FBI: Missing teen Brittanee Drexel was killed in McClellanville area

Investigators revealed Wednesday that the case of a teen, who went missing while on vacation in Myrtle Beach seven years ago, is now being investigated as a murder.

“After seven long years of waiting and praying for the return of my daughter we know that she isn’t coming home alive,” said Dawn Drexel, mother of Brittanee Drexel, who was 17 and on vacation in Myrtle Beach with friends when she was reported missing in April 2009.

David Thomas, a special agent in charge with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said that officials believe Brittanee Drexel was held against her will in the McClellanville area for several days before she was killed. Officers would not say whether the remains of Drexel were ever found or exactly why they believe she is no longer alive.

An attorney for the Drexel family, Bradley Conway, said that the family didn’t learn that Brittanee Drexel had been killed until they were told by officers on Tuesday. Conway said the last few days have been real hard for the family.

“Brittanee’s life was stolen from her in a brutal and senseless fashion,” Dawn Drexel said slowly at a news conference in McClellanville on Wednesday afternoon. “I need your help for bringing the people responsible for her death to justice.”

Investigators wouldn’t comment on whether sex trafficking may have been involved in the case, but Thomas did say they believe she was seen by more than one person while she was in the area.

“We do know that Brittanee was in this community for several days. It wasn’t just a one-time passing through so by being here for several days other people came in contact with her, saw her, knew that she was here so we know that there is information in the community here,” Thomas said, asking anyone with even the smallest detail to come forward.

To entice more leads, Thomas said the FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for anyone with information that can lead them to Drexel’s killer.

“On Wednesday, April 24, 2009, Brittanee Drexel left Rochester, N.Y., with friends to travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for spring break,” said Lt. Joey Crosby with the Myrtle Beach Police Department. “The next day Brittanee disappeared. We know that Brittanee made it to the Blue Water Resort. The last time we saw her was on a surveillance camera leaving the resort on April 25, 2009. That image was captured and since then Brittanee has been missing.”

Crosby said officers have conducted hundreds of interviews and “followed just as many leads across this country.”

But investigators say they still aren’t sure exactly what happened to Drexel or how many were involved in her kidnapping and ultimate death.

Drexel’s family never lost hope for Brittanee Drexel’s return, holding annual vigils in her honor and celebrating each birthday in her memory. An unlit candle, a teddy bear, flowers and other tokens of remembrance were around a tree Tuesday in Grand Park near The Market Common. The family planted “Britt’s Tree” in her honor.

“We met with the Drexel family the very first day. We made a promise to them” to see the case to its conclusion, Crosby said. “We promised to do everything in our power, use every resource available and work together as a team to achieve that goal. We will not give up. We will not stop this investigation and we will continue to work this investigation until we have achieved this goal.”

Police and CUE Center for Missing Persons searched areas in Georgetown and Charleston counties after learning Drexel’s cellphone gave off its last known signal on April 26, 2009 in Georgetown County.

“We think we’re at a point where one or two small pieces of new information could put us over the edge,” Thomas said, adding that officials were holding the news conference in McClellanville for a reason. “I do know that there are people here that understand and know what happened. ... We’re focusing on this area because we know she was here, but there could be numerous people involved. We’re still investigating all of that.”

Dawn Drexel pleaded with anyone with information to come forward.

“Please help us to bring these killers to justice. Help us to put them in prison where they belong for the rest of their miserable lives,” she said. “They will never again take one of our children away in such a brutal fashion. We need your help so we can find Brittanee’s remains and bring her home to lay her to rest and make sure that monsters like this can no longer victimize this community or kill anyone else’s child.”

Brittanee Drexel’s father, Chad Drexel, offered a final plea with tear-stained cheeks.

“We need everyone’s help to bring something from her home to us,” he said.

“Seven years,” he cried, “please help.”

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 843-918-1382 or the CUE Center for Missing Persons’ 24-hour tip line at 910-232-1687.

This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 2:13 PM with the headline "FBI: Missing teen Brittanee Drexel was killed in McClellanville area."