Girlfriend of Brittanee Drexel’s murderer pleads guilty

CHARLESTON, SC (WMBF) – The longtime girlfriend of Brittanee Drexel’s convicted killer has pleaded guilty in connection with the case.

Angel Vause, 56, pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday to making false statements to a federal agent about Drexel's disappearance and death. Vause's bail was also revoked and she was taken to jail after the hearing.

Drexel's mother and father spoke after Vause made her plea.

Dawn Pleckan Conley said she felt her family was one step closer to justice.

“I don't think you can ever get over the loss of a child. I think it's a solution to what happened and she's going to pay dearly for what she did to my daughter,” Conley said.

Her father, John Kahyaoglu, meanwhile, said attending the hearing was very emotional for him.

“I'm still processing all of this, but it also made me happy. I'm very happy that she won't just walk out of here,” said Kahyaoglu. “Many people have been working on this and waiting for this day. Of course, I can hardly wait for the verdict to be announced, but it's been a long road.”

Vause had originally planned to plead guilty last month, but changed her mind in the final minutes of the hearing and wanted to appear in court. She later changed her mind again, leading to the final hearing on Monday.

Vause's boyfriend, Raymond Moody, confessed in May 2022 that he and Vause picked up Drexel on April 25, 2009. Drexel was walking down the street and Moody asked her if she wanted to party and smoke marijuana.

The three ended up at a campground in Georgetown County, where Moody kidnapped, raped and killed the teenager. Her remains were found over a decade later in the Harmony Township area.

Vause spoke to the FBI around May 11, 2022, and told an agent she left to pick up the keys during the murder but headed in a different direction for another reason, court documents say.

She also said that Drexel kept her cellphone when, according to the FBI, Vause took Drexel's phone and disposed of it between Georgetown and Charleston counties.

Vause added that Drexel joined her and Moody voluntarily, but the FBI stated that Drexel was actually kidnapped “under false pretenses.”

A sentencing date for Vause has not yet been set, but she faces a maximum sentence of 24 years.

A U.S. probation officer must prepare a preliminary sentencing report. Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday hopes sentencing will take place sometime in November.

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