

No. Early on in her case, they had told us that they believed that this was going to be a homicide investigation. And, I mean, I was pretty much set up for it. I think I just, you know, you go back to the numbness in everything from the beginning.

[Nancy Grace]

Also with me, Jarrett Fantino, Pennsylvania high profile lawyer, homicide prosecutor. Jarrett, thank you for being with us.

[Jarrett Fantino]

Pleasure to be with you, Nancy. Thank you for having us.

[Nancy Grace]

Jarrett, I cannot even imagine what Brittany's mother has gone through and has dragged out for so long. I mean, that was years ago when I first learned that a girl named Brittany Drexel had disappeared on a Myrtle beach vacation. And we were trying to find her, and we were sending out her picture and the tip line and just constantly trying to find Brittany. That was a long time ago in 2009, as I recall. The suffering her family has been through is really unimaginable. No one can know unless you go through it yourself.

[Jarrett Fantino]

Absolutely. Nancy, first of all, thank you for the coverage you've provided and the attention you brought to Brittany's case. Certainly that has inspired people to continue her search and the quest for answers in the case. In addition to the 13 years, the investigation itself had taken some twists and turns in 2016, there were suspects named. There were certainly rumors and information that came out of what may have happened to Brittany. So Don has been so up and down on this roller coaster of an investigation. But the past several weeks, as we came to learn that things were coming to an end in this phase, Dawn

[Nancy Grace]

Drexel is with me. This is Brittany's mother. You know, dawn, we have been looking for Brittany for so long. And I've got to tell you, when I learned that her remains had been found, I felt like I got punched in the stomach, I guess somewhere deep Inside. I had always hoped that somehow someone had taken her and she had. I don't know what I was thinking in my head. Maybe she was afraid to leave or she had been Stockholm syndrome. She had been brainwashed and she wouldn't tell anybody. I always come up with these scenarios in the back of my mind and then the finality of saying we found her remains. I'm just trying to imagine you in that moment. Where were you when they told you?

[Dawn Drexel]

I was actually at home when they had called. We had met with the FBI probably two weeks prior. And you know, at that point things were moving pretty fast. And so I knew they were, you know, they were searching for Brittany. But it's just, I don't know, at that moment when they, when they had recovered, you know, or had found the human remains, I just, it was like, I don't know. I, I was just in. It's kind of like in disbelief. Like I never knew that we were going to get there. Like 13 years is a long time. I never thought that Brittany was going to be found.

[Nancy Grace]

Take a listen. Our cut eight. This is from Wham.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Brittany was 17, a junior at Gates Chili when she left without her mom's permission for school spring break in Myrtle Beach. She was last seen alone leaving a motel on the Strip in 2010. 13Wham had this exclusive video of the site along a river in South Carolina where Britney's body was believed to have been left.

[Nancy Grace]

Crime Stories with Nancy GRACE To Cheryl McCollum joining me, forensic expert, founder and director of the Cold Case Research Institute. A hotel security camera actually captured one of the last known images of teen girl Brittany Drexel. It was just before 9pm and she was leaving a friend's room, a friend girl's room at the, I think it was the Blue Water Resort. We see her later walking through the lobby. I don't know how many times you've looked at that video, Cheryl McCollum. I have studied it. I've slow mowed it. I have looked at it screen by screen to see if I saw anybody watching her in the background. Just, you know, the case of Kelsey Smith who went to a Target to pick out her boyfriend, an anniversary gift. And when you look back at the video at Target, she doesn't see this guy. But in every still, you see a white male not far from her. He may be on the aisle behind her, you know, looking over. He could be at the end of the aisle looking around at her. He's always right around her, but he never speaks to her. And as Kelsey heads to the the checkout at target. You see him walk past her and leave, only to ambush her and kidnap her in the garage of the target. I remember slow mowing Brittany's video and just seeing who was walking by. What can I see, what can I notice? And nothing was really revealed in that video except the time and the date stamp.

[Dawn Drexel]

Right. Which was crucial because it gave us a location, a date, a time and what she was wearing and the direction she went. So when she left Bar Harbor Hotel, headed to Blue Water, then, you know, we knew you've only got a mile and a half and she should have been there. And she texted her boyfriend, hey, I'm walking back, you know, to my hotel. So she should have been back there within a half hour.

[Nancy Grace]

And it was that critical moment. A half an hour, you know, a half an hour and the whole world changed. To Jarrett Fantino joining us, high profile lawyer out of Pennsylvania who is Dawn Drexel's lawyer. A half an hour. I remember Carly Bruscha in Florida, and I'm sure you remember her as well. She had to spend the night with a friend, girl and was walking home the following morning, I think it was a Saturday or Sunday morning. And she cut caddy cornered instead of following the street. And in the 15 minutes it would have taken her to walk, she encountered her killer. In 15 minutes, the world turned upside down for Crowley's family. And in Brittany Drexel's case, in that 30 minute segment that Sheryl McCollum just identified, Brittany was taken walking from one hotel to the next.

[Jarrett Fantino]

And Nancy, that examination of that timeframe, the surgical precision that the investigators laser beam focus analysis is really what had to be done. What had to be done in the Bruscha case. That's the kind of investigation, what can be gleaned from the Bar Harbor Hotel to the Blue Water that we can learn. We knew when we knew what Brittany was wearing, we knew what direction she was heading. So the investigators over the past 13 years and very recently had to examine that footage. That time frame and the technological advances that have been made in the interim certainly aided in their investigation as time went on.

[Nancy Grace]

Take a listen To Arrow Cut 5, our friends WCIV officials say the teenager

[News Reporter]

was on spring break in April 2009. Surveillance video shows her leaving the Blue Water resort in Myrtle Beach. And for the first time, officials are giving details of what happened next.

[Georgetown County Official]

We believe she traveled to this area around McClellanville and the North Charleston south Georgetown area. And we believe she was killed after that. And we do know that Brittany was in this community for several days. We think she was held here against her will, at least for a portion of the time that she was here.

[Nancy Grace]

You know, why were they so convinced that she was held against her will in that area for several days? JARRETT fantino, Nancy that's a great question.

[Jarrett Fantino]

They were convinced that she was definitely in that area based on some cell phone technology where her phone was pinging from in the remote area some 50 miles away from the Myrtle beach area. So whether or not she was being held against her will, that was a little bit of conjecture on the part of investigators, and certainly some information that came out later may have suggested that. But I'm not sure why at that point they felt she was being held against her will for an extended period of time.

[Nancy Grace]

What about it?

[Dawn Drexel]

Cheryl McCollum I have no idea why they would say it. I have no idea why they would bring up even the gator pit. There were several things said in that first press conference that dawn and I talked about that I thought was just way over the top and almost sensationalized. And I thought maybe they were trying to beat the bushes to bring other people out to say, hey, that's not what happened. You're making it worse. That's what I believe they were doing, was trying to look for other witnesses

[Nancy Grace]

to come forward or maybe they just had it bass ackwards. Now, you brought up my next topic and that was how in the world did a gator slither into this fact scenario who had nothing, had nothing to do with this disappearance? And yet somehow that became the centerpiece of so much of the coverage of Brittany's disappearance?

[Dawn Drexel]

Cheryl McCollum well, Nancy, I remember years ago you and I were investigating the case and we had to go talk to some near the whales and you said to me, swans don't swim in a sewer. In other words, who do you think I've got to go to to find out about this criminal, other criminals? So they were getting information from jailhouse informants, criminals, liars. So they have to run that down. If they get information, if they get a tip, they've got to run with it and make sure this is either credible or not credible. But either way, they got to work that tip.

[Nancy Grace]

Well, you know, another thing, as tough as it is to believe, I have actually had a case where a child was killed and left in a swamp infested with gators. So it has happened, but in this case, it just seems so far fetched, the whole the scenario that was being asserted to you, Dawn Drexel, Britney's mother. Can you believe it's 2022 and we are just solving the mystery?

[Dawn Drexel]

Yes, I know it's this case. I can tell you I believe this case should have been solved a long time ago. But you know, that's for another day.

[Nancy Grace]

Well, you're absolutely right about that. To Nicole Boone joining me from wbtw. Nicole, again, thank you for being with us. Could you please describe the area where Brittany's remains were found and how far away is that from where she went missing at the Blue Water Resort in Myrtle Beach?

[Nicole Boone]

Yes, Nancy, it was a very remote area, a wooded area along Old Town Avenue and Harmony Township in Georgetown County. Georgetown county is along South Carolina's coast and Georgetown itself. The city would be about 54 miles from Myrtle Beach. If you the drive time from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Georgetown, maybe not quite that far, maybe 40, but still a decent distance. And once she went missing in Myrtle beach, immediately, once the cell phone started ring ping from the cell phone towers, she ended up more in that remote area of Georgetown County.

[Dawn Drexel]

And to the fact about the talk

[Nicole Boone]

of an alligator pit and all of that that was brought up years after she went missing. It's very much an alligator infested area. And some of those things start to come up that may not have merit. But when I spoke with solicitor Jimmy Richardson, he told me there were so many tentacles in this investigation you have to keep checking things out and to the point that when it came about of speaking with people that were actually jailhouse snitches, you are dealing with criminals themselves. So a lot of tentacles in this investigation. But the area where Brittany's remains were found very remote In Georgetown County, 40 miles or so from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina up the coast where she went missing along the boulevard.

[America 250 Announcer]

This July 4th come celebrate at America's Block Party. Hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Experience music performances from major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in America history. It's more than just fireworks. Learn more about this landmark [e-mail] introducing

[Mazda CX5 Advertiser]

the all new Mazda CX5 featuring more connection. Hey Google, where's the nearest pilates class Safety that has your back. More discovery on the scenic routes. More passion in the details and more more control in changing weather. The all new Mazda CX5 more to move every side of you. See it in five films at mazdausa.com

[Mazda CX5 Legal Disclaimer]

fivesides Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Sequences shortened and simulated.

[American Military University Advertiser]

There's a break in every 26 seconds. In the US most security systems alert you after a break in has already started. That's too late. SimpliSafe is changing that. Using advanced AI alerts, SimpliSafe's US based live agents identify threats on your property and help deter them. And here's what I love most about it. No long term contracts and the setup is so easy. The SimpliSafe system was delivered to our door and in just 30 minutes our home is more secure with monitoring and deterrence plans. Starting around a dollar a day, everyone can enjoy the benefits of SimpliSafe. I want you to experience the same peace of mind we do. That's why I've partnered with SimpliSafe to offer an exclusive discount to our listeners. Right now you get 50% off your new system by visiting simplisafe.com Nancy I believe in it so much I have given it to two of the LOL's LOL ladies back in my home church in Macon, Georgia. That's half [e-mail] Nancy there really is no safe like SimpliSafe. Service opens doors and at American Military University it can open doors for the whole family. If you have a loved one who served in the military, you may qualify for reduced tuition. AMU offers flexible online programs designed to fit your schedule so you can keep moving forward wherever life takes you. Learn more at AMU Apus Edu Military Open doors to the future for you and your family with the help of American Military University.

[Nancy Grace]

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

Tonight we learn more heartache for the mother of a beautiful young girl, Brittany Drexel, who was kidnapped, raped and murdered at Myrtle beach spring break. She snuck out to have a good time with her friends on spring break, she and all of her little friend girls and ends up dead. Tonight, the killer is blocking mom's civil payout. It just seems to never end for this mom. Dawn recently filed a petition saying the money remains unpaid and Moody has assets he's never turned over. It just sounds so much like OJ Simpson refusing to pay the Goldmans and the Browns for years and years and years until he died laughing. He never paid them back. Dawn's lawyer there at the Hirshhorn law firm says Moody has properties including a home he's never disclosed.

[American Military University Advertiser]

I mean, I, I don't get it.

[Nancy Grace]

That said, what do we know about why the mom filed this lawsuit to start with Brace yourselves.

The search focuses on there at Georgetown county, about 50 miles away from where she was last seen alive. Now take a listen to our cut three, our friends at Wham.

[Narrator/Reporter]

A hotel security camera captured one of the last known images of Brittany. It was just before 9pm she was leaving a friend's room at the Blue Water Resort to walk back to the hotel where she was staying. We know that Brittany Drexel made it here to 11th Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. How do we know? Well, one of the few working cameras at the time captured this image of her. She was about halfway through that mile and a half walk back to her hotel when Brittney disappeared. The next clue appears 50 miles away in Georgetown county where Brittany's cell phone gave off its last signal. That's about eight miles from the Sunset Lodge where where Raymond Moody had moved in the day before. Moody was stopped for speeding in nearby Surfside the day after Brittany disappeared.

[Nancy Grace]

To Dr. Angela Arnold, joining me, psychiatrist, renowned psychiatrist just out of the Atlanta jurisdiction. I don't know if you recall the name Timothy McVeigh. He's Oklahoma City bomber that claimed the lives of so many, including children that were in a daycare at the Alfred Murrah Federal Building that was bombed. He was pulled over because of a tail light, as I recall. And when his car was searched, there was evidence that he may have been involved in the bombing. In this case, Moody was stopped for speeding in Surfside the day after Brittney disappeared. But I think that it's too far fetched to expect the cops to put two and two together based on a speeding ticket. I can't fault them on that.

[Dawn Drexel]

Well, I do think, Nancy, that, I

[Nicole Boone]

mean, let's face it, I think that these things have to be taken very seriously.

[Dawn Drexel]

Just knowing, I think that we never

[Nicole Boone]

can let our guard down.

[Nancy Grace]

Well, I agree with that. I mean, Cheryl McCollum, you pull a guy over for speeding, it's the day after Brittany disappears. There were rumblings even then. Where is Brittany Drexel? They don't run his rap sheet when they pull him over. I mean, when I get pulled over for anything, I sit there forever. I don't know what they're running. But you've got a guy who has done hard jail time for raping a little girl in the vicinity where Brittney Drexel goes missing.

[Dawn Drexel]

Another reason that is so important, Nancy, is because when he's questioned later about Brittany, he says, oh, I was out of town. They got proof. He was not out of town. He was eight miles away. The day after she was kidnapped.

[Nancy Grace]

To Dr. Michelle Dupree. Joining us, former forensic pathologist, medical examiner, detective, author of Home Sign investigation field guide. Dr. Dupree, the moment the remains were found, police immediately identified it, identified them as human remains. How could they do that immediately upon sight?

[Dawn Drexel]

Nancy Most often it's with a skull because obviously humans have a very distinctive skull shape. It can also be by other means. Other bones in the body can tell whether it's human or not.

[Nancy Grace]

Dawn Drexel is with me. This is Brittany's mother, who has been through pure hell since 2009. And I can remember the very first time we spoke searching for Britney. And you would beg and you would cry in commercial breaks when I was at HLN and I could hear you. And then somehow when we came back on the air, you were crystal clear and razor focused on trying to find your daughter. Dawn what a long, long road this has been. And I just, I hate it so much for you.

[Dawn Drexel]

Raymond Moody is a sex offender, okay? And I don't, I don't care what anybody thinks. You cannot rehabilitate a sex offender.

[Nancy Grace]

You know what? That's what I've been saying since day one when I first started prosecuting. I do not believe child molesters, rapists, sex offenders in general can be rehabilitated. I agree.

[Nicole Boone]

And Nancy, this is Dr. Arnold.

[Dawn Drexel]

This is not a matter of believing it or not. It is. That is the truth. They can be watched. And when I was working with sex offenders earlier in my career, we would keep an eye on them very closely. I can tell you about it sometime. But they cannot be rehabilitated.

[Nancy Grace]

Dawn I'm just thinking back on the very beginning. And I mean, you see a lot of crime shows on TV and in movies. Real life isn't like that. Cops are not tarot card readers or soothsayers. They can't look into a crystal ball. They can't figure out, oh, I stopped this guy speeding. I wonder if he took Brittany. But they had a bead on him from the beginning. Take a listen to our cut 13. This is the Georgetown County Sheriff.

[Georgetown County Official]

The why may never be known or understood, but today, this task force can confidently and without hesitation answer the rest of those questions along with the who is responsible. The who is Raymond Douglas Moody, who lives at 5502 Rose Hill Road in Georgetown, South Carolina. His date of birth is May 9th of 1960, and he is a white male with an extensive sex offender criminal history. The Georgetown County Sheriff's office charges against Mr. Raymond Moody are murder, kidnapping, criminal sexual Conduct in the first degree. All of these charges occurring within the jurisdictional limits of Georgetown county, all of which occurred on April 25th of 2009. In all of which detail Brittany Drexel as the victim.

[Nancy Grace]

Cheryl McCollum, weigh in.

[Dawn Drexel]

I agree with Dawn. They not only had a beat on him, they named him in 2012 as

[Nancy Grace]

a person of interest. They certainly did.

[Dawn Drexel]

Yeah. And you know, Nancy, he has hurt six young women and children. And it is baffling to me that anybody can rape and harm six young

[Nancy Grace]

people and walk free and walk free to be out there to take Britney, put her through God knows what before he killed her. You're absolutely right. Take a listen to our cut six, our friends from Wham.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Raymond Moody was first named a person of interest in Brittney drexel's disappearance in 2012, but was never charged. In the 1980s, Moody was charged with kidnapping and raping a child in California and is a registered sex offender.

[Nancy Grace]

Joining me, Nicole Boone, special events anchor, WBTW in Myrtle Beach. Nicole, it was around 2011, I believe, just before Moody was named a POI person of interest. And one of WBTW's reporters questioned Moody. What happened?

[Nicole Boone]

It was an interesting confrontation is how I would have described it.

[Dawn Drexel]

It was.

[Nicole Boone]

He was very much pushing back. Our reporter at the time, Mason Snyder, went to speak with him. And this was after they had searched a hotel room where Moody had been living. And our reporter goes up to Raymond Moody, talks to him, said, what do you know about Brittney Drexel? Do you know anything about her? He said, I know nothing about this. Where were you the night the day that she went missing? He doesn't answer. He just tells them, you need to get out of here. You need to leave. And if you don't, I'm calling the police.

[America 250 Announcer]

Do you know anything about the missing teenager?

[Dawn Drexel]

No, I do not.

[America 250 Announcer]

Can you tell us where you were

[Mason Snyder]

back in April of 09? Here's former News 13 reporter Mason Snyder confronting now confessed Brittany Drexel killer Raymond Moody. August 1, 2011. Snyder and a photographer tracked Moody down at work. The same day investigators searched Moody's Georgetown county apartment.

[Raymond Moody (Confession)]

I'm gonna call the police and say you better split.

[Dawn Drexel]

Can you just tell, I got nothing

[Raymond Moody (Confession)]

to say to you.

[Nancy Grace]

You understand that?

[Mason Snyder]

Do you know Moody wasn't charged a decade ago because of a lack of evidence? But in the short time Snyder was in his grill, Snyder describes his presence as chilling.

[Nancy Grace]

The second I started peppering him with

[America 250 Announcer]

questions and the second he started getting frustrated with the fact that we were

[Nancy Grace]

there and that we were asking him

[America 250 Announcer]

questions and that we essentially stormed him. You know, we didn't, you know, set

[Nancy Grace]

up this interview ahead of time.

[Dawn Drexel]

It made me want to get out

[America 250 Announcer]

of there as quickly as possible.

[Nancy Grace]

Wow, that's a nerve for him to suggest he's going to call police.

[Nicole Boone]

Exactly.

[Nancy Grace]

Because he's having a problem.

[Nicole Boone]

Very interesting.

[Dawn Drexel]

He.

[Nicole Boone]

He was very, in my opinion, belligerent with. With our reporter and adamant that he leave and adamant that he knew nothing and for basically to leave or he was calling police.

[Nancy Grace]

You know, 13 years this guy has walked free after murdering a teen girl on spring break. Just beautiful girl, scrubbed in, sunshine on the inside and the out. I want to go back to Jarrett Fantino, high profile Pennsylvania lawyer that is working with Dawn Drexel, Brittany's mom. Jump in.

[Jarrett Fantino]

Well, Nancy, I have to say, you talk about capturing Timothy McVeigh with a vehicle stop. If we remember the Son of Sam, he got captured with a parking ticket. This was Moody was a fish out of water. He was 50 miles away from his home. He had rented an apartment in Myrtle beach the day before April 25th when Brittany went missing. That was suspicious to the officers immediately as well. You have this individual with a record and these downright dangerous homicidal sexual proclivities in town. When a young, beautiful girl disappears, he was on their radar. And the focus has since, as we discussed, gone on to him in great detail, leading to these charges.

[Nancy Grace]

I mean, the. The coincidence that he shows up and then suddenly she goes missing. I mean, Sheryl McCollum, he just got there and suddenly a young girl is kidnapped. You said that there were six victims of his. That we know of. Explain.

[Dawn Drexel]

That we know of. And that's the big question, Nancy. In the past 13 years, how many more are there? He hasn't just been sitting in that trailer. He hasn't just gone dormant. He's been out, free to stalk, harass, harm, rape, kill.

[Nancy Grace]

I would be on it, comparing his MO and him to every single disappearance or rape or sex attack in the area and beyond. Another issue. Take a listen to our cut number nine from wpde.

[News Reporter]

Kerry Harding was only eight years old when she was abducted by Raymond Moody.

[Dawn Drexel]

Just as I passed, he grabbed me from behind with his hand over my mouth and around my waist and put me in the passenger seat of the car. Car. And he drove from there, some two or three miles away, to an undeveloped housing track. Get in the back seat and take off your clothes. And when I said, why? He said, because we're going to screw which you know you don't tell an

[Nicole Boone]

8 year old child that.

[Dawn Drexel]

We don't even know what the hell that means.

[News Reporter]

Moody served 21 years of a 40 year prison sentence after admitting to sexually assaulting Harding and six other girls. He relocated to Georgetown after his released from California state prison in 2004.

[Dawn Drexel]

Nobody should get a second chance to hurt a child.

[News Reporter]

Police suspect Drexel was kidnapped as she walked along Ocean Boulevard and driven to Georgetown County. Her cell phone signal was last detected in a remote boat landing area near the South Santee river.

[America 250 Announcer]

This July 4th come celebrate at America's Block Party. Hosted by America 250, America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Experience music, performances from major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history. It's more than just fireworks. Learn more about this landmark [e-mail] introducing

[Mazda CX5 Advertiser]

the all new Mazda CX5 featuring more connection hey Google, where's the nearest Pilates class safety that has your back? More discovery on the scenic routes, more passion in the details and more control in changing weather. The all new Mazda CX5 more to move every side of you. See it in five [e-mail] five sides

[Mazda CX5 Legal Disclaimer]

Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Sequences shortened and simulated.

[American Military University Advertiser]

There's a break in every 26 seconds in the US most security systems alert you after a break in has already started. That's too late. SimpliSafe is changing that. Using advanced AI alerts, SimpliSafe's US based live agents identify threats on your property and help deter them. And here's what I love most about it. No long term contracts. And the setup is so easy. The SimpliSafe system was delivered to our door and in just 30 minutes our home is more secure with monitoring and deterrence plans. Starting around a dollar a day, everyone can enjoy the benefits of SimpliSafe. I want you to experience the same peace of mind we do. That's why I've partnered with SimpliSafe to offer an exclusive discount to our listeners. Right now you get 50% off your new system by visiting simplisafe.com Nancy I believe in it so much I have given it to two of the LOL's little old ladies back in my home church in Macon, Georgia. That's half [e-mail] Nancy There really is no safe like SimpliSafe. Service opens doors and At American military University. It can open doors for the whole family. If you have a loved one who served in the military, you may qualify for reduced tuition. AMU offers flexible online programs designed to fit your schedule so you can keep moving forward wherever life takes you. Learn more at amu.apus.edu Military open doors to the future for you and your family with the help of American military University.

[Nancy Grace]

Crime stories with Nancy Grace.

A mom's brother. Broken heart after her daughter is murdered on spring break Myrtle beach. And now her killer, Moody, twists the knife. What happened to Brittany?

[Raymond Moody (Confession)]

The drugs were working. Walking along the sidewalk, smoking pot, she noticed that, walked over to the door and said something about that smells like good weed. Say, yeah, you want some? Sure. Get in. She hopped right in the back without a problem.

[Solicitor Richardson]

When she got in the vehicle, did you know it was for a bad purpose?

[Raymond Moody (Confession)]

No, not at all. That didn't even cross my mind.

[Nancy Grace]

Dawn Drexel, with me. This is Brittany's mother. And this has been a very long road for her. And she never gave up, ever, in her search for her daughter. You were telling me, dawn, that it was early on that you believed that Brittany had been killed. What led you to believe or think or feel that?

[Dawn Drexel]

Well, shortly after Brittany went missing, the Myrtle beach police department had told us that they believed that they were dealing with a homicide investigation at that point. From there, you know. And then what came out in 2016 with the FBI? I mean, we pretty much knew that, you know, It's. It was 13 years. We pretty much knew that. That Britney was most likely deceased.

[Raymond Moody (Confession)]

Listen, things got out of hand, and I panicked, and she panicked and I strangled her.

[Nancy Grace]

Guys, take a listen to our cut 15. This is solicitor Richardson in Georgetown county.

[Solicitor Richardson]

Justice is never going to be good enough. That's the. The fallacy in all of this, that somehow we're going to do our very best to see that Raymond Moody pays for what he's done here. But that is not going to replace Brittany. But what we have been able to do is to return a body to Chad and Dawn and hopefully start the process of closure. And again, closure is not nearly as good as justice, and justice isn't nearly as good as just having it not happen. But that's all we have to offer. So, again, to repeat, Raymond Moody is in custody, is being held. He does not have a bond. That original bond was on obstruction of justice charge. That's another charge that I failed to mention. But he remains in custody.

[Mazda CX5 Legal Disclaimer]

Moody confessed that he took her to

[News Reporter]

a campsite in Georgetown county, raped her

[Mazda CX5 Legal Disclaimer]

killed her and left her there.

[Nancy Grace]

He said he choked her because he

[Mazda CX5 Legal Disclaimer]

started to worry after he raped her.

[Mason Snyder]

Raymond Moody, he sat through investigators or prosecutors, I should say, explaining the 13 year timeline that led up to today. And he also heard from Brittany Drexel's family. He walked in first without showing emotion. But that changed as the hearing went on. It was about an hour and 15 minutes long. And in that hearing, Moody confessed to the kidnapping, rape and murder of Brittany Drexel. And he also did in a May 5 interview with investigators. The case against him stalled more than a decade ago after a search warrant didn't yield any results. He was named a person of interest but was never charged.

[Raymond Moody (Confession)]

I was sentenced four years and four months and I did 20 years and eight months and I thought that was enough, but it wasn't. I was a mockster. I was a mock to learn. And I was a monster. And I took Brittany Drexel's life. And I'm. I don't have the words to express how horrible I feel. And I've felt ever since that day very, very sorry.

[Nancy Grace]

Do Dawn's Rex So this is Brittany's mother. I know it's hard to think about it right now because since 2009, your goal has been to bring Brittany home. Now Britney has been found. Does this all seem so surreal to you?

[Dawn Drexel]

It does. It happens so fast, you know, and it just, you kind of go back to like the numbness and, you know, like those surreal moments when she first went missing. I'll always remember Britney's last words to me. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow.

[Nancy Grace]

Listen, now I know that you told your daughter, no, you cannot go to Myrtle Beach. So she went to Myrtle Beach. That's not the worst thing in the world. Many a 17 year old has gone off on spring break without telling their parents. But she stayed in contact with you. She stayed in touch with you for many, many days. Until when?

[Dawn Drexel]

Until Saturday. Saturday afternoon was the last time I

[Nancy Grace]

spoke with Brittany and take a listen to cut two, where we hear what Brittany told her mom. What can you tell me about the last time you heard from her? What did she say? What did she text?

[Dawn Drexel]

When I spoke with Brittany, I asked her what she was doing and she says, oh, mom, I'm at the beach. And it was an 80 degree day in Rochester. So of course, you know, I thought that maybe she was at the beach in Rochester with one of her girlfriends that she had said that was staying. She was staying overnight. And then I said, well, what do you plan on doing later. She said, oh, I'm just gonna hang out with my friend. We're gonna watch a movie. And I told her, I said, well, please give me a call later. And she said, okay, Mom. And then, you know, I told her, I said, I love you, Brittany. And she says, I love you, Mom. And then we hung up the phone.

[Nancy Grace]

You were hearing me speaking to Brittany's mother when Brittany first went missing.

[Dawn Drexel]

Right now, I feel the same way. I feel like it's so surreal. Like, you know, is this really true? You know, and it just. I don't know. I've always, you know, fought for Brittany, and I've always wanted to bring her home.

[Nancy Grace]

Dawn, I'm curious. What is your most vivid memory of Brittany?

[Dawn Drexel]

Just her laugh, her smile. Brittany, she just was. She was just full of life. She had a great personality. She had a lot of friends. And just watching her play soccer on that soccer field, she was just amazing. She was amazing at the game. She loved the game. And Brittany. Brittany made like 26 goals within her season, which was. Was pretty awesome. And she was just. She was just so full of life, you know, and for somebody to take that away from us is just. It's indescribable. It really is. We live in an evil world, Nancy,

[Nancy Grace]

as we wait for the registered sex offender, Raymond Douglas Moody, and for justice to unfold WBTW in Myrtle Beach.

[Mason Snyder]

Well, Moody will get 30 years on kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct in the first degree because he pleaded guilty to all three of the charges against him, including murder, in which he will face life in prison without parole. The judge sentenced him to that this morning, and the state recounted 13. 13 years of an investigation in about 25 minutes. And Deputy Solicitor for the 15th Circuit, Scott Hickson said in court that the passage of time, unlike most cold cases, actually helped out this case because of the fact that there were advancements in cell phone tracking technology that allowed investigators to pinpoint Brittany Drexel's phone from Myrtle beach on its way south, south into Georgetown County.

[Nancy Grace]

When I look at photos of Brittany Drexel, just 17, when she disappears in South Carolina's Myrtle beach, she looks so alive, so happy. What she endured was horrendous. And now the mother suffering goes on as her daughter's killer blocks her civil payout. We wait as justice unfolds. Nancy Grace crime stories. Nancy Grace signing off.

Goodbye, friend.

[America 250 Announcer]

This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party, hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, experience music performances from major major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history. It's more than just fireworks. Learn more about this landmark [e-mail] introducing

[Mazda CX5 Advertiser]

the all new Mazda CX5 featuring more connection hey Google, where's the nearest Pilates class safety that has your back? More discovery on the scenic routes, more passion in the details and more control in changing weather. The all new Mazda CX5 more to move every side of you. See it in five films at mazdausa.com

[Mazda CX5 Legal Disclaimer]

fivesides Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Sequences shortened and simulated service opens doors

[American Military University Advertiser]

and at American Military University it can open doors to for the whole family. If you have a loved one who served in the military, you may qualify for reduced tuition. AMU offers flexible online programs designed to fit your schedule so you can keep moving forward wherever life takes you. Learn more at AMU Apus Edu Military Open doors to the future for you and your family with the help of American Military University,

[Health Expert]

a doubly certified obgyn and endocrinologist doctor, a naturopathic doctor and a certified health coach Walk into a room. What do they talk about? GLP1 of course, but more specifically the difference between the synthetic version of your body's own hormone that are prescribed by doctors nationwide versus metabolism ignite product which naturally increases your body's GLP1 by 61%. GLP1 side effects can lead to nausea, fatigue and muscle loss, whereas Metabolism Ignite is powered by plants and there are no side effects. Some long term results of GLP1 links to weight gain after stopping the synthetic drug which has been proven in multiple studies. In comparison to Metabolism Ignite, there is no weight regain and this product supports metabolic health. Join the 50,000 customers by skipping the needles and taking two capsules of metabolism Ignite a day. For sustained weight loss with plant based therapy, visit V E R A C I T Y Health co promo code iheart for up to 65% off your order today.

[Nancy Grace]

This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed human.