CHARLESTON, S.C. — Angel Vause, convicted of lying to federal investigators about the disappearance and murder of Brittanee Drexel, is appealing her 18-year federal prison sentence, according to WPDE.
Vause, sentenced on February 13, pleaded guilty to three counts of lying to federal investigators. Her legal team filed the appeal in federal court on Friday.
“She deserves to be behind bars,” said Dawn Conley, Drexel’s mother, who has been a relentless advocate for justice for her daughter.
Vause is the longtime girlfriend of Raymond Moody, who was convicted of raping and murdering 17-year-old Drexel in 2009. Moody is serving a life sentence following his conviction in 2022.
Earlier this week, Moody was found liable for $700 million in damages in a civil trial brought by Drexel’s mother, Dawn Conley. Moody implicated Vause, telling the FBI that she was present while he raped and killed the teenager.
In an interview recorded at Lieber Correctional Institution in Ridgeville on November 13, 2024, Moody agreed to provide “complete and truthful information about the abduction, rape, and murder of Brittanee” in exchange for the Drexel family’s allowance of a portion of Moody’s property to remain in a trust for Vause’s grandchildren.
As more details of the case became known, Conley began lobbying for additional charges to be filed against Vause, calling on 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson to charge her with kidnapping.
In the State of South Carolina, there’s no statute of limitations on kidnapping. When asked about his meeting with Conley Thursday and the possibility of filing kidnapping charges, Richardson said, “So far the bad guys are all in prison and we don’t want to do anything to aid them in getting out of prison.
So, we need to be willing to measure twice and cut once. There’s no reason for us to run out and do something rash.” Drexel was visiting Myrtle Beach for spring break when Moody and Vause picked her up from Ocean Boulevard. Moody led federal authorities to her remains near a boat landing in Georgetown County in 2022.
The appeal by Angel Vause adds another chapter to the long-running case of Brittanee Drexel’s disappearance and murder, as her family continues to seek justice.
VIDEO: Report: Brittanee Drexel’s killer convicted, sentenced to life in prison
©2025 Cox Media Group
