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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:19:16 GMT
Billboard to be erected for missing NY teen By Graeme Moore Sunday, August 16, 2009 at 7:25 p.m. A large roadside billboard will go up sometime in the next week that features what has become one of Myrtle Beach's only unsolved missing persons cases. The billboard will be placed near the North Santee community in Georgetown County and feature a large picture of 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel who vanished from Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach on April 25. The CUE Center for Missing Persons in Wilmington worked with Next Media Group to get the design and billboard donated. CUE, along with scores of law enforcement and volunteers, combed dozens of acres in Georgetown County in the weeks that followed Drexel's disappearance. Drexel was on spring break in Myrtle Beach when she disappeared on the night of April 25. She was last seen leaving the Blue Water Resort on the south end of Ocean Boulevard. Myrtle Beach detectives were able to track her cell phone signal to a tower in rural Georgetown County, but they never recovered the phone, and while hundreds of tips have been generated, no solid leads have been formed. Detectives say they are continuing to work on the case, but right now there are no suspects and no persons of interest. They have said in the past that they consider the case to be an abduction and not a runaway. Members with the CUE Center said they are considering a new search in the North Santee area sometime this Fall when the leaves fall and the terrain becomes a little easier to maneuver. If you've got any information that could help police, you're asked to call Crimestoppers or Myrtle Beach police at 843-918-1382. A reward is being offered, and you can remain anonymous. To learn more about Brittanee's case, and other missing persons, visit the CUE Center's web site at www.ncmissingpersons.org.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:20:09 GMT
Brittanee Drexel to be featured on billboard By WBTW Staff Reports Published: August 18, 2009 GEORGETOWN—The Cue Center for Missing Persons plans to put up a Brittanee Drexel billboard along US 17 in southern Georgetown County near the North Santee Community. A number of extensive searches for Drexel have taken place around there. Investigators say they traced her cell phone to that area the night she was reported missing. But neither that phone nor Drexel have been found. The billboard should be up in about a week. And as always if you have any information about Drexel please call your local authorities.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:21:09 GMT
News - Breaking News Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009 Billboard to feature missing New York teen Brittanee Drexel Janelle Frost - jfrost@thesunnews.com A billboard will feature a missing 17-year-old New York teen along U.S.17 in Georgetown County or the Santee area if all goes as planned. The CUE Center for Missing Persons plans to put up a billboard featuring Brittanee Drexel in the next seven to 10 days, said Monica Caison, founder of the Community United Effort group. Drexel, who disappeared April 25, was last seen leaving the Blue Water Hotel on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach. Similar stories: • Police | Man hospitalized after shooting at hunt club Police | Man hospitalized after shooting at hunt club POLICE GEORGETOWN COUNTY Man hospitalized after shooting at hunt club • PETA plans Wichita ad campaign sparked by Tiller's shooting PETA plans Wichita ad campaign sparked by Tiller's shooting A national animal rights group plans to erect billboards in Wichita urging people on both sides of the abortion debate to go vegetarian. One version of the billboard says, "Pro-Life? Go Vegetarian." The other says, "Pro-Choice? Choose Vegetarian." Both feature a photo of three baby chicks. Lindsay Rajt, campaign manager for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the billboards were prompted by the recent shooting death of abortion doctor George Tiller, who was killed Sunday at his church. • Myrtle Beach agency feeds homeless Myrtle Beach agency feeds homeless Heavy rain Wednesday did not keep about 350 homeless people from a cookout held for them. For the fourth year, Project Lighthouse - a program that provides support for runaway, homeless street youth and offers other services such as arts for kids in the area - held a cookout outside its Myrtle Beach location to serve the area's homeless. On Wednesday, Project Lighthouse staff joined with 22 • Myrtle Beach area's profile rises, but in bad news Myrtle Beach area's profile rises, but in bad news For those in the business world who believe there is no such thing as bad publicity, the Grand Strand might soon become a potent test case. The Myrtle Beach area has been featured prominently in national headlines for the past few weeks - first, as one of the largest wildfires in state history ravaged an area near the coast, and then as a 17-year-old New Yorker vanished while visiting Myrtle Beach with friends. Some struggled to remember a time when the Myrtle Beach area was the subject of relatively negative, back-to-back incidents in national headlines. And with concerns the economy could deter travelers during the busy summer season, the stories could not have hit at a worst time. • Your guide to the 58th annual Sun Fun Festival Your guide to the 58th annual Sun Fun Festival Grab your shades and strap on a smile, the 58th annual Sun Fun festival is here. Today and tomorrow, the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce has a steady stream of celebrities, activities, food and fun lined up for folks planning to attend this year's event, the second one to be hosted at The Market Common. As in the past, parking and admission to the festival will be free, but there are some changes to the offerings. By adding to the beverage options and tweaking the stage layout, organizers hope to draw more than the estimated 38,000 people that attended last year's event. Anyone with information is asked to call the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 918-1382 or 918-1952.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:21:48 GMT
Brittanee Drexel: Girl Goes Missing During Spring Break Brittanee Drexel - High school junior Brittanee Drexel, pictured below, disappeared in Myrtle Beach Saturday night while on spring break with a group of older friends from Rochester, New York. Her friends say that Brittanee Drexel texted them at 9:15 p.m. Saturday night, saying that she was going to visit another friend staying at a different hotel in Myrtle Beach. Brittanee and her friends were staying at the Bar Harbor Hotel at 1010 North Ocean Boulevard in downtown Myrtle. She last spoke with her mother, Dawn Drexel, at 2:00 p.m. Saturday and also telephoned her boyfriend at 8:00 p.m. that night. Brittanee was reportedly depressed that her parents were getting a divorce and their home was in foreclosure. Her boyfriend, a Marine stationed at Camp LeJeune, NC, contacted police on the family’s behalf to report her missing. Drexel is described as 5-feet tall, weighing approximately 103 pounds. She has brown, shoulder-length, straight hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a multi-colored striped shirt, black shorts, and flip-flop sandals.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:22:38 GMT
Digital billboards now running for missing teen Posted: Aug 20, 2009 3:03 PM GST Updated: Aug 20, 2009 3:58 PM GST HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - Three digital billboards with information about 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel began running Thursday morning, according to Carol Wagner, Drexel's grandmother. Two of the digital billboards are located along US-17 Bypass, with a third along US-501 near Forestrbrook Road. According to Wagner, another billboard will be going up near the Georgetown area with Brittanee's information. Drexel was last seen in the area of 11th Avenue South and 20th Avenue South in Myrtle Beach after meeting up with friends from her hometown. Drexel was in Myrtle Beach on spring break, against the will of her mother. Police say a number of leads surfaced on her whereabouts, but have led to a dead end. CrimeStoppers is encouraging anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Drexel to contact the agency at 1-888-CRIME-SC, the Cue Center for Missing Persons at 910-343-1131, or the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 843-918-1963.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:23:16 GMT
Posted at: 08/27/2009 11:25 PM | WHEC.com By: Linzi Sheldon Still hope for Drexel It's an amazing story-- 18 years after being kidnapped, a California girl is found safe. The return of Jayce Lee Dugard, while rare, gives extra motivation to the family of Britanee Drexel to continue their search. The 17-year-old disappeared in April while on spring break in Myrtle Beach. Her mother, Dawn Drexel, is back in South Carolina, where she is renewing the search. "You just hope and pray that they're okay and they'll come home," Drexel said. In Myrtle Beach, S.C., there are three billboards with Brittanee Drexel's photo and information, donated by local business leaders to help in the search. "The billboards are wonderful," Dawn Drexel said. "It keeps her face out there. It keeps people looking for her." Drexel says at this point, there are no new leads in the investigation. While in South Carolina, she is working with the Cue Center for Missing Persons, stopping at three towns to remind people that Brittanee is still missing. The three stops are actually part of a larger cross-country tour by the Cue Center called the "On the Road to Remember" tour. It focuses on more than a hundred missing persons cases in which the investigations have run out of leads. The goal is to get photos and information out there to generate new leads for police. Drexel says there is always hope. On Thursday, she heard the news that Jayce Lee Duguard was found alive. "I'm very happy that they found this girl, you know," she said. "Especially for her parents and their families because they've been through such torment. When your child goes missing, it's the worst thing you could ever go through. I mean, you wouldn't wish that on your worst enemy. It's horrible." For Drexel, the news is also proof that Brittanee could still be out there. "We hold out hope and hope that she would come walking through the door or call us and say, 'Hey Mom, come pick me up,'" Drexel said. The Executive Director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said of the news, "This really is why we never stop looking and why we encourage families to never give up hope...because you just never know, when a child goes missing, how long it's going to take to bring them home." Drexel says she'll keep searching for however long it takes. "I just want my baby back," she said.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:23:54 GMT
Mother of missing NY teen continues search in MB Posted: Aug 28, 2009 2:07 AM GST Updated: Aug 28, 2009 4:31 AM GST By Trey Paul - MYRTLE BEACH,SC (WMBF) - The mother of missing New York teenager Brittanee Drexel is back in Myrtle Beach this week, hoping new developments will answer questions about her disappearance. "I miss my daughter. I miss her so much. I just want her to come back home," said Dawn Drexel. 17-year old Brittanee Drexel went missing in April while on vacation in Myrtle Beach for spring break, and Dawn Drexel got back into Myrtle Beach around 5 a.m. Thursday to continue the search for her daughter. "You have to keep their name out there and a lot of people don't do that," said Drexel. However, the CUE Center does, and that's part of the reason why Drexel is here. They're a national organization that helps find missing people. This weekend, they're profiling Brittanee and hoping to get some attention from the Larry King Live show. "It's hard, but you know if I can get coverage for Brittanee and keep her name out there and keep people looking, maybe something will come," said the teen's hotel. It hasn't just been hard on Brittanee's mother. Brittanee's brother just celebrated his sixth birthday without his sister. "He actually got some balloons for his birthday and he ended up writing on them 'I love you Brit' and sent them up in the air thinking his sister may get them," said Drexel. It's been tough, but Dawn Drexel says she still has her hope and that's what gets her through. "We did have to come to the realization that she may not be alive, but we're still hoping that we'll be able to find her," said Drexel. ©2009 WMBF News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:24:29 GMT
mily returns to Myrtle Beach for search Posted: Aug 29, 2009 7:47 PM GST Updated: Aug 29, 2009 7:48 PM GST MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - The family of Brittanee Drexel is back in the Grand Strand hoping to shed new light on her disappearance. The teen went missing back in April and her family is hoping a missing person advocacy group can help generate new leads in the case. The C.U.E. center for missing people held an event at Chapin Park on Saturday afternoon to let people in Myrtle Beach now about Brittanee's disappearance. The group travels across the country hoping to generate publicity and awareness about missing person cases. "Somebody saw something and someone is sitting back thinking, oh it's not important. It could be the thing that breaks the case" said Monica Caison who heads the CUE center. Myrtle Beach police also answered questions about the teen's disappearance but say no significant new leads have been generated. ©2009 WMBF News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:25:03 GMT
Drexel: 4 months later, still missing By Graeme Moore Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 7:43 p.m. More than four months after her disappearance, Brittanee Drexel's whereabouts remain a mystery. Drexel, 17, of New York, disappeared April 25 after leaving the Blue Water Resort on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach. Almost from the very beginning detectives theorized Drexel was abducted and feared she was in danger. During the first few weeks of her disappearance, police and volunteer searchers with the C.U.E. Center for Missing Persons initiated exhaustive searches. The main search focused on the North Santee Community in Georgetown County, an area where Drexel's cell phone last gave a signal the night she vanished. "Law enforcement stepped right up and said we got something wrong here. A lot of times (missing persons) cases will be downplayed for a week or two until they realize they really have a problem. And then what happens is they realize it's too late. You don't capture the media and attention of the community," CUE founder and director Monica Caison said. Despite heavy media coverage, inevitably the weeks came and went. The organized searches stopped. Summer dragged on. Eventually Brittanee's story faded from the headlines, and there was still no Brittanee. But on Saturday there was a renewed effort to keep her story front and center among the Myrtle Beach community at a missing persons awareness tour, and the person sponsoring that effort knows the pain of a missing person. Angie Gilchrist's mother is Alice Donovan who was abducted, raped and killed in November 2002 by Brandon Bashum and Chadrick Fulks. For years Donovan remained missing, despite the death sentence convictions of her murderers. In late 2008, Gilchrist ran into Monica Caison with the CUE Center, and together they decided it was time to find Alice. Previous searches by CUE, police and others yielded nothing. "It is the most excruciating, tormenting thing to ever have to deal with. Your life stops," Gilchrist described of her ordeal with her mother's murder and subsequent disappearance. Caison wrote to Fulks in prison, and to her amazement, he sent her a package stuffed with maps pointing to where Alice could be found. Caison's crew jumped into action and in January 2009 they found human bones that would later be positively identified as Donovan. Far from a "success" story, it is a story that brings closure, something Brittanee Drexel's mom is desperately searching for. "I still have hope that she's somewhere out there," Dawn Drexel said Saturday at the Myrtle Beach stop of CUE's "On The Road to Remember Tour." Dawn left Myrtle Beach at the end of June after spending two months in Myrtle Beach searching and raising money for her daughter's cause. Her frustration is growing. "I just wish people would come (forward) and call one of the tip lines," Drexel said. Those tip lines, run by the Myrtle Beach Police Department and the CUE Center, have lit up in the months past, but no tip has generated the clue needed to crack the case. Dawn, Monica and police are determined to keep the tips flowing, and one of the ways to do that, they say, is through events like the one held Saturday. It was a small gathering of no more than a dozen folks -- from lead detectives to Dawn to Monica to a few who didn't even know the Drexels -- but it was meaningful. "The whole purpose of the tour is to get their information out, tell their stories, show their pictures and to visit their towns and rally their communities to remind them they're still missing," Caison explained. As for the investigation by police, NewsChannel 15 learned that detectives have brought in an FBI agent to be "thoroughly briefed" on Brittanee's case. Detectives are also working with the CUE Center to organize a new search sometime later this Fall when the leaves fall and the terrain becomes easier to navigate. What won't become easier is Dawn Drexel's anguish. "Brittanee's 18th birthday is coming up which is going to be very difficult in Ocotber," Dawn said adding, "I just want to know something. I know my daughter didn't just disappear off the face of the earth." Anonymous tips and information can be called in to the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 843-918-1382 or to the CUE Center at 910-343-1131. Donations to the planned search effort can be made to CUE, a non-profit organization, by visiting their web site www.ncmissingpersons.org or by calling them.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:26:27 GMT
ws Cold, Search Continues for Missing Teen 08/29/09 10:32 pm | reporter: Renee Williams producer: Renee Williams Myrtle Beach, SC - Myrtle Beach Police begin a renewed effort to find Brittanee Drexel, a missing teen from New York. Officials say they are working several new leads to find the teenager, but they still need help in the investigation. Family, friends and strangers gathered at a park in Myrtle Beach Saturday morning to release balloons for Brittanee Drexel. It is a sign of faith in a time when hope is hard to come by. “It’s not knowing where she is. I want to get her back; I want to hold her and touch her,” Brittanee’s mother, Dawn Drexel said. Today was a chance to remember the 17 year old and remind the public that she is still missing. “We are beside ourselves and we miss her so much,” Dawn Drexel added. Brittanee disappeared from Myrtle Beach on April 25. Police say she was last seen at the Blue Water Resort. “She was pretty much in plain sight when she went missing,” Monica Caison, Founder of CUE Center for Missing Persons, said Saturday. Since her disappearance, authorities have searched from the Grand Strand to Georgetown. Police say Brittanee’s cell phone gave off a final signal in Georgetown shortly after she vanished. Clues led police to search in McClellanville, but they came back empty-handed. “It’s like she vanished and all we have is the trail of a possible cell phone,” Caison added. “If someone has picked up that phone and they’re scared to turn it in, please call someone and let them know you have it because it is vital. We need to know where that phone was found if it was found.” Officials say it is not enough to retrace Brittanee’s steps. They say four months into the investigation they now need someone who saw anything the day Brittanee disappeared will come forward. “The challenges are we get less and less people that show interest and less and less information comes in,” Joe Graham with the Myrtle Beach Police Department explained. “It makes it harder to follow up on the information.” “She didn’t disappear off the face of the earth,” Dawn Drexel said. “Someone has to know something.” Until the next lead comes, the push to find Brittanee will continue. Authorities are planning another full scale search for the missing teen this fall. If you have any information about Drexel’s whereabouts, call the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 843-918-1300 or 843-918-1382.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:27:28 GMT
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:28:04 GMT
Please contact the Myrtle Beach Police Department with any information at: 1-843-918-1300 What we KNOW... Brittanee Marie Drexel, a junior at Gates Chili High School in Rochester, NY, has gone missing on spring break in Myrtle Beach. Brittanee was last seen on April 25, 2009. When she was last seen, she had blonde highlights in her hair. Brittanee left for Myrtle Beach on Wednesday, April, 22nd, and the teen has been missing since Saturday, April, 25 2009. Brittanee and her friends were staying at the Bar Harbor Hotel at 1010 North Ocean Boulevard in downtown Myrtle. She last spoke with her mother, Dawn Drexel, at 2:00 p.m. Saturday and also telephoned her boyfriend at 8:00 p.m. that night. Drexel is described as 5 foot, weighing approximately 100 pounds. Drexel reportedly suffers from depression. .... National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Case Number: NCMC1121354 Anyone with information is asked to contact the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 1-843-918-1300, or Please contact 1-800-THE-LOST® (1-800-843-5678) with any information.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:28:44 GMT
Large-scale search for Rochester teen National Organization to help in search Updated: Monday, 31 Aug 2009, 7:44 AM EDT Published : Monday, 31 Aug 2009, 7:44 AM EDT ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WIVB) - A national organization is helping the family of a missing Rochester teen pick up the search, months after she disappeared in South Carolina. Brittanee Drexel, 17, went missing from Myrtle beach on Spring Break back in April. Investigators followed several leads in the initial search and even identified a person of interest, but never arrested anyone. This weekend, the CUE Center for Missing Persons featured Drexel on their Missing Persons' road tour. "If I can get her on the media any time, just to keep her name and face out there, that"s what I need to do. I am not the kind of Mother that's just going to sit around," said Bittanee's mother, Dawn Drexel. "We will be planning in the Fall, a large-scale search, and I don't want to disclose the area, but we will bring in multiple teams and quite a few hundred people to conduct the search effort," said Monica Cason, of CUE Center for Missing Persons. CUE officials say these events help them solve at least one case every year. Copyright WIVB.com
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:29:18 GMT
Poker run to raise search money Brittanee Drexel Posted: Sep 11, 2009 04:08 PM Updated: Sep 11, 2009 04:08 PM BRADENTON - The Bradenton family of a missing girl is hoping to get the word out again this weekend. 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel disappeared on a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina back in April. She is from New York State, but has many family members in Bradenton. This weekend, they are having a poker run. They will make several stops throughout Manatee County and Lakewood Ranch. Poker Run: Registration statrs at 10 am at Budweiser and the last bike out at 11am. Tickets are $10 and you can register at any of the 5 bars. September 13 5 stops from 10am till 3ppm 1. Budweiser (Gold Coast Eagle Dist. - 10am 2. Banana Factory on US 41 - 11am - 12pm 3. Clancy's on Cortez - 12pm - 1 pm 4. Ace's Bar on Cortez Roaad - 1pm - 2pm 5. Peggy's Corral - 2pm till For more info contact Keri Drexel at 941-713-3387
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2013 23:30:22 GMT
September 24, 2009 12:45 PM Brittanee Drexel Vanished During Spring Break, Will She Ever Be Found? Photo: Brittanee Drexel. NEW YORK (CBS/AP) She went on spring break and didn't come back. Brittanee Drexel, a 17-year-old high school student from Rochester, N.Y told her mother she was staying at a friend's house, but actually set off on a weekend vacation with friends to Myrtle Beach, S.C. And then she vanished. The last time anyone heard from her was when she sent a text message the night of April 25, 2009 to one of her friends, authorities say. The last person known to have been with Brittanee was Peter Broswick, a high school friend she went to visit in another hotel that night. He quickly became a "person of interest," but has since been cleared in the case. Dawn Drexel, Brittanee's mother, appeared on The Early Show in April to talk about the ongoing search for her daughter. "It's been horrible, because I don't know where she is. I don't know if she's alive," Dawn Drexel said. "She left all her clothing, her hair stuff. It's just not like Brittanee. Something's wrong." Brittanee and her friends were staying at the Bar Harbor Hotel at 1010 North Ocean Boulevard in downtown Myrtle, according to her missing persons website. She last telephoned her boyfriend, John Greico, the night she went missing. Greico told CBS News Brittanee was not suicidal. "She definitely met with foul play," Greico told The Early Show in May. "I think somebody saw her walking and offered her a ride and she got in the car with the wrong person." "I don't believe she just ran away," said Dawn Drexel. "She was going through a lot because my husband, my soon-to-be ex-husband, we were going through a divorce. So this has been very hard on her." Photo: Brittanee Drexel. Photos: Where is Brittanee Drexel? Brittanee also has a history of depression that her father, Chad Drexel, was especially concerned about. "She just had emotional issues, very, very stressful emotional issues. She needed a break from all the drama" of the marital woes, he said. Brittanee was last seen on April 25, 2009. She is described as five feet tall, weighing 103 pounds. She has brown, shoulder-length, straight hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a multi-colored striped shirt, black shorts, and flip-flop sandals. She had blonde highlights in her hair. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 1-843-918-1300, or 1-800-THE-LOST® (1-800-843-5678).
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