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

[CanSleuth]

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.

I suppose anything is possible, but it seems unlikely that she lost her phone or had it stolen right in the middle of a text conversation with her boyfriend. Her communication with him abruptly stopped, which is what caused him to become concerned in the first place. I wonder if she was grabbed from behind as she walked, and dragged into a vehicle or forced into its trunk. She may have dropped her phone when grabbed, or was forced to turn it over if her kidnapper had a weapon. In the heat of the moment the abductor may have slipped her phone into his pocket and then sped away, forgetting to turn it off. I think the phone was ultimately ditched in the swamp, possibly not too far from her body.

 

[CanSleuth]

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.

I suppose anything is possible, but it seems unlikely that she lost her phone or had it stolen right in the middle of a text conversation with her boyfriend. Her communication with him abruptly stopped, which is what caused him to become concerned in the first place. I wonder if she was grabbed from behind as she walked, and dragged into a vehicle or forced into its trunk. She may have dropped her phone when grabbed, or was forced to turn it over if her kidnapper had a weapon. In the heat of the moment the abductor may have slipped her phone into his pocket and then sped away, forgetting to turn it off. I think the phone was ultimately ditched in the swamp, possibly not too far from her body.

 

[Kmiller7779]

Brittanee's parents disclosed that they will be meeting with MB LE soon. New technology may be able to shed some light on the case.

 

[Caffeine]

I suppose anything is possible, but it seems unlikely that she lost her phone or had it stolen right in the middle of a text conversation with her boyfriend. Her communication with him abruptly stopped, which is what caused him to become concerned in the first place. I wonder if she was grabbed from behind as she walked, and dragged into a vehicle or forced into its trunk. She may have dropped her phone when grabbed, or was forced to turn it over if her kidnapper had a weapon. In the heat of the moment the abductor may have slipped her phone into his pocket and then sped away, forgetting to turn it off. I think the phone was ultimately ditched in the swamp, possibly not too far from her body.

I think this is most plausible. Her phone likely traveled with her but she was unable to access it. During the travel getting rid of her was likely the first priority and then ditching the phone may have been the abductor(s) last loose end to tie up. Either way, I think she traveled the same path as her phone and she's in that in the area of where the phone last pinged.

But with the terrain, that narrows it down but it is still a needle in a haystack type search.

 

[Tarik]

What I don't understand is how nobody on the street saw her get abducted. It must have happened very quickly or conveniently enough nobody was looking in that direction at the time.

 

[carbuff]

What I don't understand is how nobody on the street saw her get abducted. It must have happened very quickly or conveniently enough nobody was looking in that direction at the time.

It's shocking how quickly someone can be snatched.

 

[JnRyan]

It's shocking how quickly someone can be snatched.

I find it amazing, but look at the Kelsey Smith abduction/murder. Hard to see, but it is at about 6:00 in this video.

[video=youtube;qyKO4QYVGzw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyKO4QYVGzw[/video]

And Kelsey Smith was 5'6" - bigger than Brittanee. The murderer did it in the daylight in a Target parking lot. If it hadn't been for the surveillance camera in the parking lot LE would not have known what happened. Her abductor was not a big man. He had the element of surprise.

There is another one on the internet that happened in Philadelphia where the abductor dragged the victim for half a block.

Brittanee was walking at night and probably looking her phone rather than her surroundings. She was probably assaulted so fast that she didn't drop her phone till she was in the abductor's vehicle.

I would really like to see a break in this case - someone makes a confession while drunk or mentions this as a threat to a girlfriend - and they get this guy.

 

[carbuff]

I find it amazing, but look at the Kelsey Smith abduction/murder. Hard to see, but it is at about 6:00 in this video.

[video=youtube;qyKO4QYVGzw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyKO4QYVGzw[/video]

And Kelsey Smith was 5'6" - bigger than Brittanee. The murderer did it in the daylight in a Target parking lot. If it hadn't been for the surveillance camera in the parking lot LE would not have known what happened. Her abductor was not a big man. He had the element of surprise.

There is another one on the internet that happened in Philadelphia where the abductor dragged the victim for half a block.

Brittanee was walking at night and probably looking her phone rather than her surroundings. She was probably assaulted so fast that she didn't drop her phone till she was in the abductor's vehicle.

I would really like to see a break in this case - someone makes a confession while drunk or mentions this as a threat to a girlfriend - and they get this guy.

A few years back, local LE did a demonstration for the parents at my son's high school. One cop walked along the sidewalk and the other drove a car past her--passenger side window open. Driver grabbed the walker through the window and pulled her in driving about 10mph and didn't even slow down. The walker was trained and expecting it and still didn't get out more than a yelp before she was gone.

 

[Tarik]

Ocean Boulevard is a very busy street as seen in that video surveillance of Brittanee so there had to have been at least 20 to 30 people near her at the time she vanished. I still have a hard time believing that no one saw anything. You can try and attempt an abduction from a vehicle on any busy street and I guarantee you that 9 times out of 10 you will have at least a couple of people witness something unusual and suspicious. That's something that I would like explained. Furthermore, nobody reported hearing any screaming which is very odd as well because I highly doubt Brittanee willingly got into a vehicle.

 

[Caffeine]

I've only been to MB a few times, but Ocean Blvd is generally pretty busy so I think ultimately we have two scenarios if she was in fact abducted - she willingly got into a strangers car on that busy road or she veered off onto a less traveled side street or was forcibly taken and was managed to be unseen by anyone.

 

[Tarik]

I've only been to MB a few times, but Ocean Blvd is generally pretty busy so I think ultimately we have two scenarios if she was in fact abducted - she willingly got into a strangers car on that busy road or she veered off onto a less traveled side street or was forcibly taken and was managed to be unseen by anyone.

I didn't know her personally but I doubt she would willingly get into a car in the middle of a busy Blvd unless she knew the person(s) in that car. Nobody reported seeing anything suspicious or hearing any screams which would suggest some level of trust if that is indeed what happened. As for veering off a smaller street, it was my understanding that Brittanee was spotted texting on her phone on Ocean Blvd so we have no indications of her having been abducted on a smaller street.

 

[Kmiller7779]

That area around the Bluewater Resort is known to be secluded. Lots of parking decks around. It was dark at that time of night.

 

[Kmiller7779]

Recall the incidence a little more than a year later when a teenage girl was walking in the same area very close to the Bluewater Resort and a van pulled up behind her and 2 guys jumped out and tried to drag her into the van. She fought them off, but they were never found. I don't think the van was ever found either. Personally, I think something similar happened to Britt. Police never said there was a connection between the 2, but seems like so many similarities. The other girl was a petite blonde haired girl walking alone as well. This happened in broad daylight and no one else witnessed it along Ocean Blvd. You can read about it in earlier threads in this forum.

 

[Caffeine]

I didn't know her personally but I doubt she would willingly get into a car in the middle of a busy Blvd unless she knew the person(s) in that car. Nobody reported seeing anything suspicious or hearing any screams which would suggest some level of trust if that is indeed what happened. As for veering off a smaller street, it was my understanding that Brittanee was spotted texting on her phone on Ocean Blvd so we have no indications of her having been abducted on a smaller street.

I know what you are saying, and I generally agree because let's say a dilapidated old van with two surly looking 50 year old men pulled up and offered her a ride...she surely would decline but what if a few younger men in a new car pulled up and asked. She was a very young girl, and perhaps would have done so under certain circumstances.

It's hard to say for sure but I wouldn't say it's impossible she willingly took a ride from a stranger, depending on her impression of the people.

 

[Tarik]

I know what you are saying, and I generally agree because let's say a dilapidated old van with two surly looking 50 year old men pulled up and offered her a ride...she surely would decline but what if a few younger men in a new car pulled up and asked. She was a very young girl, and perhaps would have done so under certain circumstances.

It's hard to say for sure but I wouldn't say it's impossible she willingly took a ride from a stranger, depending on her impression of the people.

After she got angry with her friend about returning a pair of shorts and having her other friends do drugs, ditch her and treat her badly? I doubt it.

 

[Caffeine]

After she got angry with her friend about returning a pair of shorts and having her other friends do drugs, ditch her and treat her badly? I doubt it.

I don't get it. Your rebuttal pretty much confirms my thoughts...she was unhappy with her friends there and perhaps open to meeting other people.

 

[scaredtopost]

This time of year isn't quite as busy as you might imagine. While MB attracts lots of Spring Break students, these breaks often fall on different weeks, depending upon location. Therefore, it's not insanely crowded during Spring Break, as opposed to summertime. JMO

 

[rob]

I know what you are saying, and I generally agree because let's say a dilapidated old van with two surly looking 50 year old men pulled up and offered her a ride...she surely would decline but what if a few younger men in a new car pulled up and asked. She was a very young girl, and perhaps would have done so under certain circumstances.

It's hard to say for sure but I wouldn't say it's impossible she willingly took a ride from a stranger, depending on her impression of the people.

When the young guy in the new car is someone she met earlier and spoke to at the pool or on the beach, she doesn't consider him a stranger. This, to me, is the problem.

 

[carbuff]

When the young guy in the new car is someone she met earlier and spoke to at the pool or on the beach, she doesn't consider him a stranger. This, to me, is the problem.

Yeah, I can picture him/them saying, "Hey, we're heading over to the place where we were when you met us on Tuesday. Wanna come? We'll make sure you get back on time."

I kind of think it was more than one person...and as soon as she got in, it was too late.

 

[Tarik]

I don't get it. Your rebuttal pretty much confirms my thoughts...she was unhappy with her friends there and perhaps open to meeting other people.

How many people do you know who, when they are unhappy with their friends and when they want to meet other people, end up accepting a ride in a vehicle from complete strangers at night on a busy street?