Viswa Vanapalli
ABC News’ ‘20/20: The Darkest Night’ and ’20/20: Into the Darkness’ focuses on the tragic case of Brittanee Drexel. The teenager suddenly disappeared while on vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for spring break. Her loved ones refused to stop searching for her for years, but the quest for her ended with the discovery of her remains in a wooded area. So, if you’re wondering how her family dealt with everything and where they might be today, here’s what we know.
Who is Brittanee Drexel’s Family?
Brittanee was born to Dawn Drexel and John Kahyaoglu, who was Turkish. Dawn later said of her daughter, “Her teeth were beautiful; she always looked good. She shopped at Abercrombie and Hollister. She was a size zero zero, then a zero. Everything was perfect, her hair, her make-up.” In the time leading up to the incident, Dawn had been married to Chad Drexel, who’d adopted Brittanee, but the two had been going through a separation. She had two siblings: Myrissa and Camdyn.
In April 2009, Brittanee, then 17, wanted to go to Myrtle Beach with some friends, but her parents didn’t want her to because there were no adults on the trip. However, she then lied to them and headed off to South Carolina while claiming to be in Rochester with friends. Dawn stated that her daughter wasn’t doing well, given what was happening at home. She expressed, “Her mental stability wasn’t good. I was losing my home, my ex-husband had moved out, and we were going through a divorce. She wanted security and stability.”
Then, within days at Myrtle Beach, Brittanee suddenly disappeared. Her boyfriend, John Greico, who was in Rochester, was in contact with her until the night of April 25, 2009. Once she stopped responding, he called Dawn and then eventually traveled to Myrtle Beach to look for her because she didn’t even pick up, which was very unlike her. Upon learning that Brittanee was missing, Chad put up fliers and hired a private investigator. He added, “I did everything I could to try to find her. I’m the only father she has ever known. We were very close.”
The investigation revealed that Brittanee disappeared after leaving a resort where a friend stayed. However, it wasn’t until about 13 years later that her remains were found buried in a wooded area in Georgetown, South Carolina. The authorities then revealed they believed Raymond Moody, a convicted sex offender, raped and murdered her around the time she went missing. They felt that Brittanee initially got into his car willingly, but it later became a kidnapping. Dawn stated that her daughter didn’t like walking, so she was possibly looking for a ride.
Where is Brittanee Drexel’s Family Now?
In the time after Brittanee’s disappearance, Dawn moved to Myrtle Beach and did everything she could to find her daughter. There, she worked at a pest control company in addition to being a state director and even volunteered with Community United Effort, an organization that helped with missing people searches. Upon Raymond’s arrest, Dawn said, “She [Brittanee] had her whole life ahead of her. And this monster took it away from her. I’m glad [Moody] is behind bars so that he can’t hurt anyone else’s child.”
Since then, it appears as if Dawn Pleckan has continued to be an advocate for missing persons and uses her social media to publicize any such cases. She lives in Sorrento, Florida, with David Conley; they have been in a relationship since September 2019. As for Brittanee’s birth father, John, he talked about reconnecting with her daughter in 2009 before she went missing, and from what we can tell, he lives in Tampa, Florida. He is remarried with children too.
Chad, a former US Navy man, was also happy when Raymond was arrested. He reportedly still lives in Rochester, has been married to Kristy Drexel since September 2015, and is a proud grandfather. Camdyn graduated high school in 2021 and currently studies at The Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia; he is part of their bowling team. Myrissa once said in an interview, “My mom was destined to find my sister from day one. But we’re just waiting for justice for her now.” She studied at Monroe Community College in Rochester, and it appears she still lives there.
Read More: How Did Brittanee Drexel Die?
