COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina jury granted a staggering $700 million in damages to the family of Brittanee Drexel, a 17-year-old girl from New York who was abducted and killed during a spring break vacation in Myrtle Beach in 2009. The civil lawsuit, initiated by Drexel’s mother Dawn Pleckan in January 2023, targeted not only Raymond Moody, the perpetrator, but also implicated Bar Harbor Resort Inc. and Smith Family Partners LLC for alleged negligence linked to the teenager’s tragic death.
The jury’s decision last month awarded $200 million in actual damages and an additional $500 million in punitive damages to the grieving family, acknowledging the profound emotional distress caused by Drexel’s murder. Moody, who was sentenced in October 2022 to a life term for the rape and murder of Drexel, expressed remorse in court, claiming no amount of sincerity could amend the consequences of his actions.
Details surrounding the case reveal that Drexel, then registered at the Bar Harbor Hotel, ventured out to meet a friend at the nearby Blue Water Resort on the evening of April 25, 2009. This was the last time she was seen before encountering Moody. According to court documents, security footage confirmed her presence at the Blue Water Resort shortly before her abduction.
Moody, driving a Ford Explorer, approached Drexel and coerced her into his vehicle under pretenses of providing a ride. He then transported her to a remote campsite near his Georgetown residence where he committed the heinous acts of rape and murder. Subsequently, Moody disposed of Drexel’s phone in the North Santee River and buried her in a shallow grave, where her remains would lay undiscovered for over a decade.
In a related judgment, Angel Cooper Vause, Moody’s 57-year-old girlfriend, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for misleading federal investigators regarding her role in the crime. Vause had feigned ignorance about the events for 13 years until Drexel’s remains were finally located in 2022.
The prolonged uncertainty surrounding Drexel’s fate left her family grappling with the agony of her unresolved disappearance. The revelation of her death and the subsequent legal actions have brought some measure of closure to her loved ones, as indicated by U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs. The successful prosecution of Moody and the civil lawsuit verdict exemplify the relentless pursuit of justice by Drexel’s mother, a sentiment echoed by the community hoping for peace for Drexel’s family.
This legal outcome underscores the severe implications of negligence and criminal behavior associated with tourist safety, particularly in vacation spots like Myrtle Beach known for attracting a large number of young visitors.
The exhaustive nature of this legal battle and its resolution marks a significant point of reflection on the responsibilities of hospitality entities to ensure guest safety and the profound impact of community and law enforcement collaboration in addressing and solving criminal cases.
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