TWIN FALLS COUNTY, Idaho — It's been exactly one year since 29-year-old Kelsey Berreth went missing in Colorado. On Monday, the father of her child, Patrick Frazee, was convicted of killing her and was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.
At the center of the case was a nurse from the Twin Falls area in Idaho. Krystal Lee was the prosecution’s star witness, and her testimony helped lead to a guilty verdict.
However, she pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence after being involved in the cover-up of the murder. She took Berreth’s cell phone back to Idaho with her and she ended up destroying that and some other items.
She took a plea deal from the prosecution. She would plead guilty in return for her testimony in court against Frazee.
KTVB spoke with a family friend of Lee’s, Laura Stutzman. She said she’s known the Twin Falls nurse for most of her life and that Krystal's actions in the case were largely driven by fear. Fear of what Frazee would do to her, and to her family.
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“Krystal was very involved with Patrick,” she said. “Throughout the years she found out the type of person he was.”
Stutzman said Frazee was a manipulator and played Lee “like a fiddle.” Lee admitted to lying to authorities on the witness stand, and Stutzman said she understands why Lee did what she did but does not think it was the right thing.
“I do have to say that I love Krystal, I love her dearly, but I do not condone her actions,” she said.
The person that Stutzman knew was not one to lie or get caught up with a homicide, she said.
“The Krystal that I knew and that I know is very very truthful and honest,” Stutzman said. “And for her to not tell the truth to the authorities when she was first asked was mind-boggling to me.”
Lee received a phone call from the FBI shortly after Berreth went missing. She explained to them she didn’t know what they were talking about when asked about the missing Colorado woman.
It was revealed in court that Lee had driven to Colorado though in November of 2018. She received a text from Frazee, referencing that she had a mess to clean up.
Lee drove to Woodland Park and walked into Berreth’s condo and saw the murder scene. Frazee was found guilty of beating Berreth to death with a baseball bat, and then burning her body.
"When she walked into that apartment, she said she just broke. There was no way she could allow Kelsey's mother or her family to see what Patrick had left for them,” Stutzman said.
Lee said on the witness stand she left evidence behind in Berreth’s condo to tip off authorities. Saying she intentionally left bloodstains.
“Purposely leaving blood there, no one was going to believe her until she was able to actually tell them what was going on,” Stutzman said.
While Lee’s testimony helped lead to the guilty verdict, Stutzman said that it doesn't take the guilt away.
“Krystal has already sentenced herself, she says if she needs to go to prison for the rest of her life, so be it,” she said. “But it’s not going to bring Kelsey back, or help her children, or her family.”
Now that Frazee’s trial is over, Lee’s sentencing is next. She is scheduled to appear in a Colorado courtroom on Dec. 2.
She faces up to three years in prison for the tampering with evidence charge.
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