South Carolina's most infamous missing person case of the 21st century reached a stunning climax in May 2022.

Brittanee Drexel was not lost. She was taken, and then she was killed. After 13 agonizing years, the world finally learned by who.

In this episode, we begin laying the foundation of Brittanee's story — from the ominous prelude to her disappearance, to the volatile investigation into her kidnapping and death.

Drexel went on an unsupervised trip to Myrtle Beach in April 2009, leaving her home in New York behind her parents' backs.

Several days into the trip, Drexel simply vanished. The popular teenager suddenly stopped answering calls and text messages. Her friends and loved ones could find her nowhere.

A massive search ensued. Leads poured in. As years passed, investigators narrowed their sights on one potential suspect, only to come up empty.

The case was cold, but then a breakthrough — or so it seemed. A prison informant tells a horrific story, and the FBI unleashes its might on a young man and his family alleged to know what happened to Brittanee.

But the story was a lie. And as still more years passed, the truth remained a secret while Drexel's real kidnapper and killer remained hidden in plain sight.

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Finding Brittanee Drexel is a documentary podcast from WCIV’s Edward R. Murrow award-winning Unsolved South Carolina series. In it you’ll hear exclusive interviews, never before revealed details and unprecedented insight into an investigation spanning more than a decade.

Join investigative reporter Anne Emerson for stories of daring searches through murky South Carolina swamps, the dogged pursuit of an innocent man, and the chilling truth about the suspect who has confessed to Brittanee’s kidnapping and murder.

For more on the Brittanee Drexel case, visit ABCNews4.com/Drexel.

For updates on the series and exclusive extras, follow @UnsolvedSCPod on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Be sure to check out Unsolved South Carolina's other podcast series, The Murdaugh Murders, Money & Mystery, which follows the ongoing criminal saga involving Alex Murdaugh, disgraced South Carolina attorney accused of murdering his wife and son to cover up the theft of millions of dollars.

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