Brittanee Drexel's Mother Fears Daughter Not Alive

May 04, 2009

It has been nine days since anyone has seen 17-year-old Brittanee Marie Drexel, a junior at Gates Chili High School in Rochester, New York, who disappeared after a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach last month. With each passing day, Brittanee's family is confronted with the harsh reality that they might never see her again.

"It's a parent's worst nightmare," Brittanee's mother, Dawn Drexel, said in an interview with foxnews.com. "There are a lot of things that don't add up, and I'm scared that there's the possibility that she's not alive."

Dawn's hope was dashed even further when a tip last week – a sighting on a bus on North Ocean Boulevard – proved to be a false lead. The girl that two witnesses had identified as Brittanee was actually a look-alike who worked at a local hotel.

Despite the letdown of the false identification, a more solid lead came the following day when authorities announced that they had tracked Brittanee's cell phone signal to an area 30 miles south of Myrtle Beach, near U.S. 17 and the Charleston County line. According to police, the phone gave off its last signal a day after Brittanee was last seen. It is the belief among investigators that the phone went dead shortly thereafter.

As a result of the cell phone lead, officials from the Myrtle Beach Police Department, Georgetown County Sheriff's Office, Charleston County Sheriff's Office, State Law Enforcement Division and North Charleston Police Department conducted intense searches near the South Santee River in Georgetown County. In addition to local law enforcement, several volunteer organizations – the Laura Recovery Center, North Carolina Canine Emergency Response Team and the CUE Center for Missing Persons - participated in the search effort.

Helicopters, boats equipped with side-scan sonar, and K9's were all utilized during the search effort; however despite their best effort, searchers were unable to locate neither Brittanee nor her phone.

Brittanee's friends last saw her at about 8:00 p.m. on April 25, when she left the Bar Harbor Hotel to walk about a half-mile to the Bluewater Resort to visit a group of male friends from Rochester. When the Myrtle Beach police questioned the men, they said that Brittanee had come to their hotel, but left roughly ten minutes later to return an item of clothing to a friend back at the Bar Harbor Hotel.

At about 8:45 p.m., Brittanee sent a text message to one of her travel companions, informing the companion that she was on her way back. What happened to Brittanee after that remains a mystery.

Peter Brozowitz, one of the last known people to have seen Brittanee prior to her disappearance, has given a DNA sample to police. Investigators also searched the vehicle that he traveled in during his trip to Myrtle Beach; however nothing of evidentiary value was found inside it.

Brozowitz's attorney, John Parrinello, said that his client has an "iron clad alibi" in terms of his whereabouts during the time Brittanee went missing.

According to Dawn, investigators are not focusing on Brozowitz or any of his travel companions.

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

Brittanee is described as a white female, 5 feet tall, 103 pounds, with blue eyes and shoulder-length straight brown hair. She was last seen wearing a multicolored shirt, black shorts and flip flops. According to Dawn, Brittanee was recently diagnosed with depression.

For more information, please visit: www.helpfindbrittanee.com.

Anyone with information on Brittanee Drexel's whereabouts is asked to contact the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 843-918-1300 or 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678).

Related Link:
Where is Brittanee Marie Drexel?

Photo Credits: Contributed

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Comments

[Poetica]

I've recently come across a number of other web sites filled with wild speculations and innuendo from well intentioned arm-chair detectives. Thank you for reporting in a fair, balanced, humane, and informed manner. I've never appreciated accurate reporting so much in all my life until recently.

[Bob]

There is a semi-truck driver from Myrtle. He might have offered her a ride. He drives a refrigerator truck and like most truckers is often hanging around hotel and motel bars. I know him to be a dangerous individual.

[Tiffani young]

I send my prayers and love to mrs.dawn and family and friends my church family and I are praying for her I hope all is well please stay encouraged

[Joe]

What a horrible thing for this family.

[Kim]

This is just awful. I don't think she ranaway at all.

[Colorado]

Bob,
Did you send this tip into the police department? If you haven't you should.

[c]

Reading this story it is similar to Amber Dubois in Escondido, CA. She was last seen walking to school on Feb 13th. She too was texting family when all of a sudden the text stopped. Then the next day her cell phone was breifly turned on then off.

[Amela]

will these girls ever learn??

[Joy]

So sad, I will continue to hope for the best; but this really sounds bad. I think those boys know way more than what they're telling. I sware some poor kid is kidnapped everyweek almost.
So sad.

[Faith Wilson]

My heart goes out to your family, as i am from Australia, i have just watched the Dr Phil show, only just aired here, about your daughter.
As it is now the end of July, i am hoping that you have found Brittanee.
As a mother myself, my love,hope and thoughts are with your family.

[Brian]

Has her cell phone been located yet? If not, can it be tracked by its GPS location? If it's a newer phone doesn't it have a Federally mandated GPS chip embedded in the board?

[Dawn Sachs]

My first thought this was a copy cat to Nataliee Britannee was reported missing almost two weeks exactly from the airying of the Nataliee story however, unfortunately that story ended up tragetic and there is no doubt in my mind Britanee's story wil be and is tragetic But of course my thought are with the parents always