Angel Cooper Vause, a 57-year-old resident of Georgetown, South Carolina, has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison. The sentence follows her guilty plea for lying to federal investigators about her involvement in the 2009 kidnapping and murder of Brittanee Drexel.
In court, evidence revealed that Vause concealed her role in the events surrounding Brittanee's disappearance for over 13 years. Contrary to her claims that Brittanee joined her and Raymond Moody willingly, it was found that Vause played a part in the abduction and was complicit in Brittanee's rape and murder. On the night of the incident in April 2009, Vause helped lure the 17-year-old into their vehicle under false pretenses of offering a ride to her hotel. She left Brittanee with Moody at the site where she was raped and murdered, taking Brittanee’s cellphone with her.
During sentencing, the judge highlighted Vause's significant role in facilitating the crime. "For more than a decade, Brittanee’s loved ones were left to imagine the worst possible scenario in Brittanee’s disappearance while Vause withheld the truth," stated U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. Boroughs expressed hope that this sentence provides closure and justice for Brittanee's family.
Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office, emphasized the importance of truthfulness during investigations. "The FBI is committed to following the evidence to uncover the truth," he said. "This sentence underscores the gravity of lying during an investigation."
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel handed down a sentence of 216 months imprisonment for Vause, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. The federal system does not allow parole.
The case involved investigations by several agencies including the FBI Columbia Field Office, Myrtle Beach Police Department, and Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Elle E. Klein are leading the prosecution.