Officials in South Carolina say progress is being made in the case of Brittanee Drexel, the 17 year old Chili girl who went missing during Spring Break in 2009.
Authorities said last month that they believe Drexel is dead and that she was held against her will for several days in the McClellanville area, which is about 50 miles south of Myrtle Beach.
Since that news conference in June, Lieutenant Joey Crosby of the Myrtle Beach Police Department says more leads have been generated.
But Crosby and other officials are remaining tight lipped about media reports indicating that a suspect or suspects have been identified. Crosby says it's very important to maintain the integrity of this investigation.
“Many law enforcement agencies and many people have been involved in this investigation since day one, and we worked very hard on this investigation. So to release very intimate details about the case at this juncture of the investigation, could compromise the investigation and be very detrimental to the case,” Crosby told WXXI News.
Crosby says police in the Myrtle Beach area are still hoping that people with any knowledge of the case will come forward with information.
He sounds hopeful that this case will be resolved.
“I think in the whole entire time of this investigation we keep an open mind and we’re hopeful and we’re confident that through our skills and working together and through the relationships that we’ve built and the skills of other law enforcement agencies and with the assistance of the community that we will bring this investigation to closure.”
The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible.
