Found Deceased SC - Brittanee Drexel, 17, Myrtle Beach, 25 April 2009 - #16

[CircuitGuy]

Thanks for this primer video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV1ukinNaFo

Her mother comes off as understandably upset and disjointed in thought process. PB comes off reasonable. They're condemning him for things like not giving her a ride. She walked herself to his hotel. Why should he be responsible for getting her home? Then they bring up the three-year age difference. That just seems like a low blow, since people mature at different rates, and three years is not that significant.

The one thing that stands out is PB's lack of emotion. When asked these unreasonable questions like why as a 20 y/o he didn't insist on finding transportation for BD, we expect him to say, "I have asked myself that a thousand times since this happened. I keep thinking of why I didn't do something different. There are hundreds of people I meet who I don't offer a ride to, but I keep thinking if I had offered her a ride that night she'd still be here. It will haunt me forever." The fact that he doesn't articulate that emotional response doesn't mean he's guilty of anything. Maybe he can't articulate it, or maybe he's just not emotional. I'm a stoic person. I would experience emotion, but I would also tell myself that hundreds of people die each day in freak accidents and crimes, and I can't hold myself to blame or ruminate about it when such a tragedy affects someone I casually know.

He comes off favorable by not returning the low blows by blaming their divorce and asking how she could have fooled them into thinking she was at a friend's house nearby. He could have condemned her, if he knew at the time, for accepting the word of a stranger on the phone that BD was with adults in a safe place.

Someone said his attorney is attracted to high-profile cases b/c it provides free advertising. I think the attorney did him a disservice by being present on a show like this. His skills are better geared toward a court of law than the court of public opinion.

PB comes off as unsympathetic and a little self-centered consistent with being a 20 y/o man, but I don't see the damning evidence. He behaved more logically than the grieving parents. Everyone has to make his own judgment about whether that stoicism is a good or bad sign. As a stoic myself, I'm inclined to see the possible positive interpretation of his stoic response. The Dr. Phil interview made me less suspicious of him and made me wonder what low-blows the parents had for BD prior to her disapperance.

 

[CoolJ]

Thanks for this primer video:

Her mother comes off as understandably upset and disjointed in thought process. PB comes off reasonable. They're condemning him for things like not giving her a ride. She walked herself to his hotel. Why should he be responsible for getting her home? Then they bring up the three-year age difference. That just seems like a low blow, since people mature at different rates, and three years is not that significant.

The one thing that stands out is PB's lack of emotion. When asked these unreasonable questions like why as a 20 y/o he didn't insist on finding transportation for BD, we expect him to say, "I have asked myself that a thousand times since this happened. I keep thinking of why I didn't do something different. There are hundreds of people I meet who I don't offer a ride to, but I keep thinking if I had offered her a ride that night she'd still be here. It will haunt me forever." The fact that he doesn't articulate that emotional response doesn't mean he's guilty of anything. Maybe he can't articulate it, or maybe he's just not emotional. I'm a stoic person. I would experience emotion, but I would also tell myself that hundreds of people die each day in freak accidents and crimes, and I can't hold myself to blame or ruminate about it when such a tragedy affects someone I casually know.

He comes off favorable by not returning the low blows by blaming their divorce and asking how she could have fooled them into thinking she was at a friend's house nearby. He could have condemned her, if he knew at the time, for accepting the word of a stranger on the phone that BD was with adults in a safe place.

Someone said his attorney is attracted to high-profile cases b/c it provides free advertising. I think the attorney did him a disservice by being present on a show like this. His skills are better geared toward a court of law than the court of public opinion.

PB comes off as unsympathetic and a little self-centered consistent with being a 20 y/o man, but I don't see the damning evidence. He behaved more logically than the grieving parents. Everyone has to make his own judgment about whether that stoicism is a good or bad sign. As a stoic myself, I'm inclined to see the possible positive interpretation of his stoic response. The Dr. Phil interview made me less suspicious of him and made me wonder what low-blows the parents had for BD prior to her disapperance.

IMO, that wasn't stoicism, it was anger and lack of compassion. A stoic response would have been more neutral... But nope, good ole PB was angry that his name was brought into it(yet at the same time angry they spelled his name wrong.. How weird is that?)

 

[Hambone1480]

With today's news of Jesse Matthew's DNA matching him to the Morgan Harrington disappearance, I find myself with renewed hope that Brittanee's abductor will be caught. Her family deserves as much. Praying for this outcome!

 

[captdj]

She does have a resemblance to both Hannah Graham and Morgan Harrington, but I can't think of anything else to connect the cases. It does make you wonder though.

No real connected to Brittanee's case... just that he was arrested on a "beach"....and he was also a "taxi driver "although he lived 6 hours away in Charlottesville ....... and since he is now being investigated on other crimes thru DNA left at the other assaults...
Does it seems worthwhile to check and see if he attended spring break that year in Myrtle Beach??

 

[captdj]

I think Britt was just an outsider...they didn't know her...wasn't part of their click....so they really didn't care to hang with her..
So for that reason they didn't keep up and include her... I know that is cold...but that's the way a lot of kids act today.

My daughter happened into a similar event... several high school and early college age girls went to a battle of the bands in another state...chasing the boys in the band kinda a thing... My daughter was asked to go to help pay for the hotel etc and to see the concert but wasn't dating anyone in the band....so she was the odd man out....

I get a call from my daughter about midnight saying the girls left her... she was still at the arena area looking for them and the others girls left earlier following the band members and was headed back home...so my daughter had to find another way home.... which was 7 hours away...

Unfortunately, unless you are traveling with close friends or really know the people you are traveling with....you are taking some big risks.

Walking back should not have been such a risk for Brittanee...but walking alone back in the dark made it a bigger risk and a target.... she needed a real friend.

 

[captdj]

IMO, that wasn't stoicism, it was anger and lack of compassion. A stoic response would have been more neutral... But nope, good ole PB was angry that his name was brought into it(yet at the same time angry they spelled his name wrong.. How weird is that?)

I don't like his attitude at all when I saw Dr. Phil's show....even with the fear of being on TV and everything he seems arrogant.

and my memory is fading...why wasn't the other two boys in PB's condo involved as much as PB was?

 

[sunshine4040]

No real connected to Brittanee's case... just that he was arrested on a "beach"....and he was also a "taxi driver "although he lived 6 hours away in Charlottesville ....... and since he is now being investigated on other crimes thru DNA left at the other assaults...
Does it seems worthwhile to check and see if he attended spring break that year in Myrtle Beach??

There was attempted abduction about a month after BD disappeared. The description of one of the perps led to
the arrest of T.S.T. He had an alibi and the charges were dropped. But his look and description does fit JM from Virginia.
I lived in Myrtle Beach for a couple of years in early 2000. Memorial day (April 25th 2009) there is also BBW.
I would not be surprised of many links to JM in other states. 2002 to 2014 is a long time.


http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/12883955/bond-set-at-70000-for-attempted-abduction-suspect

 

[Vox_Veritas_JT]

I don't like his attitude at all when I saw Dr. Phil's show....even with the fear of being on TV and everything he seems arrogant.

and my memory is fading...why wasn't the other two boys in PB's condo involved as much as PB was?

I think this is because as tentative as Brittanees connection was with PB she had an even greater tentative connection with the other boys. I also do not recall reading that the other two boys were in the condo when Brittanee was present prior to her vanishing (and I may be mistaken here). At any rate it was PB that she was visiting that night.

I think PB has come across rather poorly to say the least but his reaction on Dr Phil and in the media is partially a result of his immaturity due to his age (and perhaps intellect) and also due to the stress and suspicion placed upon him. As the last person to have any contact with Brittanee before she vanished its a certainty the police would have subjected him initially to a great deal of pressure - only heightened by the manner in which the boys left very late at night / early in the morning. Brittanees parents were also very critical of the boy, perhaps with good reason, but the subsequent scapegoat treatment was unjustified in my opinion and only distracted attention away from locating the real culprit.

Who the real culprit is remains a mystery of course and sadly without Brittanee turning up there is nothing to work with. I would contend that Brittanee vanished so quickly, without any noise (and while dark the area she vanished from is highly populated) that it seems likely we are dealing with someone who is experienced in this type of 'snatching'. Someone who was able to take complete and instant control over Brittanee. I know others have postulated that due to Miss Drexel vanishing so silently it is likely she knew her kidnapper. The main and to my mind significant problem I have with this is Brittanee suddenly ceasing her text messaging with her boyfriend. The attentive texts back and forth just suddenly stop cold and I believe the perp likely subdued Miss Drexel very quickly before taking the phone from her.

As you all know crimes are hardest to solve when the perp has no connection to the victim, with Brittanee being on holiday and with the sudden nature of this disappearance I am convinced this is the situation with the case. And I think Police will be looking at other similar cases in a wide area and, sadly, waiting for this perp to strike again. I sincerely do not believe PB has anything to do with Brittanee vanishing and while his interview has left him looking unpleasant and arrogant I do not believe he came across as guilty. The manner in which Brittanee Drexel was spirited away indicates someone who had planned and was well prepared for this crime, a level of detail I find it very hard to believe that PB or his friends ever entertained.

 

[Caring4Many]

In PBs hotel room were 4 others-MA, KC, AS, & PW

Edited to add-

I just had to add, I don't see how PBs actions on Dr Phil would reasonable. He was rude, disrespectful & unforthcoming. Even Dr Phil calls him out on it. He was on that show in May, knowing this wasn't Britt just taking off & to return, but something is wrong, & there he sat STILL worried about the misspelling of his last name & what HIS family was going through. He had & still has no compassion at all for Britt or her family. IMO, involved or not, there was nothing reasonable about his actions at any point since Britt disappeared.

 

[carbuff]

No real connected to Brittanee's case... just that he was arrested on a "beach"....and he was also a "taxi driver "although he lived 6 hours away in Charlottesville ....... and since he is now being investigated on other crimes thru DNA left at the other assaults...
Does it seems worthwhile to check and see if he attended spring break that year in Myrtle Beach??

Certainly he's worth checking out, and it sounds like LE is doing their best to make sure all possible connections are followed up on.

And he does seem to be a person who got around a lot. Wonder how many miles that beater of his had on it?

 

[CircuitGuy]

IMO, that wasn't stoicism, it was anger and lack of compassion. A stoic response would have been more neutral... But nope, good ole PB was angry that his name was brought into it(yet at the same time angry they spelled his name wrong.. How weird is that?)

I work in the electronics industry with a lot of aspies. They might be very compassionate about a crime in progress that they could do something about and completely dispassionate about a crime that happened in the past.

I think the point about his name was they didn't even bother to get his name right, and that is indicative of how much research they put into him. There's a whole chapter about not hosing someone's name in How to Win Friend's and Influence People. Many people don't like it.

I agree he's self-centered, not abnormal for a man of his age.

This does NOT mean he's innocent. I just don't take his attitude as even hinting he might be involved.

 

[CircuitGuy]

Brittanees parents were also very critical of the boy, perhaps with good reason, but the subsequent scapegoat treatment was unjustified in my opinion and only distracted attention away from locating the real culprit.

My thoughts EXACTLY. He could have done it, but her parents seemed to latch on to him and condemn him for very petty reasons.

The main and to my mind significant problem I have with this is Brittanee suddenly ceasing her text messaging with her boyfriend. The attentive texts back and forth just suddenly stop cold and I believe the perp likely subdued Miss Drexel very quickly before taking the phone from her.

How often was she texting? Was it every few minutes or every few hours? If she was only texting every hour or so, the stop in texting isn't abrupt.

Did she tell her b/f back home she was going to visit PB and then that she was walking back to her hotel? If yes, then it's an important fact that she stopped texting. If no, it may not mean anything.

The manner in which Brittanee Drexel was spirited away indicates someone who had planned and was well prepared for this crime, a level of detail I find it very hard to believe that PB or his friends ever entertained.

She had been known to meet strangers on this trip. It's possible she met a stranger on the street and went with him voluntarily. We don't know for sure there was a huge amount of planning.

 

[CoolJ]

I work in the electronics industry with a lot of aspies. They might be very compassionate about a crime in progress that they could do something about and completely dispassionate about a crime that happened in the past.

I think the point about his name was they didn't even bother to get his name right, and that is indicative of how much research they put into him. There's a whole chapter about not hosing someone's name in How to Win Friend's and Influence People. Many people don't like it.

I agree he's self-centered, not abnormal for a man of his age.

This does NOT mean he's innocent. I just don't take his attitude as even hinting he might be involved.

For those of us in the lets say ...30 and over crowd.. I think this lack of compassion on not just PB's part but all of the Rochester group just seems so abnormal. When I was a 19 yo being 18 hours from home and a 17 yo that I am friends with goes missing, I can't imagine having such self centered lack of compassion. In fact I am fairly certain my friends and I would have made it our mission to hit the streets and find out what happened. I would not only talk to her mother but I would be in regular contact.

But this does seem to be the norm these days in young missing person cases where the friends are very quick to distance themselves... I do not know why... But it sure seems to be how these cases are going down as of late..... Still though, there are other oddities in this case that just don't add up..... Such as the back and forth from hotel to hotel just for a pair of shorts, the boys abruptly leaving at 1am the night BD disappears, the girls abruptly switching hotels the same evening, the fact that they begged BD to tag along but now act as though they were barely acquaintances.
My gut tells me they wanted to get her down there for some reason.

 

[Caring4Many]

My thoughts EXACTLY. He could have done it, but her parents seemed to latch on to him and condemn him for very petty reasons.



How often was she texting? Was it every few minutes or every few hours? If she was only texting every hour or so, the stop in texting isn't abrupt.

Did she tell her b/f back home she was going to visit PB and then that she was walking back to her hotel? If yes, then it's an important fact that she stopped texting. If no, it may not mean anything.

She had been known to meet strangers on this trip. It's possible she met a stranger on the street and went with him voluntarily. We don't know for sure there was a huge amount of planning.

I think what you're missing is when DD talks about how PB gave her & LE 3 different stories. There was more reasons than "he didn't drive her to her hotel" that cause her parents concern. Especially when one of those stories-the baseball game wasn't even feasible as the game was over by the time she arrived. I think you'd benefit by looking back in this feed or watching Steely Dans video. There is a ton of info missed if you just go by Dr Phil. You also need to remember these parents are calm parents that are looking for something replaceable they're distraught, traumatized & desperate parents looking for answers and not one of the people that could help would speak to them. PB & AL were the 2 that had been her friends years prior.
As for texting you can see the times & specifics on Steely Dans video I believe. If not, www.answersforbrittaneedrexel.blogspot.com has answers too....she was texting JG nonstop about going home & not going out. It was her lack of response as normal that tipped him off.

 

[CircuitGuy]

In fact I am fairly certain my friends and I would have made it our mission to hit the streets and find out what happened. I would not only talk to her mother but I would be in regular contact

I believe at that age I would have wanted to return to my parents and have them handle it. I don't think that's necessarily the best thing to do, but I would have suddenly felt scared and in over my head.

Still though, there are other oddities in this case that just don't add up..... Such as the back and forth from hotel to hotel just for a pair of shorts, the boys abruptly leaving at 1am the night BD disappears, the girls abruptly switching hotels the same evening, the fact that they begged BD to tag along but now act as though they were barely acquaintances.
My gut tells me they wanted to get her down there for some reason.

I agree completely with almost all this-- many oddities that don't add up.

Do we know for a fact they begged BD to tag along?

I doubt they planned begged her to go on the trip to commit a crime. That implies more than one kid working together, thinking somewhat long-term, and none of the kids involved or knowing about it telling the truth later. That would be very shocking.

I don't understand asking her to walk back to for give back clothes she'd walked two miles in, the changing hotel rooms, the guy leaving in the middle of the night. Many unusual things were happening the night she disappeared.

 

[CircuitGuy]

I think what you're missing is when DD talks about how PB gave her & LE 3 different stories.

Based only on the Dr. Phil segment, the 3 stories claim seems like something her mother threw out there without explanation. I could see her having been confused when he talked to her about it.

You're suggesting she stated specific stories, which is more than I got from just watching the Dr. Phil thing. I will read the website you linked.

Your post cleared up many misconceptions I had.

 

[CoolJ]

I believe at that age I would have wanted to return to my parents and have them handle it. I don't think that's necessarily the best thing to do, but I would have suddenly felt scared and in over my head.


I agree completely with almost all this-- many oddities that don't add up.

Do we know for a fact they begged BD to tag along?

I doubt they planned begged her to go on the trip to

commit a crime. That implies more than one kid working together, thinking somewhat long-term, and none of the kids involved or knowing about it telling the truth later. That would be very shocking.

I don't understand asking her to walk back to for give back clothes she'd walked two miles in, the changing hotel rooms, the guy leaving in the middle of the night. Many unusual things were happening the night she disappeared.

BBM
I thought so but could be wrong. I thought DD or somebody close to her basically said or implied this. If I am wrong, please let me know.

 

[captdj]

In PBs hotel room were 4 others-MA, KC, AS, & PW

Edited to add-

I just had to add, I don't see how PBs actions on Dr Phil would reasonable. He was rude, disrespectful & unforthcoming. Even Dr Phil calls him out on it. He was on that show in May, knowing this wasn't Britt just taking off & to return, but something is wrong, & there he sat STILL worried about the misspelling of his last name & what HIS family was going through. He had & still has no compassion at all for Britt or her family. IMO, involved or not, there was nothing reasonable about his actions at any point since Britt disappeared.

I know I didn't like him either but Im not sure if he was responsible for Britt missing.....would he still act that way....why not act more compassionately to throw attention elsewhere....but if he was totally innocent then maybe he would be very defensive....

who knows? ....kids today are so different than when we grew up....

 

[captdj]

I think what you're missing is when DD talks about how PB gave her & LE 3 different stories. There was more reasons than "he didn't drive her to her hotel" that cause her parents concern. Especially when one of those stories-the baseball game wasn't even feasible as the game was over by the time she arrived. I think you'd benefit by looking back in this feed or watching Steely Dans video. There is a ton of info missed if you just go by Dr Phil. You also need to remember these parents are calm parents that are looking for something replaceable they're distraught, traumatized & desperate parents looking for answers and not one of the people that could help would speak to them. PB & AL were the 2 that had been her friends years prior.
As for texting you can see the times & specifics on Steely Dans video I believe. If not, www.answersforbrittaneedrexel.blogspot.com has answers too....she was texting JG nonstop about going home & not going out. It was her lack of response as normal that tipped him off.

These boy most likely have been hanging around the condo and beach drinking all day...watching games on TV ....and PB was in no condition to drive anywhere and maybe they were asked to leave...instead of chose to leave at 1AM.... we just don't know....

It just seems like were other boys in the condo IIRC and the focus was on just one of the boys....(maybe the attitude). Looks like the others would be questioned about who left and who stayed at the condo.

I can see girls being really mad when looking for a piece of clothing etc and someone else that you really wasn't close to.."kinda borrowed i without asking....I'll call that person and demand my things back ASAP...

 

[justagirl247]

Tomorrow is her 23rd bday.... praying for her and her loved ones hope answers come soon