Angel Vause pleads guilty to lying about Brittanee Drexel’s 2009 murder

Angel Vause speaks to investigators inside a police interrogation room in May 2022. (Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office)

(WCIV) — Angel Cooper Vause, longtime girlfriend of Brittanee Drexel’s convicted killer Raymond Moody, pleaded guilty Wednesday on two of the three charges in relation to the rape and murder of Drexel in 2009.

Vause pleaded guilty to two counts of giving a false statement to a federal agent of the events leading up to, during and after the incident, a plea agreement obtained by News 4 states.

She originally told police that she was travelling to her home to get keys from a truck ring while Drexel was being assaulted and killed by Raymond Moody.

According to the FBI report, Vause was actually traveling in a different direction and not for the originally stated purpose. She pleaded guilty on that count.

Additionally, Vause also gave a false testimony saying that Drexel had voluntarily joined Vause and Moody to consume marijuana and cocaine when, in fact, Drexel was abducted under false pretenses.

She pleaded guilty on that count as well.

Vause is facing a max of 10 years and $500,000 in fines.

In May of 2022, Moody was arrested, and the nearly 15-year-old case was finally solved.

After his confession, Moody told police he and his girlfriend Vause picked up Drexel on the Myrtle Beach strip to “party.” Moody said Drexel got into the car.

He told police they drove south of Georgetown to smoke marijuana. That was the last place Drexel’s phone pinged.

Drexel was 17 years old at the time of her killing.

After Moody confessed in 2022 to raping and strangling Drexel, he provided a detailed and specific description of how authorities would find Drexel’s remains.

FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis said at the time, “Consistent with exactly how Mr. Moody said she would be, face down, six feet in, with her head facing a certain direction. So when I say we were able to corroborate things that only he would know as the true person responsible, we believe that to be true.”

Moody had previously spent time in prison after being sentenced in the 1980’s. He ended up only serving about half of the 40-year sentence.

In 2022, Moody was handed a life sentence for the murder of Drexel.