Raymond Moody sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of New York teen Brittanee Drexel
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A South Carolina sex offender will spend the rest of his life in prison for the kidnapping, rape and murder of New York teen Brittanee Drexel who disappeared 13 years ago while on spring break in Myrtle Beach.
Raymond Moody, 62, appeared before a judge and Drexel’s family in the Georgetown County courtroom on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to his crimes, calling himself “a monster.”
“I was a monster and I killed Brittanee Drexel,” he said. “I have no words to express how awful I feel and have felt since that day.”
It marks the first time Moody has appeared in court since his arrest in early May, which led to his confession to Drexel’s murder. A week later, he led investigators to Drexel’s remains, nearly 13 years after she was last seen.
Brittanee Drexel’s remains were found in May this year, nearly 13 years after she disappeared during spring break in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in April 2009.
Raymond Moody, 62, appeared before a judge and Drexel’s family in the Georgetown County courtroom on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to his crimes, calling himself “a monster.”
Investigators said Moody kidnapped Drexel in Myrtle Beach in 2009 and took her to his home in Georgetown County, where he sexually assaulted her, killed her and buried her body hours later.
In 2012, Moody was considered a person of interest in her case, but he was never charged and the case went silent.
A rift in the case came in May 2022 when he was arrested for obstruction of justice. According to police, he then admitted to raping and murdering Drexel on April 25, 2009.
A week later, Moody led authorities to Drexel’s body buried in the grounds of his Georgetown home.
Her remains were positively identified using dental records and DNA. It was later determined by a coroner that Drexel died of strangulation.
Drexel was just 17 years old when she was last seen walking between hotels in Myrtle Beach in April 2009. Her boyfriend, who stayed at home in Rochester, New York, was concerned when she stopped answering texts
Wednesday marked the first time Moody appeared in court since his arrest in early May, leading to his confession to Drexel’s murder and the discovery of her remains.
After Moody pleaded guilty in court on Wednesday, Judge Ferrell Cothran Jr. him to consecutive 30-year prison terms on charges of kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct, and a life sentence on the murder charge.
The judge then told Moody that “that act you did was horrific,” adding that he “gave up the long-term happiness of many people for your immediate pleasure.”
For 13 years, Drexel’s parents, Dawn Pleckan and Chad Drexel, searched for her. On Wednesday, they were able to speak directly to her killer.
“13 years later I discovered the horrible, disgusting, senseless way she was murdered,” said Chad Drexel, Brittanee’s adoptive father.
“Every part of my being wants to say and do something about it. But my heart knows I won’t, and Brittanee wouldn’t want me to go to jail for that.”
Drexel’s mother, Dawn Pleckan, spoke directly to Moody:
“I’m so glad my daughter was feisty, she fought back,” Pleckan said. “She was fighting for her life. We now know that she has scratched your head, face and neck. You will forever bear the scars of what my daughter did to you, and I hope you are haunted by what you did to her.”
Drexel’s mother, Dawn Pleckan, spoke directly to Moody: ‘You will forever bear the scars of what my daughter did to you, and I hope you are haunted by what you did to her’
Chad Drexel, Brittanee’s adoptive father, said ’13 years later I discovered the horrific, disgusting, senseless way she was murdered’, adding that he wants to do something about it but knows Brittanee wouldn’t want him to. to prison
A memorial tree in honor of Drexel was planted in 2012 in Grand Park near Myrtle Beach
Drexel was just 17 years old when she was last seen between hotels in Myrtle Beach in 2009. Her boyfriend, who stayed at home in Rochester, New York, became concerned when she stopped answering texts.
The teen had traveled from Rochester to Myrtle Beach with some friends without telling her parents and disappeared without a trace after leaving her boyfriend’s hotel on April 25.
Officials say the teen was kidnapped that night by Raymond Douglas Moody, who raped and murdered her before burying her body in the woods the next day.
Drexel’s body was found in May 2022 in Georgetown County, about 55 miles down the coast from where she disappeared. The discovery came after a deluge of tips and investigation, including Moody’s arrest on May 4 for obstruction of justice.
Moody, 62, who has an “extensive history of sex offenders,” was charged and arrested in the case.
He is also on the South Carolina sex offender registry for 1983 California convictions for sodomy by assault on anyone under 14 and kidnapping, according to State Law Enforcement Division Records.