Authorities look for link between missing woman cases

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Investigators with the Charleston County sheriff's office are looking at possible connections between three cases.

The disappearance of a New York teen who disappeared on a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach more than a year ago, the attempted abduction of a young woman in Myrtle Beach last week and the unsolved murder of a Charleston teen 12 years ago. Charleston murder could all be connected.

This week, police in Myrtle Beach arrested 37-year-old Timothy Taylor of the McClellanville area and charged him with attempted kidnapping. Randa Massey, 20, claims Taylor and another man jumped out of a van and tried to grab her last week in Myrtle Beach.

Investigators are looking at three cases, the disappearance of Brittanee Drexel, which happened in April of last year, the attempted abduction of Massey last week and the unsolved murder of Charleston teen Shannon McConaughey more than a decade ago.

Timothy Taylor is the brother of Randall Taylor who was one of five men once charged in McConaughey's death.

On Jan. 29 1998, 19-year-old McConaughey was last seen leaving a Cracker Barrel in North Charleston after eating with friends. A couple weeks later her car was found burned and dumped in the woods near McClellanville. Her body was found about a month after that.

All suspects in the case were later released for lack of evidence.

But investigators now say McConaughey's body was dumped within 10 miles of where they last got a signal from Brittanee Drexel's cell phone.

Investigators also say the attempted abduction of Massey is similar to the way Drexel disappeared.

People in McClellanville are hoping for closure soon. "I'd just like to see something clear up with the case," said restaurant owner Pete Kornack. "Everybody around here is holding their breath, hoping that we get some solid information, because McClellanville is a good, little community and this is not a very pretty aspect of it."

No official link has been found in these three cases, but police are still investigating.

©2010 WCSC. All rights reserved.