A vacation can be a respite from stressful studies and demanding jobs, be it a short getaway within the same country, a long trip to a faraway destination, or a special occasion like a wedding or a honeymoon. No more term papers or contracts to stress over when you’re beach-combing, hiking a majestic mountain, partying at a star-studded club, or snorkeling in crystal-clear waters.
But not every vacation is a trip to paradise. Tragically, vacationers sometimes disappear forever – or are confirmed dead. Suicides and fatal accidents may be common, but sometimes, a person’s life is cut short by a fellow human, either as a premeditated act or because they simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The following stories are grim cases of people who were murdered while they were on vacation.
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Brittanee Drexel Went Missing During Spring Break, And Her Killer Was Only Arrested 13 Years Later
While numerous missing person cases remain unsolved to this day, at least Brittanee Drexel can finally rest in peace, now that her kidnapper, rapist, and killer is serving life. In 2009, 17-year-old Drexel went with her friends to Myrtle Beach, SC for spring break without notifying her parents. She was last seen leaving her hotel on April 25. Her remains were found in the woods in May 2022, some 35 miles from the hotel.
Drexel had been kidnapped, assaulted, strangled with a nylon rope, and stabbed in the heart by an ice pick by Raymond Moody, a registered sex offender, with the assistance of his girlfriend, Angel Cooper Vause. In February 2025, Drexel’s family was awarded $700 million as compensation.
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