The Brittanee Drexel lawsuit most people are asking about is the civil case her mother, Dawn Conley, brought against Raymond Moody, the man who confessed to kidnapping, raping, and murdering the 17-year-old in 2009. A Georgetown County, South Carolina jury awarded Conley $700 million in February 2025. More than a year later, she has not collected a cent, and her legal team is now pushing through the courts to find and seize whatever assets Moody still controls. A separate suit against the Myrtle Beach hotel where Drexel was staying is also active.
The $700 Million Verdict
Conley filed the civil suit in January 2023 in Georgetown County Common Pleas Court, three months after Moody pleaded guilty to the murder. The claim was intentional infliction of emotional distress, built around the thirteen years Moody spent silent while Conley publicly searched for her daughter and used media coverage to pressure investigators.1NewsNation. Brittanee Drexel Lawsuit Against Raymond Moody
The trial lasted about a day and a half. The jury returned a unanimous verdict of $700 million: $200 million in actual damages and $500 million in punitive damages.2Live 5 News. Jury Awards $200 Million in Damages to Brittanee Drexel’s Family3WOWT. Jury Awards $700M to Brittanee Drexel’s Mother in Lawsuit Against Daughter’s Killer In closing, Conley’s attorney Roy T. Willey called Moody “a psychopath” and told the jury he “watched this unfold on his own TV set, and the billboards up the highway for 13 years and said nothing.”4Upper Michigan’s Source. Jury Awards $700M to Brittanee Drexel’s Mother
Why the Case Against Moody
Drexel disappeared on April 25, 2009, after leaving a friend’s room at the Blue Water Resort in Myrtle Beach and starting the walk back to her own hotel. She never arrived. Her case sat unsolved for thirteen years while investigators pursued the wrong suspects, until Moody was arrested in May 2022 and led authorities to her remains in Georgetown County.5ABC News. Brittanee Drexel Investigation Breakthrough
Moody pleaded guilty in October 2022 to murder by manual strangulation, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and forcible kidnapping. Circuit Judge R. Ferrell Cothran Jr. sentenced him to life in prison plus 30 consecutive years each for the kidnapping and rape counts.6ABC News. Raymond Moody Pleads Guilty to Killing Missing Teen Brittanee Drexel The criminal conviction settled the question of what happened. The civil suit was about accountability of a different kind, and about the years of silence.
Trying to Collect the Judgment
A $700 million verdict against an incarcerated man is not the same as $700 million in the bank. As of March 2026, Conley has received nothing.7WRDW. Mom Still Waits for Judgment in Lawsuit Against Brittanee Drexel’s Killer When a Georgetown County sheriff attempted to execute the judgment, he reported finding no personal property to seize.8WHEC. Over a Year After Civil Verdict, Brittanee Drexel’s Mother Still Seeking to Recover Assets
Conley’s team has moved on several fronts.
The Fraudulent Transfer Suit
In August 2025, Conley sued to unwind a real estate transfer Moody made on October 20, 2022, the day after his guilty plea. He had signed over two parcels at 5502 and 5498 Rose Hill Road in Georgetown County to his then-girlfriend Angel Vause and a man named Brian Cooper. The combined assessed value was only $5,030, but the suit argued the timing showed an intent to keep assets away from creditors.9WBTW. Brittanee Drexel’s Mother Seeking Ownership of Moody, Vause’s Georgetown Properties Conley dismissed that lawsuit in December 2025.10WMBF News. Brittanee Drexel’s Mother Dismisses One of Lawsuits Against Raymond Moody She did, however, acquire the two properties Moody had transferred to Vause. They had not been sold as of March 2026.8WHEC. Over a Year After Civil Verdict, Brittanee Drexel’s Mother Still Seeking to Recover Assets
Supplementary Proceedings
On March 12, 2026, Conley filed a petition asking the court to compel Moody to disclose every asset he owns. A judge signed an order authorizing her team to question him under oath. Conley also asked the court to appoint a receiver with authority to seize assets and to freeze any remaining property so Moody cannot transfer more of it. The matter was referred to a master in equity, who will oversee the testimony and rule on the pending motions.7WRDW. Mom Still Waits for Judgment in Lawsuit Against Brittanee Drexel’s Killer A date for Moody’s sworn deposition had not been set as of March 2026.11WMBF News. Drexel’s Mother Still Has Not Received Judgment in Lawsuit Against Daughter’s Killer
The Mobile Home
Conley’s attorney Lawrence Hershon is pursuing a separate legal process to reach a mobile home connected to Moody. Because it is classified as personal property rather than real estate, seizing or forcing its sale takes a different mechanism than the one used for the Rose Hill parcels.8WHEC. Over a Year After Civil Verdict, Brittanee Drexel’s Mother Still Seeking to Recover Assets
Hershon has said the current work is about collection, not relitigating the case. Post-judgment interest continues to accrue on the unpaid balance.11WMBF News. Drexel’s Mother Still Has Not Received Judgment in Lawsuit Against Daughter’s Killer
The Bar Harbor Hotel Lawsuit
A second civil action, filed on behalf of Drexel’s estate, targets the Myrtle Beach hotel where she was staying. The Anastopoulo Law Firm announced the suit in November 2023 against Moody, the Bar Harbor Hotel, and the Smith Family Partnership, which manages the property. The complaint alleges that hotel employees were negligent in allowing an unaccompanied 17-year-old to check in without intervention in April 2009.12ABC News 4. Brittanee Drexel Murder Civil Lawsuit Press Conference
The hotel defendants filed an answer denying all allegations. They contended Drexel was never a registered guest at the resort and argued that any punitive damages award would be unconstitutional.13WPDE. Bar Harbor Resort Denies Allegations in Brittanee Drexel Estate Lawsuit
Where the Litigation Stands
The February 2025 verdict remains the largest judgment ever entered in the case, and it is uncollected. Conley has recovered two low-value parcels of real estate but no cash. The March 2026 petitions for Moody’s sworn testimony, a receiver, and an asset freeze are pending before a master in equity. The suit against the Bar Harbor Hotel is unresolved. The criminal side of the case is closed: Moody is serving life plus sixty years, and Angel Vause is serving 18 years in federal prison for lying to the FBI, a sentence she is appealing on double-jeopardy grounds.14South Carolina Public Radio. Former Girlfriend of Brittanee Drexel’s Killer Fights Federal Sentence