The remains of a 17-year-old Rochester girl were found in South Carolina last week, more than a decade after she disappeared during a spring break in Myrtle Beach – and a man was arrested for her murder, law enforcement officials said Monday.
The body of Brittany Drexel, who was reported missing on April 25, 2009, was found Wednesday in Georgetown County, not far from the popular holiday destination where she was last seen, the Georgetown County Sheriff told a news conference Monday.
“This is really the mother’s worst nightmare,” Brittany’s mother Dawn Drexel told a news conference.
“I grieve for my beautiful daughter Brittany, as I have for 13 years, but today it is bitter. We are much closer to closure and the peace we desperately hoped for. “
Police have arrested careerist Raymond Douglas Moody of Georgetown and charged him with first-degree murder, kidnapping and criminal sexual behavior.
The remains of 17-year-old Brittany Drexel were discovered in South Carolina last week more than a decade after she was first reported missing in August 2009. AP
Moody allegedly strangled Drexel the day she disappeared and buried her body the next day, according to the sheriff.
The long-running investigation led police to an area in Georgetown where Drexel’s body was believed to be buried. Her remains were identified as a positive match through dental records and DNA tests, police said.
Drexel was last seen on Ocean Boulevard after leaving the hotel where she was staying at Myrtle Beach.
Raymond Moody was arrested in connection with the murder of Brittany Drexel. AP
Investigators said they never stopped looking for her and her killer.
Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver addressed his family at a news conference Monday.
“To the Drexel family, we grieve with you and pray for you as you deal with the tragedies of 13 years ago,” he said. “No one deserves to go through this and our hearts are with you. Our only hope is that this discovery will allow your family to grieve properly for Brittany.
Brittany’s mother Drexel Dawn Drexel said “this is really the mother’s worst nightmare.” AP
Dawn Drexel said the family is organizing a celebration of their daughter’s life in both Rochester and Myrtle Beach.
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter,” she said. “The search for Brittanee is now a pursuit of Brittanee’s justice.
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