Found Deceased SC - Brittanee Drexel, 17, Myrtle Beach, 25 April 2009 - #15

[Peekerfoo]

Like everyone else, the reports of the "friends" behaviour has been bugging me.
I'm not offering this as anything other than a thought, but It occured to me today so I will leave it with you.

All the so called friends that BD travelled with, were still pretty much kids themselves, I know they were older than BD but still not that old.
I have read the rumours of how "tough" these girls are and are totally in to themselves and no one else, but,
I cannot for a minute see that they are all covering up a death of someone that they were involved with, it just doesnt add up that none of them would slip up or speak out at some point, they are not hardened criminals, they are just selfish kids.

If we believe that they could harm BD then we have to believe that they could get rid of a body in an area hundreds of miles from home and do that so well, that the body or any trace of it was never found - not impossible but not that likely either imo.

Add in the likelihood that LE have interviewed these people, checked phone records and alibis and it looks even more unlikely (but not impossible)

How many of us, if out with friends and one of those friends was killed by another of our friends, would keep quiet, risking a long jail sentence for something we had little to do with? not many thats pretty certain!
But, what if they are covering up not a death but something that BD may have wanted to happen, like run away, start a new life?
There is no ominous jail sentence, they are not harming anyone in their eyes, by not speaking, in their world they are protecting a friend, maybe BD painted a really bad picture of her parents to those friends, that would explain why they wouldnt speak to DD and/or CD.
After three years, there is not one piece of evidence to point to BD having been killed or even abducted -nothing!
But on the other hand, who is out there looking for a live and kicking Brittanee?
No one!

As I stated above, I am in no way defending the "friends" I am in no way stating that this is what happened, I am just looking from a different angle than I usually do

I agree with what you've posted about the friends. I think they're just mean and selfish, but probably not murderers.

As far as Brittanee starting a new life here, I have trouble with that. She's way to young to have masterminded starting a whole new life here without any resources. It would be possible if she met someone and they offered to take her under their wing (and it all went terribly wrong), but she'd have to trust that person pretty quickly.

Everything you said about the kids rings true in my mind. Maybe they know something but it's not the something we all think it is.

 

[Christina691]

Yes, agreed. Unfortunately, I think the only thing they could be guilty of would be being horrible friends :/ I would really love to believe more, but the overall lack of evidence is a major issue. No doubt about it.. on the girl's part at least. Still haven't figured PB out yet.. But I think it's unlikely for his group also. As mentioned before, the chances of a top secret crime of what is presumably murder taking place, a group of teenagers being able to successfully dispose of a body in a location they're not completely familiar with, keep their mouths shut AND manage not only to stump LE, but the entire nation for the last 3 1/2 years wouldn't be impossible, but it's a major long shot. Guilty of murder? Okay, probably not. But I still don't believe they're being 100% honest of what went down in the hours prior to her disappearance.
I forgot to mention a few days ago, I came across a picture of one of the guys that traveled along also with the group of girls Brittanee was with at the BH hotel. It's a recent picture, within the last 2 months or so, and he's got a pipe and smoking marijuana. So.. Brittanee's boyfriend's theory of Brittanee isolating herself due to the friends supposedly using a lot of drugs seems credible. Maybe the friends tried to buy drugs when they first got to the beach, perhaps met up with some teenage drug dealer on the beach or at the club and Brittanee caught his eye? Maybe someone made her feel uncomfortable and that's the reason she distanced herself from that group? There are just so so so many possibilities.

Not sure if anyone else noticed this also, but on the ID program when the episode is just beginning, do you recall how it's showing maps and timelines, pictures and everything related to her disappearance? There is a camera shot of what looks like a printed set of Brittanee's text messages around the last minutes she was texting the boyfriend. There's the text with an 8:58 time stamp of which she says something along the lines of "No *advertiser censored** that just staying in packing and going to sleep probably". The next text that is stamped 9:06 says "You back from Myrtle yet?" and then the next is stamped 9:15 where the boyfriend says "Babe I'm concerned about you let me know what's going on okay". Next text shown says 9:56 and saying "Where are you", and the same text follows for a few mins after that, and then around 10:00 or so he says that if she doesn't contact him he's going to call her mom.


Why would he ask "You back from Myrtle yet?", he knew she wasn't leaving until the next day..

 

[Peekerfoo]

Yes, agreed. Unfortunately, I think the only thing they could be guilty of would be being horrible friends :/ I would really love to believe more, but the overall lack of evidence is a major issue. No doubt about it.. on the girl's part at least. Still haven't figured PB out yet.. But I think it's unlikely for his group also. As mentioned before, the chances of a top secret crime of what is presumably murder taking place, a group of teenagers being able to successfully dispose of a body in a location they're not completely familiar with, keep their mouths shut AND manage not only to stump LE, but the entire nation for the last 3 1/2 years wouldn't be impossible, but it's a major long shot. Guilty of murder? Okay, probably not. But I still don't believe they're being 100% honest of what went down in the hours prior to her disappearance.
I forgot to mention a few days ago, I came across a picture of one of the guys that traveled along also with the group of girls Brittanee was with at the BH hotel. It's a recent picture, within the last 2 months or so, and he's got a pipe and smoking marijuana. So.. Brittanee's boyfriend's theory of Brittanee isolating herself due to the friends supposedly using a lot of drugs seems credible. Maybe the friends tried to buy drugs when they first got to the beach, perhaps met up with some teenage drug dealer on the beach or at the club and Brittanee caught his eye? Maybe someone made her feel uncomfortable and that's the reason she distanced herself from that group? There are just so so so many possibilities.

Not sure if anyone else noticed this also, but on the ID program when the episode is just beginning, do you recall how it's showing maps and timelines, pictures and everything related to her disappearance? There is a camera shot of what looks like a printed set of Brittanee's text messages around the last minutes she was texting the boyfriend. There's the text with an 8:58 time stamp of which she says something along the lines of "No *advertiser censored** that just staying in packing and going to sleep probably". The next text that is stamped 9:06 says "You back from Myrtle yet?" and then the next is stamped 9:15 where the boyfriend says "Babe I'm concerned about you let me know what's going on okay". Next text shown says 9:56 and saying "Where are you", and the same text follows for a few mins after that, and then around 10:00 or so he says that if she doesn't contact him he's going to call her mom.


Why would he ask "You back from Myrtle yet?", he knew she wasn't leaving until the next day..

Is it possible that what Brittanee went to the boys motel for wasn't shoes and maybe drugs instead? Not for her, but picking them up for the others? Maybe the girls sent her because she was younger and less likely to get into major trouble if she was stopped with them. If she was taking too long and they wanted to get high maybe that's why they called about the shorts. Maybe they felt guilty (if they can even feel that emotion)for sending her on this errand, but can't discuss it because it would implicate them for using drugs. (Hope that made sense and as always JMO) .

 

[Farmhand]

Yes, agreed. Unfortunately, I think the only thing they could be guilty of would be being horrible friends :/ I would really love to believe more, but the overall lack of evidence is a major issue. No doubt about it.. on the girl's part at least. Still haven't figured PB out yet.. But I think it's unlikely for his group also. As mentioned before, the chances of a top secret crime of what is presumably murder taking place, a group of teenagers being able to successfully dispose of a body in a location they're not completely familiar with, keep their mouths shut AND manage not only to stump LE, but the entire nation for the last 3 1/2 years wouldn't be impossible, but it's a major long shot. Guilty of murder? Okay, probably not. But I still don't believe they're being 100% honest of what went down in the hours prior to her disappearance.
I forgot to mention a few days ago, I came across a picture of one of the guys that traveled along also with the group of girls Brittanee was with at the BH hotel. It's a recent picture, within the last 2 months or so, and he's got a pipe and smoking marijuana. So.. Brittanee's boyfriend's theory of Brittanee isolating herself due to the friends supposedly using a lot of drugs seems credible. Maybe the friends tried to buy drugs when they first got to the beach, perhaps met up with some teenage drug dealer on the beach or at the club and Brittanee caught his eye? Maybe someone made her feel uncomfortable and that's the reason she distanced herself from that group? There are just so so so many possibilities.

Not sure if anyone else noticed this also, but on the ID program when the episode is just beginning, do you recall how it's showing maps and timelines, pictures and everything related to her disappearance? There is a camera shot of what looks like a printed set of Brittanee's text messages around the last minutes she was texting the boyfriend. There's the text with an 8:58 time stamp of which she says something along the lines of "No *advertiser censored** that just staying in packing and going to sleep probably". The next text that is stamped 9:06 says "You back from Myrtle yet?" and then the next is stamped 9:15 where the boyfriend says "Babe I'm concerned about you let me know what's going on okay". Next text shown says 9:56 and saying "Where are you", and the same text follows for a few mins after that, and then around 10:00 or so he says that if she doesn't contact him he's going to call her mom.


Why would he ask "You back from Myrtle yet?", he knew she wasn't leaving until the next day..

Yes I noticed that also. I am wondering if that might be a text message from a friend in Rochester? I would guess the messages shown are messages she recieved from everybody rather than just the boyfriend? There are also 2 messages around 9:02 or 9:03 pm. I can't make them out but I think it is "Why babe?" or "Who boo?". Detective Dorio repeats those messages during episode 2 on the Youtube videos of the show at 11:09. Of course she doesn't reply to any of them so something happened between 8:58 pm and 9:02 or 9:03 pm. I almost get the feeling with the frequency of her texting she might have been in the middle of writing a text when the abduction occurred and wasn't aware of her surroundings.

 

[fabgod]

Christina
Yes I saw that too, but I took it that it was off a different friend to be honest. For some reason, I thought it was maybe off TF?
I also wonder if the boyfriend knew that she was going over to PB's hotel and if he knew she had gone back to the other guys hotel the night before?

I know if I was in a relationship like that, I would have been a bit annoyed at the situation, (probably just me and I dont know the circumstances or the dynamics of that relationship) and I guess he may have thought that she was better in the company of a stranger than the so called friends.

Oops, Farmhand seems we are on the same page with our thoughts there!
sorry about repeating what you had posted

 

[fabgod]

Is it possible that what Brittanee went to the boys motel for wasn't shoes and maybe drugs instead? Not for her, but picking them up for the others? Maybe the girls sent her because she was younger and less likely to get into major trouble if she was stopped with them. If she was taking too long and they wanted to get high maybe that's why they called about the shorts. Maybe they felt guilty (if they can even feel that emotion)for sending her on this errand, but can't discuss it because it would implicate them for using drugs. (Hope that made sense and as always JMO) .

These are the things we just dont know arent they?
It seems so odd that she would walk all that way to collect some shoes and then to be called back within ten minutes?
They just dont seem to be worthwhile reasons to be walking alone all that way?
Were the girls not at the hotel when BD left, did BD just decided to wear one of the girls shorts and never asked? given the apparent atmosphere between the girls, it seems strange that BD would do that?

Surely DD would know f BD owned a pair of shorts similar to the ones she was on cctv wearing, if they were not BD's, what else would she have taken to wear that top with? were a pair of BD's shoes missing from her luggage?
all these things could be checked quite easily I would have thought?

 

[Farmhand]

Christina
Yes I saw that too, but I took it that it was off a different friend to be honest. For some reason, I thought it was maybe off TF?
I also wonder if the boyfriend knew that she was going over to PB's hotel and if he knew she had gone back to the other guys hotel the night before?

I know if I was in a relationship like that, I would have been a bit annoyed at the situation, (probably just me and I dont know the circumstances or the dynamics of that relationship) and I guess he may have thought that she was better in the company of a stranger than the so called friends.

Oops, Farmhand seems we are on the same page with our thoughts there!
sorry about repeating what you had posted

I just watched it again and it appears the message of 'You back from Myrtle yet?' is from a phone with the last 4 digits of *101 or #101. You can see it at 11:50 of episode 2. I am pretty sure I can read the phone number if I stared at it long enough but don't want to post it. The messages from the boyfriend are labeled John G to the far left.

 

[Christina691]

From the interviews I've seen of Brittanee's boyfriend talking, I think he knew she was hanging around PB & his friends due to the argument with the girls. & I think his mindset was most likely that he would rather her be with a group of people instead of being alone. He's said that he didn't really know PB personally, but they were acquaintances, and assuming that he's known Brittanee for a while and they were good friends that he would kind of watch out for her. I think he felt safer knowing she was with him rather than her walking everywhere by herself the entire time. I think he knew about the other guy from the night before, but only to a certain extent. He says that basically she was walking alone earlier in the trip and other guys were trying to talk to her "because she's a really pretty girl", and she "asked this kid to walk her back to her hotel" so that she would be safe. However, I don't believe he knew that they had actually hung out after that, in the hotel room or whatever. He probably thought that he simply walked Brittanee back and then left.
I'm the same age as Brittanee, and I've been with my boyfriend for a couple of years. It's safe to say that if I told him I was hanging out with a stranger in my hotel room, he'd be angry, but more worried. Of course, if I tried to go to MB for Spring Break at 17 without my Mom knowing he probably would have ratted me out before I even made it to the car just for my own safety. If for whatever reason I was able to go without anyone knowing and in the same situation as her, fighting with the friends, I don't think my boyfriend would have a problem with me hanging out with another guy friend/friends from back home, as long as I was safe and they were trustworthy.. and I genuinely think her boyfriend really thought PB would watch out for her.. when in reality, his only response was "I'm not her babysitter".


this probably sounds crazy, but could she have left the shoes on purpose? I mean, I'm sure she was tired of being lonely.. maybe she just wanted someone to hang out with? & leaving the shoes would have been an excuse to come back and spend time with someone instead of beig alone. It was her last night of vacation and she'd been miserable the entire time. She probably wore the shorts just for the simple fact of trying to match her outfit, probably thinking the other girl wouldn't even realize the shorts were missing, or didn't care that she borrowed them. Or maybe she thought that they wouldn't ask her to walk all the way back just to return shorts, and that the other girl would just choose a new pair of shorts to wear instead? I don't know, I don't think she was going to get drugs for them. Anything's possible though. I really think she just wanted someone to hang out with for her last night of vaca. I wish we could see the rest of that texting conversation though.. She could have been venting to the bf about having to walk all the way back, and maybe he asked something like why couldn't PB drive her back or come pick her up after returning the shorts, and that's where the "no *advertiser censored** that, i'm just going to stay in and go to sleep" message came into place..

 

[Rochestergirl]

The one thing about the shorts story that doesn't ring true was brought up around thread 3? Brittanee was alot tinier than the girl who she supposedly borrowed the shorts from JO. If those were JO's shorts Brittanee was wearing they would have been falling off her. The shorts Brittanee is wearing in the picture looked like they fit her well. Another possibility is Brittanee left her shoes in the boys cars but JO left her shorts also. Maybe Brittanee was there to pick up both from the boy's car.

From the interviews I've seen of Brittanee's boyfriend talking, I think he knew she was hanging around PB & his friends due to the argument with the girls. & I think his mindset was most likely that he would rather her be with a group of people instead of being alone. He's said that he didn't really know PB personally, but they were acquaintances, and assuming that he's known Brittanee for a while and they were good friends that he would kind of watch out for her. I think he felt safer knowing she was with him rather than her walking everywhere by herself the entire time. I think he knew about the other guy from the night before, but only to a certain extent. He says that basically she was walking alone earlier in the trip and other guys were trying to talk to her "because she's a really pretty girl", and she "asked this kid to walk her back to her hotel" so that she would be safe. However, I don't believe he knew that they had actually hung out after that, in the hotel room or whatever. He probably thought that he simply walked Brittanee back and then left.
I'm the same age as Brittanee, and I've been with my boyfriend for a couple of years. It's safe to say that if I told him I was hanging out with a stranger in my hotel room, he'd be angry, but more worried. Of course, if I tried to go to MB for Spring Break at 17 without my Mom knowing he probably would have ratted me out before I even made it to the car just for my own safety. If for whatever reason I was able to go without anyone knowing and in the same situation as her, fighting with the friends, I don't think my boyfriend would have a problem with me hanging out with another guy friend/friends from back home, as long as I was safe and they were trustworthy.. and I genuinely think her boyfriend really thought PB would watch out for her.. when in reality, his only response was "I'm not her babysitter".


this probably sounds crazy, but could she have left the shoes on purpose? I mean, I'm sure she was tired of being lonely.. maybe she just wanted someone to hang out with? & leaving the shoes would have been an excuse to come back and spend time with someone instead of beig alone. It was her last night of vacation and she'd been miserable the entire time. She probably wore the shorts just for the simple fact of trying to match her outfit, probably thinking the other girl wouldn't even realize the shorts were missing, or didn't care that she borrowed them. Or maybe she thought that they wouldn't ask her to walk all the way back just to return shorts, and that the other girl would just choose a new pair of shorts to wear instead? I don't know, I don't think she was going to get drugs for them. Anything's possible though. I really think she just wanted someone to hang out with for her last night of vaca. I wish we could see the rest of that texting conversation though.. She could have been venting to the bf about having to walk all the way back, and maybe he asked something like why couldn't PB drive her back or come pick her up after returning the shorts, and that's where the "no *advertiser censored** that, i'm just going to stay in and go to sleep" message came into place..

 

[Peekerfoo]

These are the things we just dont know arent they?
It seems so odd that she would walk all that way to collect some shoes and then to be called back within ten minutes?
They just dont seem to be worthwhile reasons to be walking alone all that way?
Were the girls not at the hotel when BD left, did BD just decided to wear one of the girls shorts and never asked? given the apparent atmosphere between the girls, it seems strange that BD would do that?

Surely DD would know f BD owned a pair of shorts similar to the ones she was on cctv wearing, if they were not BD's, what else would she have taken to wear that top with? were a pair of BD's shoes missing from her luggage?
all these things could be checked quite easily I would have thought?

What bugs me about the new info about the shoes is that once when I was searching near a swamp I found a shoe. My sister-in-law and I checked the description of BD's shoes and since the shoe didn't match we left it there. It was the strangest place for a shoe to be found and there were two gators in the swamp that day. I'm not saying it was one of the other shoes, just that it would've been nice to have that info just in case.

I've never believed the shorts story. Then again, the girls seem mean, so maybe they are the types to make a big deal out of borrowed shorts. I just don't buy it.

 

[Peekerfoo]

I've asked this before but I'm not sure if anyone knows the answer , but here goes again,
Did any of the Rochester people ever live near MB? JO perhaps?

 

[Farmhand]

From the photos I have seen of JO she looks heavier set but the same height or shorter than BD. The shorts look like they could be made of Lycra which stretches and shrinks depending on who wears it. Maybe they called BD after she arrived at the Bluewater to piss her off knowing she would probably have to walk back. In all honesty I don't think I would like someone taking clothes out of my suitcase if I had plans on wearing them that night. I think it just depends on the person. Obviously there was a bit of drama going on between the gals. I think a lot of these questions would be answered if we could see the phone records and texts or if someone from the group would talk. I guess I don't understand all the secrecy. The I've got a secret. The not talking. They act like a squirrel with it's prize nut.

 

[wvredhead]

:fence:

I've asked this before but I'm not sure if anyone knows the answer , but here goes again,
Did any of the Rochester people ever live near MB? JO perhaps?

I have read that at one time JO lived in the MB area...will see if I can find a link.

 

[Nanda Devi]

and one more thing- I wonder what kind of remark was made toward the BW resort staff to that caused them to be kicked out? Why wasn't this information given from the beginning??

From the reviews of the place on TripAdvisor in 2009, complaining about the water temperature would earn you a visit from the police, though having guns in your room and leaving blood on the sheets or headboards (separate and multiple incidents, I should add) was a-okay. Management looked the other way when housekeeping ripped off guests. The place was filthy, run-down, and the parking garage across the street could be dark and a little scary at night. One guest reported being accosted by the homeless and drug dealers. It's since been renovated and management has changed, so the reviews have gotten much better, but back then it sounded like a hellhole.

If you want to read some of the reviews, I recommend starting here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g54359-d97283-r32682595-Bluewater_Resort-Myrtle_Beach_South_Carolina.html#REVIEWS and working your way back to around page 14 or so. The fourth one down on the linked page has the "blood on headboard" review.

There are multiple pools, including one that's indoor/outdoor with a bar and karaoke at night (evidently you need a wristband to get in), a children's pool, and a lazy river across the street, next to the fabulous parking garage. The lot on the "Oceanfront Tower" side gets filled up pretty quickly, so most people have to park across the street where the "villas" are located. Each unit is individually owned. TripAdvisor also has 110 pictures for your viewing pleasure, mostly of the hotel itself, but some of the grounds.

Knowing my luck, this has all been posted, so I apologize in advance.

 

[Walker007]

You know, there was were body parts (a left femur, a right femur and a manible) found in Charleston during 2011 that had DNA, has Brittany's family entered her DNA in Namus? If so, it would have (maybe) been checked, if not, should we have them check?

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/9370

Namus is a database like the DOE Network.

Codis is where DNA is submitted. "Combined DNA Index System" And Yes, her DNA has been entered into CODIS.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/codis

 

[wvredhead]

Ok, I found where I read JO actually lived in the area. No concrete proof, I found it on the first thread about Brittanee on this site. Was stated by another poster in a couple of places but nothing to back it up...

 

[Peekerfoo]

Ok, I found where I read JO actually lived in the area. No concrete proof, I found it on the first thread about Brittanee on this site. Was stated by another poster in a couple of places but nothing to back it up...

Oh, thank you wvredhead, I didn't mean for you to go to all that trouble! I just thought someone might know off-hand. I appreciate it, though.:rocker:

 

[Rochestergirl]

JO lived in Lumberton NC. I can't find where it was about thread 3 or 4

:fence:

I have read that at one time JO lived in the MB area...will see if I can find a link.

 

[leigha27]

I am new here but have been browsing this site since Aliayah Lunsford from Weston WV came up missing. We live about 25 minutes away from there and it really hit home for us. Anyways after vacationing in Myrtle Beach this year on our way out of town I saw the billboard for Brittanee. After several hours of searching the net on the way home and reading everything I could find I was heartbroken for this young girls mother. I spent hours yesterday going through as many posts on here as I could and a few things stick out for me. The whole story of the shorts needing to be returned strikes me as odd considering other girls on the trip had the same shorts. If you look at the pictures of the "friends" and BD from the club you'll notice that the girl in the orange top (not sure on her name) has on a pair of short black shorts as does BD in the pictures. So had BD borrowed the shorts that night also? Or were they hers, which I do believe they were her shorts. I think that the girls most likely went shopping for their trip and bought matching items so they could coordinate outfits. Also who honestly wants to wear a pair of shorts that have been previously worn, maybe several times, out for a night on the town. Would they not have been stretched out and dirty by then? The desperation to get the shorts back that night just doesn't make since to me since we know there were at least two pairs of the black shorts. And I find it hard to believe that BD would even borrow the shorts considering she was having such problems with the girls anyways. Would she really want to risk having more problems with them over a pair of shorts? I don't believe she would considering she was so far from home and needed the girls to give her a ride back to NY. I think if the girls start talking you will find out that what happened the night BD went missing. God forbid these girls did something to her they would be more calculated on disposing of a body then a couple teenage boys would be. I would love to know these girls whereabouts of that night. Did they go out to the club? And there lack of acknowledgement of BD when they posted pictures from the trip doesn't sit well with me. The fact they made comments about her ruining their trip, who does that? I would be devastated if something like this happened to me and my friend. I would never act like that nor would most people. Says a lot about these girls characters and what they may be capable of doing. Of course this is just my opinion.

 

[wvredhead]

ITA...I'm of the same thinking, there's more to the story than what these girls are telling which might go a long ways as far as explaining their attitudes.

I also wonder if Brittanee made it further up the strip than is thought...maybe walked the street to a point then decided to walk the beach the rest/most of the way which would explain why she wasn't captured on camera on the walk back. The reason I say most of the way is because she would had to've crossed back to the street on the last block before reaching the Bar Harbor because of a stream with a heavy current that cuts through there (nearly directly across the road from Family Kingdom). Anyone privy to where the cameras are positioned at the Bar Harbor?