GEORGETOWN, SC (WBTW) – A representative for the FBI spoke for the first time Sunday regarding the new search surrounding the Brittanee Drexel case that started Friday in Georgetown.
FBI supervisory agent Don Wood confirms the search is over in the Drexel case just outside Georgetown city limits. In a press conference Sunday afternoon, Wood would not say if or what agents found, but he did say that investigators have made progress in the case.
“Since April 25, 2009, the disappearance of Brittanee Drexel has been an ongoing and active investigation even through today. This case was never closed. This case was never declared a cold case, but it is being investigated by numerous law enforcement agencies throughout the state of South Carolina,” stated Wood at the beginning of the Sunday afternoon press conference.
Wood said he couldn’t give specifics on what information led investigators to Mercer Road Friday morning, but he did say the FBI and partnering agencies will follow any lead they receive.
“It’s on those efforts, these dogged investigators in all these agencies that we’ve wound up here, today, that we wound up in Georgetown County, in this area. The same reasons last summer, you’ll recall in McClellanville. The investigation that didn’t stop, these agents persevered, investigated leads, chased them all down, led us to McClellanville last summer, and that same work and perseverance led us to Georgetown this spring,” reveals Wood.
Again refusing to give specifics in the case and the three-day search, Wood confidently stated that what developed from the Georgetown County “investigative activity” was productive toward the case.
“During the last three days, we have progressed the investigation. We’ve advanced it. We’re not going to discuss what we found or what we did not find, but I’m confident in telling you that the investigation was advanced,” confirms Wood at the search site off Mercer Road. “We have progressed. We’ve made strides in bringing those responsible for Brittanee’s death and disappearance to justice.”
The FBI spokesperson described the area searched, as reporters were not permitted to be near the site. Investigators say the area is private property.
“It’s a wooded area. Some of it’s wooded. Some of it’s abandoned, if you will. I don’t think the owner has been here in some time. But it’s basically just a flat lot, some trees that we took down with the owner’s consent,” Wood describes.
During the investigation, Brad Conway, attorney for Brittanee Drexel’s mother, Dawn, said the family had limited information on what, if anything, was discovered.
“My best information is the same as yours. I know that they are continuing the search and they plan to stay there until they either get no results or find what they are looking for,” says Conway.
Near the end of the press conferred, Wood referenced a press conference hosted by the FBI in summer 2016 in McClellanville.
“We still believe there are people in McClellanville who do know something, and maybe people in this area who do know something that can help. The reward, the $25,000 reward that was announced last summer is still available,” confirms Wood.
The FBI and partnering agencies appeared to leave the search site hopefully with what was discovered in the course of three days.
“I can say during the last three days, we’ve developed leads. We’ve developed information,” claims Wood. “There’s still more work to do based upon the leads we’ve uncovered these last three days and the work done by these investigators. We’ll continue to look at this case and perhaps down the road, another time, another place, we’ll meet each other again and I’ll provide you some additional information.”
