Authorities Accused A Black Man Of Killing A White Teen. Now His Name Is Being Cleared 13 Years Later.
The remains of Brittanee Drexel, a 17-year-old white girl who went missing 13 years ago in Myrtle Beach, were found, CNN reports. Officials confirmed they found the remains on Wednesday, and according to CBS News, a sex offender has been charged with her murder, kidnapping and rape.
A story that's not getting enough national attention: Here in the Myrtle Beach, S.C. area for the past 13 years, the FBI and local law enforcement officials left the impression that a white girl on vacation was abducted by a 16-year-old black dude who did evil things to her. 1/
— @ijbailey (@ijbailey) May 23, 2022
Drexel, who was from Rochester, New York, was last seen on Ocean Boulevard on April 25, 2009. She was in town for spring break and was heading to meet friends at another hotel when she disappeared.
Law enforcement got involved after the teen’s boyfriend, who stayed home in Rochester, started to get concerned when she stopped answering texts, CBS News reports. Drexel’s mom, who didn’t permit her teenage daughter to go to South Carolina for spring break, flew to Myrtle Beach to help law enforcement find her. However, they were unable to locate her and piece together what happened the night she disappeared.
According to People, the case remained a mystery for years until a “jailhouse confession” provided authorities with additional information. Court documents state that Taquan Brown, who was imprisoned at the time, told FBI agent Gerrick Munoz that he allegedly saw Timothy Da’Shaun Taylor, identified as a Black male, and other men “sexually abusing” Drexel.
Brown alleged that the men took the 16-year-old to McClellanville, 60 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach, and abducted, gang-raped and fatally shot Drexel, Democrat & Chronicle reports. Brown also alleged that Taylor’s father, Shaun Taylor, was involved in the crime.
Timothy became the number one suspect in the case, even though the prosecution, according to Taylor’s attorney, had a “hard lack of evidence.”
At the time, investigators had not been able to locate Drexel’s remains as other witnesses had different recounts of what happened to the teen.
“Several witnesses have told us Ms. Drexel’s body was placed in a pit, or gator pit, to have her body disposed of – eaten by the gators,” Munoz said in 2016.
Munoz testified that he was told Timothy “showed her [Drexel] off, introduced her to some other friends that were there. They ended up tricking her out with some of their friends, offering her to them and getting a human trafficking situation.”
According to Democrat & Chronicle, Timothy was 17 years old when he was first connected to the Drexel case. He and his family maintained his innocence over the years, despite “the face of relentless pursuit by local and federal law enforcement investigators and the media.”
“Our family stood by him and consistently spoke out against the false accusations that too often are directed at people who look like us,” Timothy’s mom, Joan Taylor, said.
According to WBTW, Raymond Moody, a white man, has now confessed to the crime and led authorities to Drexel’s body. Warrants say the 62-year-old allegedly strangled Drexel on or around April 25, 2009, and sexually battered her that night.
He buried her remains in a wooded area along Old Town Avenue in Harmony Township. Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said a lot of evidence came up against Moody.
Authorities had originally identified Moody as a suspect early on in Drexel’s case back in 2012 but abandoned theories of his involvement after hearing rumors of Taylor’s role in the 17-year-old’s killing.
Authorities have yet to apologize to Timothy and his family, who say that the “damage is done,” Democrat & Chronicle reports.
They said while their hearts go out to Drexel’s family, the pain inflicted on the Taylors is not erased.
“That pain is beyond words,” Joan said at a press conference. “We’re not relieved. We’re enraged that it took this long. I’ve asked members of the media for years to refrain from naming Timothy in association with this case, but those stories were written and cannot be unwritten.”
She continued, saying she hopes this never happens to anyone ever again.
“My sincere hope is that this never happens to another family. I call for law enforcement to halt the practice of disclosing unfounded leads and the names of potential suspects without credible evidence. Doing this has real life consequences and a lasting, disparaging effect on so many, particularly us, Black families. And we suffer the ramifications of being falsely accused far too long,” Joan added.
