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

[fabgod]

I am sorry if this is a repeat of any information. I will watch on occasion the Investigation Discovery episode concerning Brittanee on my computer. The show features 2 detectives from Myrtle Beach, SC police department. That means to me the information presented by them is about as accurate as one can find on the internet by someone who isn't involved directly in this case. Brittanee is captured on a traffic camera at 8:15 pm walking South to visit a friend at the Bluewater Resort. The traffic camera from what I have found using Google maps is located on a ledge of a balcony at the Quality Inn & Suites 1004 South Ocean Boulevard.

She arrives and then leaves again as a friend has asked her to return a pair of shorts she is wearing. Detective Dorio states on the show that this is 8:48 pm. I searched and found the photos of Brittanee entering and leaving the Bluewater Resort (below). The only problem is the time on these photos is different than what is stated by Detective Dorio. The one photo shows her entering at 7:55 pm and leaving at 8:13 pm. Obviously these times are incorrect since she walks by the traffic camera at 8:15 pm. So if I take the 8:48 pm as when she leaves as being accurate the time on the picture is 35 minutes off. The same would be true as when she entered Bluewater Resort and the corrected time would be 8:30 pm.

So now I have a time frame from when she walked by traffic cam (8:15 pm) to when she entered the Bluewater Resort (8:30 PM) and a known distance. The distance between traffic cam (11th Avenue South) and Bluewater Resort (2001 South Ocean Boulevard). If I use Google Earth I find that distance to be .68 miles. Brittanee walked .68 miles in 15 minutes. If I do a little math that is 2.74 miles per hour. Which is a fairly normal walking pace. Some people walk a little faster, some people walk a little slower. According to the cell phone records presented on the show she last texted her boyfriend at 8:58 pm. 10 minutes after she left the Bluewater Resort. She recieves a message at I think 9:03 pm and 9:05 pm from her boyfriend in which he asks "Why babe" and "Why who or Why Boo" . I am not sure about 9:03 pm and the 9:05 pm since it is blurred and hard to read. She also recieves a message at 9:06 pm from a friend in Rochester I would presume which asks "Back from Myrtle yet?" This information is shown on the Investigation Discovery show. If you take the 10 minutes (time she left Bluewater Resort to time of last text) and multiple 2.74 miles per hour you get a distance of .46 miles.

I would assume when she left the Bluewater Resort she would have stayed on west side of street which is where the Bluewater Resort is and walked north rather than crossing the street. If I use the distance of .46 miles this puts her between 15th Avenue South and 14th Avenue South next to a place called the Carousel and the Cabana Inn. This is the area which she sent her last text. Oddly enough when I use Google maps it shows there are 2 police vehicles parked in the parking lot of the Carousel. The picture is dated January 2008. Strange. OK so sometime between 8:58 pm and 9:06 pm she was kidnapped. This is 8 minutes. Once again if I use 2.74 miles per hour walking pace and 8 minutes I get a distance of .37 miles. The only problem is .37 miles takes you past the traffic camera on 11th Avenue South and takes you to 9th Avenue South. The traffic camera is only .21 miles away. In reality she would have to been kidnapped between 8:58 pm and 9:02 pm or she would have walked in front of traffic camera at 11th Avenue south.

I hope this makes sense. My personal opinion is she was kidnapped closer to 8:58 pm since she would have been paying more attention to her cell phone at that time.

Taking Farmhands excellent work above and knowing that Brittanees phone was pinging southwards after she stopped responding to calls and texts, the times would not allow for her to have gone far back towards her hotel even if she was on the beach.
It looks like she was abducted around 10 minutes after leaving the hotel, which would tally with the traffic camera not being passed and also the tower pings

 

[wvredhead]

Thank you for the reminder, fabgod...just tossing out ideas and have a bad case of pregnancy brain...lol

From the beginning I've been highly skeptical of her 'friends', the girls more than the guys. I don't get their attitudes toward her and as far as their snippy FB comments aimed at her, it's almost as if they're trying to portray themselves as the victims rather than Brittanee. I don't buy it and I have to also wonder if part of the reason for their standoffish is perhaps out of fear of someone inquiring more than they're willing/wanting to tell. Gives me a 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' vibe...

 

[fabgod]

Thank you for the reminder, fabgod...just tossing out ideas and have a bad case of pregnancy brain...lol

From the beginning I've been highly skeptical of her 'friends', the girls more than the guys. I don't get their attitudes toward her and as far as their snippy FB comments aimed at her, it's almost as if they're trying to portray themselves as the victims rather than Brittanee. I don't buy it and I have to also wonder if part of the reason for their standoffish is perhaps out of fear of someone inquiring more than they're willing/wanting to tell. Gives me a 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' vibe...

I know what you mean (not about the pregnancy brain lol)
The one thing that makes me think they are just ignorant, is that LE have made RM a POI which wouldnt tie in with the "friends"
It would be a massive leap to have the friends involved and a sex offender, I think if LE have come out and made that statement, it pretty much means they have no interest in the group of friends, whether they have checked their phone records alibis etc, we just dont know, but the Police seem uninterested in them from what I see personally

 

[Strawberry Fields]

Well, it is so hard to believe little Brittanee is still missing and is now turning 21. Been following her case since shortly after disappearance. I have forgotten a lot of things that have been discussed on WS through the time since that fateful evening. Seems like it was discussed at some point that she was supposed to pick up a pair of "flip flops". I did not recall the part about how they were supposedly left in a car previously, but since following a lot of other cases over the last 3 years, some details can tend to run together.

With that being said, maybe someone else may remember this. It was discussed that a bar at one of the hotels was named FLIPFLOPS. Seems like we knocked around the idea that the term flipflops had to do more with that pool bar, rather than an actual pair of shoes. Again, I do not remember this exactly, just thought about it. Someone had actually posted a picture of that pool bar called FLIPFLOPS early in her disappearance (I think). Forgive me if I am not posting a link. My memory is foggy at best on this point.

My theories have certainly taken many, many twists and turns throughout the 3 years. Right now, I'm sort of leaning towards the human trafficking possibility. I think Dawn mentioned she thought maybe Brittanee was sort of shown off at that nightclub, as she apparently was one of the only girls taken to the VIP lounge. This is what I recall hearing Dawn discuss on the WS Radio show.

It has also seemed to me to be really strange these girls invited her to come to MB with them, when it also seemed very obvious they did not really care for her as a friend, and seemed possibly to even be jealous of her, as she was so strikingly pretty and petite.

I don't think they physically harmed her, but just as most have said, they are making themselves look bad by not coming forward with whatever they DO know. Also, how could they just cut off all communication with Dawn. How terribly mean and cruel.

I also went through a time period that I would think: Well as far as I know there is no physical evidence to support Brittanee still being in or around the MB area or outlying areas. So, could she have been kidnapped, taken to any state in the US or even smuggled to another country? That, in fact, was my first theory. She could be anywhere. People come to MB every single year from everywhere.

Her mom deserves so much more than she has in the way of information and justice for Brittanee. Dawn has been so brave and I admire her so much. I pray the darker thoughts will become less and less and she will get some answers soon to find out where her beautiful daughter is and bring her home.

 

[Rochestergirl]

Strawberry I do recall the "Flip Flops" bar I think it was at the Blue Water. Maybe that is why Brittanee went to the right (as Dawn said) maybe the Flip Flop bar is pool side at Blue water.

Well, it is so hard to believe little Brittanee is still missing and is now turning 21. Been following her case since shortly after disappearance. I have forgotten a lot of things that have been discussed on WS through the time since that fateful evening. Seems like it was discussed at some point that she was supposed to pick up a pair of "flip flops". I did not recall the part about how they were supposedly left in a car previously, but since following a lot of other cases over the last 3 years, some details can tend to run together.

With that being said, maybe someone else may remember this. It was discussed that a bar at one of the hotels was named FLIPFLOPS. Seems like we knocked around the idea that the term flipflops had to do more with that pool bar, rather than an actual pair of shoes. Again, I do not remember this exactly, just thought about it. Someone had actually posted a picture of that pool bar called FLIPFLOPS early in her disappearance (I think). Forgive me if I am not posting a link. My memory is foggy at best on this point.

My theories have certainly taken many, many twists and turns throughout the 3 years. Right now, I'm sort of leaning towards the human trafficking possibility. I think Dawn mentioned she thought maybe Brittanee was sort of shown off at that nightclub, as she apparently was one of the only girls taken to the VIP lounge. This is what I recall hearing Dawn discuss on the WS Radio show.

It has also seemed to me to be really strange these girls invited her to come to MB with them, when it also seemed very obvious they did not really care for her as a friend, and seemed possibly to even be jealous of her, as she was so strikingly pretty and petite.

I don't think they physically harmed her, but just as most have said, they are making themselves look bad by not coming forward with whatever they DO know. Also, how could they just cut off all communication with Dawn. How terribly mean and cruel.

I also went through a time period that I would think: Well as far as I know there is no physical evidence to support Brittanee still being in or around the MB area or outlying areas. So, could she have been kidnapped, taken to any state in the US or even smuggled to another country? That, in fact, was my first theory. She could be anywhere. People come to MB every single year from everywhere.

Her mom deserves so much more than she has in the way of information and justice for Brittanee. Dawn has been so brave and I admire her so much. I pray the darker thoughts will become less and less and she will get some answers soon to find out where her beautiful daughter is and bring her home.

 

[Farmhand]

I was surfing and came across this pic. It's from the Bluewater Resort.

 

[jash]

I was just looking at the surveillance photos posted by Farmhand and I noticed that Brittanee had her purse over her right shoulder on the way out of the hotel, but it appears she had it over her left shoulder on her way in. Maybe it's just me, but I almost always carry my purse on the same side. The only time I try to switch to the other shoulder is if my purse is heavy and I've been carrying it around too long (it feels so awkward though).

I wonder what she had in her purse (it looks quite full in the exit photo). I also wonder if she found her flip flops comfortable to walk in. If I had walked as much as she had carrying a heavy purse (assumption) and wearing flip flops (offer little support and can chafe between toes), I'd probably be looking for a place to rest along the way back. I wonder if she sat down somewhere (either along the street or on the beach) to rest and text her boyfriend. Maybe someone caught her off guard. Or maybe someone offered her a ride and she accepted because she was tired/sore?

 

[Christina691]

A few nights ago, I was talking with my Mom about other possibilities as far as what happened, or who could have been involved. She read an article from a few days ago that had the letter DD wrote for the public. She said her "friends" actions prior to and after Brittanee's disappearance shows that they haven't been the best of friends.. but she did bring up a few good points.
Dawn says that the only reason the group she traveled with stayed behind for the extra two days after is due to LE questioning them, and that they've never offered to help or even say "sorry" for everything that has taken place. Is it possible that LE told them that maybe they shouldn't be out searching for Brittanee? If not LE, maybe their lawyers advised them not to stay and look? Not because "They didn't care" (that's what it seems like to me), but for the simple fact of if one of them just so happened to find any evidence linked to Brittanee's disappearance, or better yet Brittanee herself during the search, that LE would possibly try to pin it on them? I told my Mom that it was a really good point, but it still doesn't explain their behavior and actions after arriving back home in Rochester. Maybe they were advised not to speak to Dawn? (for whatever reason, I'm not sure.) If their lawyers said they needed to be quiet, they shouldn't have been posting all of the hateful comments on Facebook about Brittanee "ruining" their trip. This is somewhat of a valid answer/excuse that could be used to explain the girl's attitudes.. Not a good excuse, but it's still a possibility.

My mom said PB's situation is an entirely different story, though. He didn't lawyer up until he returned back home.. so his lawyer couldn't have said "you need to come back home immediately, don't speak to LE or DD" while PB was still in Myrtle Beach. He was rude to Dawn over the phone before they even left Myrtle by him saying "I don't know where she is, I'm not her babysitter". I still don't believe that he/his group is solely responsible for whatever has happened, but he literally has no excuse for his actions or lack of empathy toward Brittanee and her family/friends.

We've all heard LE say that they cleared PB of being a POI rather quickly because he was "fully cooperative" with the investigation. If he's not a POI, would they have even had probable cause/authority to view his phone records? I'm sure that "fully cooperative" would include his authorization for LE to view the records.. but you have to wonder. Same goes for the girls- at least LE has said they've cleared PB, they've never even mentioned anything about the girls though! LE knows that there is just as much suspicion cast upon the girls, but they've never publicly addressed the fact of whether or not they are persons of interest in the case. Does this mean there's a chance they have not reviewed the girl's records?

& the possibility of her walking down the beach before her disappearance is a good point! But, I think that it would have been harder for a stranger to "abduct" her. Someone would have had to approach her on the beach, and somehow manage to keep her from screaming and making a scene, and THEN get her all the way back to a vehicle without anyone noticing. It was still fairly early at that time, there would have been other tourists still out on the beach, I'm sure someone would have had to seen something happen. Now, if it was someone she knew (or someone she met while she was there), it would be more of a possibility. That would explain why no one saw her get "abducted". Yes, there are still a substantial amount of people on the beach, but not nearly as many as there is on Ocean Boulevard. If someone she knew approached her while walking on the beach back to her hotel and simply offered her a ride, it wouldn't have caused a scene or drawn attention to them, it would have just looked like another normal situation, nothing out of the ordinary. Good work!!

 

[LLLindsayy]

I see Brittanee's family has traveled to South Carolina for Brittanee's birthday weekend. I'm really hoping that the attention being brought to the case lately, and that which is yet to come, will rejuvenate interest in this case among the locals. Specifically, someone who remembers seeing/hearing anything of value.

Saying my strongest prayers so that Britt may celebrate her 21st birthday the way she should.

 

[Peekerfoo]

I see Brittanee's family has traveled to South Carolina for Brittanee's birthday weekend. I'm really hoping that the attention being brought to the case lately, and that which is yet to come, will rejuvenate interest in this case among the locals. Specifically, someone who remembers seeing/hearing anything of value.

Saying my strongest prayers so that Britt may celebrate her 21st birthday the way she should.

They will be having a candlelight vigil at the Market Common at 7pm on Sunday. I am hoping to go to it. Tonight, a local restaurant donated a portion of their proceeds to the CUE center.

I'm so amazed that Dawn still has hope that Brittanee is alive. The "not knowing" has got to be torture--plain and simple.

 

[anbeaudre]

Thinking of britt daily! I'm sure hoping for a big break!!

 

[Rochestergirl]

http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=809569

 

[LLLindsayy]

I know it's not until tomorrow, but

 

[ThePhantom]

It's such a shame. Try as we might, it is seemingly impossible for adults to convey to young people that there are some truly sinister people in the world. It is exceedingly difficult to circumnavigate a young person's sense of immortality so that they can process this idea.

Far too many young men and women have lost their lives because of their belief that they are invincible and immune to crimes of opportunity.

 

[Steely Dan]

It's such a shame. Try as we might, it is seemingly impossible for adults to convey to young people that there are some truly sinister people in the world. It is exceedingly difficult to circumnavigate a young person's sense of immortality so that they can process this idea.

Far too many young men and women have lost their lives because of their belief that they are invincible and immune to crimes of opportunity.

I think just about all teenagers think they know everything.

 

[Rochestergirl]

http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=809941

Story on today's event walk

 

[LLLindsayy]

Brittanee, I remember when you turned 18, 19, 20, and now you're 21. I can't believe all of these years have passed and justice still has not been served. Everything I want to say has already been said over and over and over again. The only thing I can think to say is that I'll be thinking and praying for you and your family today.

Bringing forward this old post of mine which contains a cake I made for you two years ago. Happy birthday Britt.

HAPPY 19TH BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL!!!


I picked this cake up yesterday on my way home from work. I wrote the words on myself, but didn't have room to put her name since it's such a small cake. I also got a couple balloons that I'll keep around for the day and release them later on tonight.

Oh how it depresses me that you have now missed two birthdays. I can only hope that you're somewhere, wherever you are, having the time of you life.

 

[ThePhantom]

It feels like just yesterday that I heard about Brittanee.

I've been following her case and had thought there were suspects identified. Is that no longer true? Thanks.

 

[Rochestergirl]

Happy 21st Birthday Brittanee whereever you are

 

[Farmhand]

It feels like just yesterday that I heard about Brittanee.

I've been following her case and had thought there were suspects identified. Is that no longer true? Thanks.

I think there are suspects identified but get the feeling they don't have enough evidence to pursue any charges at this time. Hopefully that will change.