Brittanee Marie Drexel, missing since 4/25/09 from Myrtle Beach, SC

[Kat_Gram]

There wasn't enough time for the BF to get from NY to MB and then back again.
Not that he maybe wasn't getting pissy, but no time.
 

[cookie]

There wasn't enough time for the BF to get from NY to MB and then back again.
Not that he maybe wasn't getting pissy, but no time.
 

probably not enough time...

[klaasend]

http://www.thesunnews.com/news/local/story/884102.html

Posted on Sat, May. 02, 2009
Cell-phone signal led searchers to river to look for missing N.Y. girl

Staff reports
After a fruitless effort Saturday, many of the groups searching for a missing New York teenager say they will not return Sunday to the riverside area where her cell phone last gave off a signal.

As many as 50 people - including local law enforcement officials, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, rescue dog teams and private search groups - searched the area around U.S. 17 and the South Santee River near the Georgetown-Charleston county line on Saturday for 17-year-old Brittanee Marie Drexel.

Drexel's cell phone gave off its last known signal there Sunday, but was not in use at the time and investigators have not determined how it got there, said Georgetown County Sheriff Lane Cribb on Saturday. Phones normally give off a signal until their batteries run out, he said.

Helicopters, land and water teams are all lookied for the Rochester girl, but neither she nor her phone was found, Cribb said. Only Myrtle Beach police are expected to return to the area on Sunday.

Drexel was reported missing Sunday after she was last seen leaving one Myrtle Beach hotel on foot but failed to show up at another one. She is still considered a missing person, and police are continuing to speak to people around the hotels in hopes of finding someone who saw her.

[Anna]

Thanks for the photos, Klaas.  Glad to see the dogs are in use.  They should be able to find that cell phone provided it was not tossed in the water but on land.

From the behavior of LE I am hoping they know something but even if they do, it is still not looking good for any good resolution to this disappearance.

[Kat_Gram]

I did a read around mostly at In Session. They have articles etc.
Also Mrs. Drexel was on Geraldo tonight.
Some of the facts are confusing, the ones that speak of who she texted last, etc.
Some of the things I gleaned give me a different impression of what was going on with Britanee. It's just an impression.
She was depressed and had a new prescription. Taking the divorce and the house foreclosure very badly.
She was hanging around with the boys that included Peter B as there had been some disagreements with the girls she came with. She wasn't at their hotel very long.
She had been texting her boyfriend back in Rochester that evening. When he could not get a response, he called her mother. Dawn called John Hahn. He went to MB.
Dawn called the Rochester LE and the missing persons report was filed by John Hahn at 4:51 am. Hahn is a family friend and he was closer than Dawn to MB.
We don't know the state of mind of Brittanee or what she was saying to her boyfriend.
He was alarmed enough when he couldn't contact her again to call her mother who got the ball rolling with everyone.
........
The one thing that wasn't clear in anything I read was if Peter B was aware that she was " missing " when they left MB.
..
Her state of mind is important in this. It might have made her take a big risk and wind up with people she hardly knew.
   

[cookie]

^^^^ You could be right Kat...seemed this little girl had a lot on her mind and heart...her friends by the sounds of things kindof abandoned her ....leaving her stuff at the hotel and just taking off, if that is true...poor kid...hope that she is ok still....
I watched Geraldo last night too....just the beginning....was there more after the Pres. Obama segment on B ?

does anyone know if the step father adopted her? I noticed that her name is not the same as the bio fathers?

[Kat_Gram]

I don't get Fox or Geraldo.
I just went around and read and posted what seemd to be the facts.
I know nothing about if the step Dad adopted her or what that situation was.
Her mother put some money in Brit's debit account as it was at zero.
..
They are getting some press coverage and that is good in case someone saw her. The poster that her family and friends are handing out is also good.
 

[always 1]

No new news today.  It cannot be good though, that she is not using her phone or her debit card.

[Kat_Gram]

There has been only one police report. The original missing persons that was filed.
It was in the Rochester newspaper, but now it is gone or the link isn't working.
 

[Anna]

Was hoping someone of us had found some news. 

I hope she did not take up with just anybody out of desperation of some sort.
She is so young and the young do often seek permanent solutions to temporary situations.

But wouldn't a suicide be likely to leave in plain sight?  Wouldn't bother to conceal the body, etc.   

Don't know what to think but can't come up with anything plausible that has a good ending right now and gets worse with each passing day as someone would have seen her for sure.

Will continue to pray and hope but she had already made one bad judgment going without permission and with a group she didn't know that well so perhaps she made other bad decisions especially under influenece of new medication?

[Kat_Gram]

I am all over the map of possibilities with this one too.
She was out there alone, 1000 miles from home, no money to speak of.
Friends she went down there with, having a disagreement. The boys weren't paying any attention to her. Probaly thinking what kind of heck she is going to get from her Mother and BF for leaving and going on that trip in the first place. Cell phone battery low. Ugh.

[Nut44x4]

Sorry if this has been posted....

Missing Teen in South Carolina Has Florida Ties
Updated: 5/3/2009 10:12:37 AM

CARROLLWOOD, FL-- "She's five feet tall, about 103 pounds with a skinny frame. She's just an All-American girl," said Sera Sarikaya of Tampa, describing her cousin Brittanee Drexel, who disappeared last week while on Spring Break in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Since then, the seventeen-year-old has made national news and, it turns out, she has ties to Tampa. The teen's father and extended family live in the Bay area.

Today, her aunt Filiz and cousin Sera hit the streets of Ybor City with flyers of Brittanee's face in hopes of finding some trace of the teen.

While Brittanee lives with her mother in New York, she visits her father in Florida from time to time. Her family says she was supposed to spend Spring Break at her father John's home in Carrollwood but she made a snap decision to go to Myrtle Beach with her friends instead.

Brittanee's friends say the last time they saw her was last Saturday night when she left to visit another friend - alone.

"The FBI is on this. So are the local authorities in Myrtle Beach and the Adam Walsh Foundation," said Sarikaya.

The girl's father, John, is alongside those authorities in Myrtle Beach - a Spring Break hot spot - that he describes as, "no good."

"[He says] everyone's drunk or on something. He's like, there are so many back alleys," Sarikaya told 10 Connects about what her cousin John told her over the phone.

It is no surprise that this family fears the worst. "That my cousin is going to find her body... I hope it does not come to that," said Filiz Odabas of Tampa.

Through the tears, this family keeps the faith that Brittanee will come home safe and soon.

The family insists that even though Brittanee was sad about her parents' divorce, she is still a happy kid who would never run away.

If you know anything about this case, you're asked to call the authorities at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/florida/news-article.aspx?storyid=137126&provider=rss

[cookie]

snip from Nuts post above: Her family says she was supposed to spend Spring Break at her father John's home in Carrollwood but she made a snap decision to go to Myrtle Beach with her friends instead.

this is different than what her mother said...she said that B had asked about going to MB for spring break and was told no...so this was no snap decision as I see it...this is the first that I personally have heard that she was to go to her fathers for spring break....
also, her mother thought that she had gone away for a few days to hang out with her friend since she was very angry about being told no to going on spring break...It would seem that going to the friends house was an obvious cover and the intent all along was to sneak to MB right?
also, when they keep mentioning the divorce that she is upset about, that would be with her mother and her current husband....not with her bio dad and mother...I am still wondering why B went by the last name of Drexel since that is not bio dad's last name, unless the step dad adopted her...
regardless of all this, I hope that this little girl is found safe....it is getting scarier and scarier...

[always 1]

I am all over the map of possibilities with this one too.
She was out there alone, 1000 miles from home, no money to speak of.
Friends she went down there with, having a disagreement. The boys weren't paying any attention to her. Probaly thinking what kind of heck she is going to get from her Mother and BF for leaving and going on that trip in the first place. Cell phone battery low. Ugh.

Kat do you think since they havent found a body, either homicide or suicide, that it is possible she planned the runaway and has another means of support in place so she doesnt have to use her phone or her debit card???

[Kat_Gram]

I don't think she planned anything like running away. She is only 17 and I doubt if
she had any cash other than what she scrapped up to go to MB.
.
I just think her state of mind is important. We don't know if she had been drinking with those boys. Those meds were anti depressants. Her mother had said it was a new 'script. Prescription drugs and booze ? never good in any age, never mind a 17 year old.
..
She could have gone with some people she hardly knew, or got into a car willingly to get where she was going. Probably easy prey.

[Rob]

http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S912044.shtml?cat=565

Missing teenager’s mom: “Someone took my daughter.”
Posted at: 05/03/2009 5:03 PM | WHEC.com
Updated at: 05/03/2009 5:31 PM
By: Deanna King

Myrtle Beach Police continued searching Sunday for a missing Chili teenager.

Brittanee Drexel went missing over a week ago while on spring break. In the past two days 50 men and women searched the woods and water. However, on Sunday police say only a handful of officers continued the search.

"I seriously think someone took my daughter or she may not be alive," said Dawn Drexel, Brittanee's mother.

The Gates Chili High School Junior was last seen leaving a hotel in Myrtle Beach where a bunch of her friends were staying. Drexel says police have questioned all of them.

"As far as I know they’ve done what they needed to do as far as those boys are concerned back home," said Drexel. "They’re not persons of interest anymore."

Brittanee's cell phone gave off its last signal 30 miles south of Myrtle Beach. However, police say she never made a call. Drexel says her daughter would never just run off even though she had a lot on her plate.

"Brittanee would have come back by now," said Drexel. "I don't want the media making this out like this is all about her depression because it's not." 

Back at home, strangers are coming forward to help. Zach Smith and his family sold hotdogs in their front yard and collected bottles and cans. They are raising money so the Drexel family can stay in South Carolina and search for Brittanee.

"I hope they find her," said Smith.

"I know they're doing everything they can so hopefully they'll find her safe soon," said Zach's father JP Smith. "I love my kids and I don't know what I would do if something like that ever happened." 

Drexel says this community is getting her through these very difficult days.

"Thank god we have all the support and love and everything else from back home," said Drexel. "It’s difficult. No parent should ever have to go through this. Ever!"

 For more Rochester, NY news go to whec.com

[Rob]

Wow!!!! just WOW!!

I think we really need to dig deep and see what could have happened to Brittanee.

[cookie]

so, is the mother saying that even that Peter guy is/was cleared? that he is not a person of interest? what gives?
can they not trace her steps somehow from one hotel to another? so many cameras around everywhere..nothing?

[Kat_Gram]

Peter B is cleared ? Well I guess for the time being.
What they aren't giving out is where she was going when she left. She texted ?? and said she was going not to return the shorts, but to another hotel.
This Peter B did not speak to police in MB until Wednesday after he had a lawyer.
He might have cleared out because he knew he was going to be questioned.
This girl was in a club or two and was underage.
The police are pretty tight lipped about everything so I guess that leaves us to speculate.

[Rob]

As I said the other day - THIS IS ONE OF THE STRANGEST DISAPPEARANCES I'VE EVER SEEN. We have every manner of disappearance in our archives, so nothing is really new, just perplexing. And this is one of the most perplexing cases I've seen in quite some time.

This case is similar to Kara Kopetsky and both Kara and Brittanee are almost certainly crime victims. I don't believe that if either were able to call their parents - they wouldn't. Even kids that briefly runaway - eventually come home and call their parents. Young kids and teenagers do not have a concept of time that adults possess. Time for a teenager is much different that for an adult and we all remember what "time" was like when we were that age. A week is forever.

Let's go back to the beginning - that's always the best place to start.

Brittanee received a call to return a shirt or shorts and left the hotel. She is seen on tape leaving. That alone seems to clear Mr. Brozowitz / Broswick. (I've seen his name spelled both ways and I have no idea why this is still not straightened out).

But does that really clear him? I say no. He could have easily left the building right after Brittanee through another door and followed her and "accidentally" ran into her around the back or on the side of the building.

The police asked him to call and text Brittanee and that alone is one of the strangest investigative techniques I think I've ever seen. When was the last time you heard that the police asked that last person to see the missing person to continue calling the missing person. That's just odd on that face of it and adds another layer of perplexion.

I speculated that this technique was to acquire his cell signature without a court order and it could be a nice tricky move on their part if he does it voluntarily. But I think you will agree - this was one of the odder moments in this case.

Mr. B (as I'll call him now because I'm still not sure what his real name is and the proper spelling on day 9. The media is still spelling it both ways and there does not seem to be any clarification, although on poster on Blink on Crime seems to say it is Broswick and seems to know of him and his background) has his own suspicious behavior. His behavior is not a crime, just suspicious. Whenever the last person to see a missing person does what he does - it's natural to begin looking at his movements and ulterior motives. We all know what he did immediately after Brittanee vanished. 9 times outta 10 the last person to see the missing person is the perp. We all know that. In the other cases, there is an unknown perp or the person has voluntarily left on their own.

I think we can rule out Brittanee left on her own with only 100 dollars for her entire stay. Unless she had a secret stash of money, I doubt she has the means and experience to remain missing this long. To remain undetected for nine days takes skills. Those skills are hard to acquire especially for a 17 year old. Seasoned criminals are often found relatively quickly and although they make their living as criminals they often don't possess the skills needed to remain hidden long.

Possibilities-

Suicide
As terrible as this is to consider, we must none the less. Mrs. Drexel has indicated that life in her home has not been a bed of roses recently and that Brittanee has had previous issues with depression. I think depression is a natural part of life. It's how it's handled that makes all the difference. We are all made from the same basic genetic material and all have times in our lives when we become depressed. Depression is the sister of happiness. We all desire happiness and unfortunately we all become depressed at stages of our lives. Clinical depression is different then when a family member dies or you lose your job and have mouths to feed. Chemical imbalances can and do cause some people to have a condition that even medication can not help. Medication can sometimes help, but it takes time to get the right amount or the right medication. Going on and off medication is known to be dangerous in some cases.

Teenagers are often depressed and teenagers often worry about college, their future, and ofcourse, their family and friends. This is natural and we have all been there and worried about the same issues. To a teenager the world seem to be ending when it's really just beginning. We have all heard of cases where a young person has taken their life. Sad as it is.

Homicide
When a young person disappears it is usually not for long and the teenager is quickly found and returned. Most cases are kids that runaway and the police find them. In a sense, the police have a mind set that the missing teenager is a runaway because that's what happen most of the time. If you had an employee that didn't show up for work on time everyday and one day just didn't come to work and made no call you might think that employee did it again, and not killed in a car wreck on the way to work. In defense of the police - this is what they deal with on a daily basis. What has happened here to Brittanee is not normal after nine days and any police investigator worth his pay has identified that. This case does not have the hallmarks of a runaway and more likely a crime.

1. Mr. B or his associates.
Suspicious behavior and appears to have been cleared by Mrs. Drexel. I'm not sure how she knows this, but I'm gonna take her word for it for now. It seems that the police have informed her and Mr. B is off the hook for now. How he was cleared is a current mystery. I hope it is not based on the fact that Brittanee was seen leaving the building. That alone does not clear him in my mind. If Brittanee was cell phone triangulated far from the hotel and Mr. B was still triangulated in the vicinity of the building, that still does not clear him or his associates in my mind either. Brittanee's cell phone appears to be in the area 30 miles south of her last known whereabouts. Mr. B could leave his cell phone in the room and still leave the building and abduct Brittanee. The info that clears him needs to be based on more than just a video of Brittanee leaving the hotel. What that info is - it's unknown to us.

2. Unknown Abductor.
Assuming that Brittanee did leave the building and began a walk of more than twenty blocks - she could have ran into any  manner of criminal, street thug, or homeless person living in an alley. Questioning street people is a good place to start maybe someone knows something if Brittanee was indeed walking. And if she was walking, you would think she would have been video captured on a number of cameras.

There is always the possibility that Brittanee was walking and someone drove by and just grabbed her into a car. This does happen. This would of course be a crime of opportunity and not premeditation.

The Cell Phone
How could a cell phone ping underwater? (Assuming that the phone is in the river) The only thing I can think of is if the phone was in a Zip Lock plastic bag. When at the beach some people will put their camera, cell phone, cigarettes and matches in a plastic bag to naturally prevent them from getting wet. I'm not sure a teenager would or could consider that. But there is that possibility. I would think that water would act as a natural barrier and prevent the signal from being received, but phones today have more power and the ability to track for longer distances, so I guess there is a possibility that police have a technician that knows the ins and outs of cell signals and what can happen if one is underwater.

Prayers for Brittanee and her family.