Friends of Drexel family reflect on Raymond Moody’s guilty plea
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GEORGETOWN, S.C. — Thirteen years later, Brittanee Drexel’s best friends see her killer for the first time in court.
“We’re angry,” friend Jessica Fico said. “We’re sad. We’ve not been face to face with the person that last saw Brittanee and took her life. So that was that was a little hard, but it also gave us the closure that we’ve really been pushing for 13 years.”
More of our coverage:
- Man accused of Brittanee Drexel’s murder pleads guilty Wednesday (Oct 19)
- Family of man falsely accused in Brittanee Drexel murder wants justice (Oct 19)
- ‘He’s a demon and a monster’: Victim of Raymond Moody hoping Brittanee Drexel case puts him away for good (May 19)
- Drexel case brings hope to other families of missing kids (May 17)
- Sheriff’s Office says convicted sex offender confessed to murder of Brittanee Drexel (May 13)
- Records show Raymond Moody’s obstruction of justice charge is same date teen was last seen (May 12)
Fico watched alongside Drexel’s family as Raymond Moody admitted his guilt to murdering her in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while she was on spring break in 2009.
“Brittanee was just the most likable person and the most friendly,” Fico said. “If you were nice, she was that. She was going to be your friend. She was friends with anybody. She was the light of the room.”
Thirteen years later, Brittanee Drexel's best friends see her killer for the first time in court.
“The best case scenario would have been for Brittanee to be with us and for this to have never happened,” Tarah Friedman said.
Friedman was another close friend and she was also in the courtroom.
“But it did happen and we’re just so thankful and so grateful that we were able to bring her home and receive a form of justice today,” Friedman said.
In May, Brittanee’s former soccer coach Michael Slattery held a candlelight event to remember her and other missing children from the area.
He said the plea brings closure, but they will never forget what happened to her and said Brittanee will always stay with them.
“For the Drexel family, I am so happy for them that they got to this point seeing Chad and Dawn and their reaction today,” Slattery said. “It breaks your heart because you see it and you feel their pain.”