Secret Recordings | How Steph Watts Orchestrated a Confession in the Brittanee Drexel Case

Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum

iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

True Crime

4.4 • 696 Ratings

🗓️ 5 February 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, talks with investigative journalist Steph Watts about the Brittanee Drexel case. Steph shares how he first got involved in the case, his bond with Brittanee’s mother, Dawn Drexel, and the shocking details that finally led to answers. Sheryl and Steph reveal how Raymond Moody and Angel Vause were responsible, the tremendous work done by Steph Watts to get a confession from Raymond Moody, and what happens next with the charges and resentencing.

Brittanee Drexel, a 17-year-old from New York, disappeared while on spring break in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in April 2009. She was last seen walking alone after leaving a hotel. For years, her whereabouts remained a mystery until a breakthrough in 2022 revealed that she had been abducted and murdered by a known offender, Raymond Moody.

Guest Bio and Links:

Steph Watters is a TV Journalist specializing in crime and justice programming and creating compelling content across all platforms. Steph launched his career at Court TV, producing live and taped national trial coverage, managing all aspects of media logistics, overseeing editorial accuracy, and producing longer format documentaries.

Listeners can learn more about Steph Watts at his website, and on IG @stephwwatts

Show Notes:

(0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
(0:10) Sheryl introduces guest, Steph Watts to the show
(2:20) Background of Brittany Drexel’s case
(3:00) Specifics on the initial investigation
(9:30) Breakthrough in the case
(16:00) Raymond Moody pulled over - police miststeps
(22:00) Document from Raymond Moody - detailed confession
(24:00) The participation of Angel Vause
(30:00) The relationship between Ernie Merchant and Raymond Moody
(34:00) The confession and FBI involvement
(38:00) Steph discusses the horrific details about Britanee’s murder
(40:00) Breaking down the charges
(49:00) Closing thoughts
(50:10) ”I was a monster.” - Raymond Moody
Thanks for listening to another episode! If you’re loving the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to Itunes and leave a rating and review!

---

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.

Social Links:

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Y'all, tonight we are joined by Steph Watts, the true crime O.G. Honey.
0:16.0	Steph launched his career at Court TV, producing live and taped national trial coverage.
0:25.0	Steph and I, now, we first met on Nancy Grace's show when she was on HLN in about 2010.
0:32.1	And I'm telling you, he was out of the gate just a bronco every night.
0:40.0	And, you know, when he left there, he went over and was a field producer with Fox News,
0:47.3	the own the record with Greta Van Sestrum.
0:50.5	Y'all know he's worked as an investigative journalist and he's been on investigation discovery,
0:57.1	CNN, Fox News, CBS, and Oxygen.
1:00.8	He has done things like a special correspondent for the syndicated crime TV show Crime Watch Daily.
1:08.3	He has been an executive producer.
1:13.5	He's developed multi-hour specials for ABC 2020 and Oxygen. Y'all know his work on Scott Peterson, Drew Peterson, Ted Bundy. He even
1:22.9	produced Dead Again with executive producer Dick Wolf for A&E. He is all over the place. He's been all
1:30.8	over the place. That's why we call him the OG. He is also a fierce advocate for murdered and
1:39.1	missing victims. I have worked with him personally on this case, and I cannot tell you how just honored I am.
1:47.8	He is with us.
1:49.4	Step Watts, welcome to Zone 7.
1:52.7	Thank you very much.
1:53.9	That was a hell of an introduction.
1:56.2	I'm going to get you to pick up my funeral.
2:00.5	That was wonderful.
2:02.6	Thanks.
2:03.1	Thanks for that introduction.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.