Raymond Moody, convicted of the 2009 kidnapping, rape, and murder of 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel, has alleged that his longtime girlfriend, Angel Cooper Vause, played a significant role in the crime. Moody, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2022, made these claims during a 2024 interview with FBI investigators at the Lieber Correctional Institution in Ridgeville, South Carolina.
According to a federal sentencing memorandum, Moody alleged that Vause, now 56, was actively involved in luring Drexel to their vehicle. He claimed Vause posed as a lost tourist and offered Drexel a ride home during her spring break trip to Myrtle Beach. Once Drexel was in the car, Moody alleged that Vause helped restrain her and lead her to a tent they had set up near their apartment at the Pole Yard Boat Landing in Georgetown, reported by People.
Moody also told investigators that Vause had texted him the night before, suggesting they “go hunting” for a young woman to kidnap. He alleged they had agreed to rape Drexel together and that it was Vause’s idea to carry out the plan. However, Moody claimed he alone killed Drexel, strangling her with a nylon rope and stabbing her through the heart with an ice pick. While he buried Drexel’s body by himself, Moody said he feared Vause might alert authorities about the murder.
Moody, who had previously served 21 years in prison for raping and assaulting an 8-year-old girl, claimed his confession wasn’t meant to harm Vause but to ensure property in a trust for her grandchildren. “Moody emphasized that he is telling the truth not to be spiteful to Vause, but because he wants to take care of his grandchildren,” FBI investigators wrote in the document.
Vause was arrested in March 2024 on three counts of making false statements to the FBI, according to The Post and Courier. She later pleaded guilty to all charges in September, which pertained to her involvement in Drexel’s rape and murder.
Drexel’s case, which remained unsolved for years, was a devastating blow to her family and community. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.