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

[Kmiller7779]

What do you hear you must have some inside info that we all dont have if you live right there whats your theory and thoughts..

I live in Charleston, which is about 45 minutes from McClellanville. We don't really hear anything now. If you read back on these pages, you can read about some members of this forum made trips up to that area and looked around and posted fliers. The persons of interest the police have are from info that someone in the community brought forward. That was 6 years ago and they never had evidence solid enough to make an arrest.

My personal opinion? I think a group from the McClellanville/Georgetown area went to Myrtle Beach looking to snatch someone up. Everyone likes to say that there is no way she was taken off that busy road, but the area around the Blue Water Resort is secluded. If she was walking, head down looking at her phone, I think it would have been easy for 2 people to jump out of a vehicle and subdue her. I would love to be optimistic for her, but I fear the worst. Regardless, these individuals responsible need to be held accountable for their actions.

I will be driving right through the area where her phone pinged that night on Friday. I always feel very solemn as I pass the areas that we know we're searched. Personally, I think they should have searched more inland as well. Her phone pinged in Georgetown and then not again until about 2 hours later when it pinged Pole Yard Landing. There was plenty of missing time to go inland. That is why the Hemingway remains were of so much interest. We know now that they were identified as someone else, but again, there were no searches inland to my knowledge.

 

[Kmiller7779]

There were tips made from those in the area 6 years ago. I think that people are afraid to come forward with more info. They are afraid of retaliation. I do believe someone knows exactly what happened. Maybe LE needs to go door to door and just ask if anyone has any info. If that is allowed. I'm not sure if it is.

 

[JeannaT]

I live in Charleston, which is about 45 minutes from McClellanville. We don't really hear anything now. If you read back on these pages, you can read about some members of this forum made trips up to that area and looked around and posted fliers. The persons of interest the police have are from info that someone in the community brought forward. That was 6 years ago and they never had evidence solid enough to make an arrest.

My personal opinion? I think a group from the McClellanville/Georgetown area went to Myrtle Beach looking to snatch someone up. Everyone likes to say that there is no way she was taken off that busy road, but the area around the Blue Water Resort is secluded. If she was walking, head down looking at her phone, I think it would have been easy for 2 people to jump out of a vehicle and subdue her. I would love to be optimistic for her, but I fear the worst. Regardless, these individuals responsible need to be held accountable for their actions.

I will be driving right through the area where her phone pinged that night on Friday. I always feel very solemn as I pass the areas that we know we're searched. Personally, I think they should have searched more inland as well. Her phone pinged in Georgetown and then not again until about 2 hours later when it pinged Pole Yard Landing. There was plenty of missing time to go inland. That is why the Hemingway remains were of so much interest. We know now that they were identified as someone else, but again, there were no searches inland to my knowledge.

I don't even think she was snatched. I think she accepted a ride from people who meant to do her harm. She wasn't a cautious girl - she went to Myrtle Beach with acquaintances, and then went to a hotel room of young men she didn't know. I think she just was at an age where she didn't understand the risks she was taking, and accepted a ride. That transaction - a car stopping and a young women getting in along a roadway - wouldn't attract a lot of attention or stick in anyone's memory long.

 

[Tarik]

I live in Charleston, which is about 45 minutes from McClellanville. We don't really hear anything now. If you read back on these pages, you can read about some members of this forum made trips up to that area and looked around and posted fliers. The persons of interest the police have are from info that someone in the community brought forward. That was 6 years ago and they never had evidence solid enough to make an arrest.

My personal opinion? I think a group from the McClellanville/Georgetown area went to Myrtle Beach looking to snatch someone up. Everyone likes to say that there is no way she was taken off that busy road, but the area around the Blue Water Resort is secluded. If she was walking, head down looking at her phone, I think it would have been easy for 2 people to jump out of a vehicle and subdue her. I would love to be optimistic for her, but I fear the worst. Regardless, these individuals responsible need to be held accountable for their actions.

I will be driving right through the area where her phone pinged that night on Friday. I always feel very solemn as I pass the areas that we know we're searched. Personally, I think they should have searched more inland as well. Her phone pinged in Georgetown and then not again until about 2 hours later when it pinged Pole Yard Landing. There was plenty of missing time to go inland. That is why the Hemingway remains were of so much interest. We know now that they were identified as someone else, but again, there were no searches inland to my knowledge.

So you don't think her "friend" Peter Brozowitz and his friends are involved in any way? I remember he was a strong person of interest back in 2009 and he lawyered up.

 

[carbuff]

No, I don't think they were involved.

 

[Caffeine]

I don't even think she was snatched. I think she accepted a ride from people who meant to do her harm. She wasn't a cautious girl - she went to Myrtle Beach with acquaintances, and then went to a hotel room of young men she didn't know. I think she just was at an age where she didn't understand the risks she was taking, and accepted a ride. That transaction - a car stopping and a young women getting in along a roadway - wouldn't attract a lot of attention or stick in anyone's memory long.

That's a good point and it bears repeating in many cases where people go missing. BD wasn't a bad person by any means, but at her age leaving for SC without parental consent is a risky move. So with that said, it's within the realm of possibility that other risky decisions followed, like trusting a stranger enough to hop in for a ride, willingly.

Of course, being physically grabbed by a few people is forever a possibility too but people with bad intentions aren't always easily identifiable.

But the thing that always puzzles me is the fact that her phone activity just about instantly stopped at that time period. So if she wasn't taken by surprise it seems like things went awry pretty quickly if she willingly took a ride.

 

[reedus23]

I agree. I don't understand those who want to jump on hiring an attorney as a red flag when, given the means, each one of us would hire an attorney for our child should they be questioned by police regarding the disappearance of an acquaintance. If you didn't do that for your child I would call you foolish.

 

[reedus23]

We have to define "cooperated with LE", nowadays pretty much anything is defined as "cooperating" even if the information given doesn't help at all. Maybe I'm too idealistic but if I was deemed a suspect in a disappearance and possible murder investigation and if I knew that I had nothing to do with it, my first instinct would be to talk to detectives to clear my name immediately, not ask for a lawyer. Usually it's quite telling when suspects ask for a lawyer and I know for a fact that LE look into that very much. We've all seem numerous cases when an individual says something like "I won't talk without a lawyer" or "I want a lawyer right now" and usually they end up being involved one way or another.

Not a wise decision on your part. Having the lawyer walk you through it has nothing to do with whether you are cooperating or not. I would imagine 99% of people interviewed by LE who have a lawyer are innocent. You just never hear about the tens of thousands of interviews done with LE and lawyers present.

 

[Tarik]

I agree. I don't understand those who want to jump on hiring an attorney as a red flag when, given the means, each one of us would hire an attorney for our child should they be questioned by police regarding the disappearance of an acquaintance. If you didn't do that for your child I would call you foolish.

Not a wise decision on your part. Having the lawyer walk you through it has nothing to do with whether you are cooperating or not. I would imagine 99% of people interviewed by LE who have a lawyer are innocent. You just never hear about the tens of thousands of interviews done with LE and lawyers present.

There is a difference between hiring an attorney for your child as a safety measure to protect their rights and getting an attorney on your own when you are a person of interest.


Well maybe I'm naive but if I want to clear my name, my first thought will not be to get an attorney. My first thought will be to go to law enforcement and ask them how I can help, tell them everything I know and maybe THEN get an attorney if I feel like they still believe I was involved in some way even after I speak with them. Again, that's just me. I've never been in the situation of being a person of interest in a police investigation so I don't know for sure how I would react on the spot. A lawyer will tell me to keep quiet to avoid self-incrimination but if I know I did nothing wrong then there is no reason for me to exercise my right to remain silent or my right to an attorney.

 

[Kmiller7779]

I think the main point I would make about Peter is why was he the only one focused on? When she went to see him, he was in his hotel room with the other guys he traveled from Rochester with. None of them were ever focused upon like Peter was yet they were there when she arrived and later left. With that in mind, I do not approve of how those kids acted in the aftermath of her disappearance but I do not think they had anything to do with her disappearance.

 

[Tarik]

Peter Brozowitz was looked at so much because he knew Brittanee from school and allegedly was one of the last people seen with her. Also, from what I remember reading on news articles and blogs, Peter's actions prior to Brittanee going missing and after her going missing were very strange and suspicious to say the least. For instance, him and his group of friends left Myrtle Beach in a hurry a mere 4 hours after Britanee vanished. This was at 1 AM. If you have nothing to hide, why would you abruptly leave your hotel room in the middle of the night to travel all the way back to Rochester, which btw is 13 hours away by car?? It makes not one bit of sense, nobody I know suddenly decides to head back home in the middle of night after a disappearance occured nearby unless they were somehow involved or scared into leaving. Also, Peter's appearance on Dr. Phil a month later was less than convincing. He tried to clear his name but ultimately he came off as a very cocky and argumentative person who doesn't seem to care a lot about his "friend" going missing. He also changed his story several times. While I don't believe he was necessarily directly involved, I think he knows a lot more than he is saying. In all honesty, I think he only has himself to blame for being looked at as a suspect and a bad guy.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Brittanee Drexel family still searching for answers seven years after her disappearance

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/crime/article73411197.html

Monday marks seven years since 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel disappeared from Myrtle Beach’s busy Ocean Boulevard area while visiting the Grand Strand on spring break from New York, and vigils will be held in Myrtle Beach and her home state of New York.

“It’s just devastating for the family to have to go through this year after year after year,” Carol Wagner, Drexel’s grandmother, said as she stood at a memorial tree planted several years ago for Drexel at Grand Park at The Market Common.

“Even though it’s been seven years it feels really fresh,” she said as she helped Drexel’s grandfather Alan spread fresh mulch around the memorial tree, carefully dusting off painted stone mementos.

Myrtle Beach police continue to investigate leads on the case, but no arrests have been made.

“It’s still an active investigation. Officers and investigators are continuing to actively investigate leads,” said Lt. Joey Crosby with Myrtle Beach police.
Carol Wagner and Brittanee’s mother Dawn Drexel said they think Brittanee was trafficked.

“We have investigated various theories and possibilities, and we will continue to investigate various theories and possibilities until this is resolved,” Crosby said when asked about the family’s trafficking theory.

 

[stillwatersc]

http://wpde.com/news/local/vigil-tonight-to-mark-seven-years-since-brittanee-drexel-went-missing

The vigil to mark the day she was last seen and raise awareness about her case will be held at 7 p.m. tonight, April 25, at the tree in the Market Common that was planted in her honor.

 

[stillwatersc]

http://wpde.com/news/local/brittanee-drexels-grandparents-7-years-later-were-not-going-to-give-up

The Wagners say they are not giving up hope.
"We're not going to give up. We're going to always search for Brittanee in hopes we're going to find her one day. Hopefully we'll get some answers soon. Seven years is way too long," said Wagner.
Wagner said she just wants everyone, no matter how old they are, to be conscious of their surroundings.
"Let all those kids that are out there walking alone at night, it's not safe. No matter where you go be aware of your surroundings," said Wagner.

IMO the Wagners think their granddaughter was abducted by a stranger based on bolded quote.

 

[kimi_SFC]

Thank you for the updates stillwatersc.

Seven long years and seventeen threads... We here at WS remain steadfast in the quest to #FindBrittanee
:candle:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[somequestions]

What is so strange about Brittanee Drexel's case is that cell phone and her belongings. If, for example, she was kidnapped, she did not drop anything or lose a flip flop? Then there is that cell phone which is somehow moving fast enough to be moving, but slow enough to be confusing. And there is the texting with her boyfriend. Does she usually just abruptly end conversations over text?

That phone had to be ringing or vibrating(whatever she had it set on) when her mom and others were trying to contact her. Her boyfriend did the smart thing by letting her mother know right away that something was wrong. I was surprised the kidnapper did not turn it off earlier or at least get rid of it so it remained stationary. I know there is the possibility that Brittanee and her kidnapper stopped and then started driving again, but it seemed odd to me how long it took to get to where the cell phone last pinged.

I thought maybe she accidentally dropped her phone in a sewer grate or manhole, but then how would it move all the way down south?

The only thing I can think of is taxis. Maybe someone picked her up, put her in the trunk, and had her bag. Then continued with their job until they went home. So they figure they will not be a suspect because they have an alibi. But then she might be making noise in the trunk. Maybe the person had some type of drug to use so it was an ambulance?

The one thing you can at least guess to a certain extent is that there is a strong possibility that whoever kidnapped her saw her for only a few moments on the walk back. The reason I think that is because once she is inside the Blue Water Resort there is no telling how long she is going to be there. She might have stayed for hours if her friend had not asked for her shorts back. I personally think it is someone who either knew she was going back to her hotel or saw her leave the Blue Water Resort and followed her right from there. If they approach her, I think it was because they saw her walking and offered her a ride. That could be anyone, but a taxi driver might seem safer than just anyone. Yet again though it does not make a lot of sense because the cell phone ended up tracking south, which was the opposite direction of where she was walking that night. That makes me think that the kidnapper came from the north. Or he turned the car around.

Missing persons cases like this one are very tough to solve.

 

[Kmiller7779]

The cell phone definitely makes it perplexing. She abruptly stopped using it, yet it continued to receive calls and texts from her friends and family. Indeed, whoever she was with allowed it to remain on.

 

[Caffeine]

It seems like in cases like this the phone raises more questions than anything. But it seems evident that whatever happened, it happened quickly and her phone soon was not accessible to her.

I think she likely realized she was in danger almost immediately and the phone was to be taken from her.

Had this been a bad guy using the guise that he was just a nice guy offering her a ride, one would think this would have been a slower series of events that unfolded, resulting in uneasy feelings about the situation. I think that would have led to at least some sort of distress message via text.

However that didn't happen. The phone remained on but she didn't use it. Whatever happened, it occurred quickly and I think she probably knew she was in danger within moments of the event.

 

[scaredtopost]

Also, cell phone ping data wasn't as common as it is these days. It's likely the perpetrator did not consider this when he abducted her, if that's what occurred. JMO

 

[pomegranate]

What if Brittanee lost her phone, or someone stole it? Maybe she was looking for it and couldn't text or call anyone whenever she was taken? Her phone could have gone in one direction while she was going in another. Maybe this has been discussed before, but I'm just trying to think of different angles.