The Girl in the Box
Mystery and Murder: Analysis by Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil McGraw
4.2 • 10.3K Ratings
🗓️ 5 May 2026
⏱️ 80 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Brittanee Drexel was just 17 when she secretly traveled to Myrtle Beach for spring break in 2009 and never came home. In this episode of Mystery and Murder: Analysis by Dr. Phil, Dr. Phil breaks down the critical moments before Brittanee vanished, including the psychology of teen risk-taking, peer pressure, isolation, and why predators often need only a small window of opportunity.
Dr. Phil also examines how early assumptions in missing teen cases, especially labeling someone a “runaway” can shape an investigation, delay urgency, and cost valuable time. From surveillance footage to unanswered calls, the last confirmed text, and a chilling phone ping near McClellanville, this case reveals how quickly a spring break trip turned deadly.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | On today's podcast, the story we don't often hear, |
| 0:09.4 | Kayla Brown was freed from a South Carolina serial killer and lived to tell the tale. |
| 0:17.6 | He had her. |
| 0:19.2 | She was literally boxed up. And just after she was freed from a hell that |
| 0:26.6 | cost eight other victims their lives, she shared with me her story of fear, torture, |
| 0:33.1 | bravery, wits, and above all survival. |
| 0:39.5 | Todd put me on the ground and handcuffed me and cuffed my ankles and put a ball gag in my mouth. |
| 0:46.0 | Where does he take you? |
| 0:47.7 | Into a storage container. |
| 0:49.8 | He left me bound and he also put a chain around my neck. |
| 0:55.0 | He watched you. he chose you, and then he eliminated the person you loved. |
| 1:03.0 | He shot Charlie in the chest three times. |
| 1:08.0 | He said it was easier to control someone if you took someone they love. |
| 1:16.5 | You let me know that if I fought back, |
| 1:18.4 | he would kill me. |
| 1:21.2 | And then he raped me. |
| 1:24.1 | Did you think you were going to die? |
| 1:26.7 | He didn't want to kill me. He wanted to keep me. |
| 1:29.3 | That's why I did what I had to do to survive. |
| 1:32.3 | In November 2017, a shocking discovery made national headlines. |
| 1:37.3 | 30-year-old missing woman, Kayla Brown, was found alive in what authorities described as horrific conditions, conditions that |
| 1:46.8 | left even seasoned detectives in tears. |
... |
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