Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Rodeo queen mom of two pleads guilty, under lover's 'spell' after missing mom Kelsey Berreath DEAD

Episode Date: February 11, 2019

The Idaho nurse who admitted she sent a fake message on murder victim Kelsey Berreth's phone and then hid the device from investigators helped accused killer Patrick Frazee cover up the crime because she was "very, very scared" of what he might do to her family if she refused, according to a close friend of Krystal Lee. Nancy Grace looks at the rodeo queen's plea deal with Colorado prosecutors in this episode. Her panel includes forensics expert Karen Smith, North Carolina family & divorce lawyer Kathleen Murphy, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Bober, and CrimeOnline reporter Ellen Killoran. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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I would much rather have that than yet another plastic baby doll or, God forbid, a toy gun. Just what I don't want. Join the Justice Nation. Crimestopshere.com Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. I still know somebody knows where she's at. Somebody has seen her. There's more information out there.

Somebody just needs to realize, to recognize, and to say something. Has she ever disappeared before? No. No. I can't think of anywhere she's ever gone that she hasn't told me. It's just not in her character to just take off and be gone. Thanksgiving is the last known time Kelsey Barrett was seen in public. It was at this Safeway store where she was captured by the store's security cameras. Cheryl Barrett says she spoke with Kelsey by phone that day twice.

What did you talk about that day? It was just small things. And initially she needed a recipe. Based on that conversation there was nothing to make you believe there was anything wrong. Exactly yeah her voice was fine she was yeah she was and it was a normal day for her. I'm Nancy Grace this is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us. You were just hearing our friends at NBC today as well as Joe Fire talking to Kelsey Berreth the missing Colorado mom mother declaring somebody knows something and I think I've got a pretty good idea who that somebody who knows something is and that is the

missing mom fiance Patrick Frazee's mistress I don't even know if you can have a legitimate mistress when you're not married, but in the last hours, a big break. Listen. Crystal Lee Kenny, an Idaho nurse, is a key part of the puzzle. Kenny was close with Patrick Frazee, who is now charged with murder. His fiance, Kelsey Barrett, was last seen Thanksgiving Day at a grocery store before dropping off her child with Frazee, the father. While the search was going on in Colorado, Barrett's cell phone sent a message from Idaho to her employer. Now, Kenny pleaded guilty to a felony of tampering with that phone. She said, I learned that Patrick Frazee had committed a homicide on approximately November 22nd, 2018 in Teller County. I knew that law

enforcement would be investigating that crime. I moved the victim's cell phone with the intent to impair the phone's availability in the investigation. Kenny was allowed to leave with the understanding she may be called back to testify against Frazee. She will be sentenced later and could very well get prison time. But for now, the body of Kelsey Barrett is nowhere to be found. Truer words were never spoken that CBS4 Denver's Rick Salinger reporting. Oh, yeah, they were close. All right, I guess that's one way to put it.

Talk about putting perfume on the pig. Crystal Lee Kinney, the rodeo queen, mother of two, divorced, had a longtime relationship with Patrick Frazee. Why didn't he just get with her instead of pretending to be with Kelsey Barrett, the missing mom? Her body's still not found. Her little one-year-old girl, Kelly, living with her parents right now. What happened to Kelsey Barrett? But we know this much. In the last hours, the rodeo queen, mom of two, in court pleading guilty

to one count of tampering with evidence. What evidence? Kelsey Barrett's cell phone. Now, don't you think you'd pause and wonder why? Your lover wants you to drive 800 miles away and dispose of his girlfriend, his fiance's cell phone. And oh, by the way, do you mind sending a couple of fake texts one to her boss saying pretending to be Kelsey I'm gonna be gone for a week to throw

cops off the trail but she did it and she has pled to it as you heard sentencing withheld until she testifies successfully in the murder trial against the so-called killer fiance, Patrick Frazee. Joining me right now, boy, do we need a forensics expert. Karen Smith, renowned in her field, joining us out of the Florida jurisdiction. Well-known North Carolina family and divorce lawyer Kathleen Murphy. And boy, do we need a shrink. I think we can all agree on that.

With me, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Bober. But first, to CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter Ellen Kaloran. CrimeOnline, where you can find this and all other breaking crime and justice news every single day. Ellen, let's take it from the top. What happened in court? Krista Lee Kenney pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with evidence on Friday. She said in her statement that this crime, she moved the phone from Teller County, which means that she had to have been in Colorado on that day. She also was right after Thanksgiving. It was right after Thanksgiving. So she reportedly comes to see him for Thanksgiving for the holidays. And she leaves with Kelsey Bear's cell phone. And again, putting perfume on the pig, Ellen.

These are not your words. They're her words. Kathleen Murphy, what do you make of it? She agreed. She moved her phone. You know, that sounds like it's sliding it across the dinner table lit by candlelight. I moved the phone. Oh, H-E-double-L, no.

That is not what she did. She didn't move it across the dinner table with white linen tablecloths and fancy silver. No, she hid it and she drove. What, she didn't think Kelsey Barrett would miss her phone? Oh, because Kelsey was dead and she knew it. And she drove 800 miles to dispose of the phone to make it seem like Kelsey Barrett was that one-year-old little baby girl wanting mommy to try to trick police into thinking Kelsey Barrett had gone to Idaho. I mean, move it. Nancy, why isn't this woman charged with accessory before the fact and accessory after the fact?

Why is she simply charged with tampering with the evidence you know that's a good question joining me here in the studio is Jackie Howard with her face all screwed up in disbelief joining me in LA is my partner in crime Alan Duke you know Alan do you you have covered a lot of cases with me and while I was still prosecuting. And here's the deal. If she knew at that time that Kelsey Barrett was dead, to me, that's accessory after the fact. And she also said, Alan Duke, who's joining us from his posh penthouse pad, as I like to say in L.A. She also says that Frazee, the fiancé,

had solicited her on multiple occasions to kill Kelsey. So she took that phone. She knew Kelsey was dead, Alan. I agree with Kathleen Murphy. This doesn't seem right. Well, she says fear. It's going to be fear is her reason. She thought she and her family members

were going to be targeted by Patrick Frazee, who she believed was the most evil man, but only, only after she got caught. Well, what about this, Alan? She has said to other people this was her first love, that she's loved Frazee since high school. I'll tell you what, when you know you've got a nut on your hands, a killer nut, a dangerous nut, you've known them since high school you get away you don't keep up a sex relationship with them guys I want to thank our partner I thanked our awesome guests and introduce them but let me thank our partner making today's Sirius XM program and podcast possible.

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No one has seen or heard from 29-year-old Kelsey Barrett. One of the last places the young mother was seen was on Thanksgiving Day at a Safeway in Woodland Park, Colorado, wearing a white shirt, gray sweater, and blue pants. If she's out there and doesn't want to be contacted, just let us know that she's safe, and we'll let her family know. Barrett was reported missing on December 2nd. Woodland Park Police Commander Chris Adams says a few days after Thanksgiving, her cell phone pinged nearly 800 miles away outside Gooding, Idaho, not far from where she has family.

Dear God, please keep the family of Kelsey Barrett in your heart and soul. In Washington state, where some of Barrett's family lives, a vigil was held by her brother-in-law, Brandon Kindle. If they see her anywhere, please, please say something. You're hearing our friend, CBS reporter, Maria Villarreal, reporting on Kelsey Barrett last being seen. And you hear her brother begging for help. That phone pinging 800 miles away near Gooding, Idaho.

Actually, Twin Falls, as a matter of fact. And that, just coincidentally, is right where her fiancé, Patrick Frazee's other girlfriend, lives. Crystal Lee Kinney, as I like to say, the rodeo queen, because she was. Isn't that right, Jackie? She was. What was her title in the rodeo queen? What was it, EK? She was voted rodeo queen something 2019 something and has known Patrick Frazee for a really long time.

But in the last hours, a stunning turn. Listen to the district attorney, Dan May. She's asking why did we agree to a plea. I don't know that I can comment on that at this time. It may be a question you can re-ask on February 19th after that proceeding's over because certainly at that point you'll be provided more information. We've talked about that before. The 19th date is a preliminary hearing.

At a preliminary hearing, the prosecution is required to put on evidence for the judge to decide what to bind over for trial, which charges to bind over for trial. So at that time, obviously a lot more information will be put out in the public realm. So it's probably a better question for that date. That's right. He's not telling. There apparently is going to be a preliminary hearing where we will hear all, not exactly all, with me, Karen Smith, forensics expert, Kathleen Murphy, North Carolina lawyer, Dr. Daniel Bober, forensic psychiatrist, and right now, CrimeOnline. Ellen kill Lauren yeah I got a couple of questions

too just like Kathleen Murphy said earlier Ellen if he had been asking her to murder Kelsey for a long time and we found that out from friends of friends who detailed to this and now asks her to hide get rid of dispose of the cell phone after he kills her uh-uh she's she's one lucky ducky k because on tampering with evidence her max is 18 months as opposed to life behind bars, or worse, Ellen. There's no question that Crystal Lee Kenney knew that a murder took place. When she made a statement in court on Friday, she said that on November 22nd, she knew that Kelsey Barris had been murdered. So it's not even just the fact that she moved the cell phone and as you as you've noted

patrick frazee allegedly asked someone to help with the murder dating back all the way to september but she's not even in jail right now and the plea agreement does not wait wait wait wait she's what? Did you say she's not even in jail? She is not in custody. Okay, I'm just going to let that just settle in for just one moment. And, of course, I'm getting somebody tagging on my T-shirt here. It's Alan Duke. Of course, he knows about all of the beauty pageant information, particularly the swimsuit competition. But that's a whole other can of worms for our forensic psychiatrist to figure that all out.

And he's telling me it was the 2008 Rodeo Queen of the Magic Valley Stampede. 2008 Rodeo Queen of the Magic Valley Stampede. Hey, I'm not knocking it what i am knocking is driving 800 miles with this dead mom's cell phone and getting rid of it to dr daniel bober forensic psychiatrist help me out dr bober and let me just say up front before you tune up and get going can you dumb me down for me please and talk in regular people talk notists talk if that's possible dr bober this woman the girlfriend the 2008 rodeo queen of the magic valley stampede mother of two why would she go along with patrick frazee who she's known for a long time why'd she go along

with a murderous plot why nancy you know what? The evidence tampering charge was a gift. She, in my opinion, knew a lot more and was involved a lot more. So she's lucky that she only got the evidence tampering charge. But we see this a lot, even in male serial killers who go along with females. Sometimes when the females are weak and they don't have a lot of ego strength or backbone, sometimes they'll go along with it because of their own weaknesses. You know, here's another thing, a legal strategy, Kathleen Murphy, as much as I don't like it, sometimes, as I love to tell a jury when they're scratching

their heads just like we are, sometimes you got to go to hell to get a witness to put the devil in jail. And I remember the first time I ever did it. Now, I was under the tutelage of a veteran assistant DA who thought this was a wonderful thing, and I took the heat for it. I had a triple murder. It was a drug turf shootout, and five, the cops arrested five guys who were there on that playground that night. Literally, there was blood running down the gutter. Literally, there was so much blood. And as it turned out, through intensive investigation,

nobody would testify. I'd have to sneak around at this housing project and knock on back doors with my investigator, Ernest, and nobody would come forward. So finally, as it turned out, the four guys were there, and the ringleader did all the shooting. He gunned down three people. And I, in order to get testimony, to get this guy, the trigger man, took cheap plays on the guys, and they did a couple years behind bars for just being

there for just being there and everybody went berserk and unless you know the facts of the case unless they knew i had been in every whorehouse and crack house and flop house in the area trying to get eyewitnesses to talk. Everybody was afraid. At some point, what do you do? You let the trigger man go because you don't want a cheap plea? Are we that precious? So in this case, I guess the prosecution is holding its nose and taking this cheap plea because they got to have this woman,

the rodeo queen, to prove the murder does she know where the body is does she know what happened did she have the information beforehand i guess you're right nancy the prosecutor knows things that we don't know yet and he's doing what he has to do for the conviction of patrick crazy i sure would like to know where that money is. With me, Karen Smith, forensics expert, and I've worked with Karen a long time now, and I'm proud to say I sat on top of her during one forensic expert, or did you sit on top of me? I can't even remember anymore. It's kind of a blur because we had all that fake blood, and we were trying to prove or disprove a defense theory in a case karen you've seen it all do we know how she can help

forensically okay ellen caloran yes no one answer have they found the cell phone yet did she say no she said no she said no so karen Smith, how am I going to find that cell phone? Well, listen, she's got charges hanging over her head, paltry as they may be. I'd like to know what she did with it. Did she put it in a dumpster? Did she throw it in a field? Did she flush it down a toilet? I mean, I don't know what she's done, but you know what? One thing I do know, actually two things that I know. Police have said that evidence does indicate that she was that that Kelsey Barrett was killed in her Woodland Park home around Thanksgiving. That tells me that they do have forensic evidence from inside that house, which may help tell a story of what happened in there. Second, you know, Crystal Lee Kenny had that cell phone for 800 miles. Pretty sure she drove by one or two police departments on her little travels

up to Idaho. So the fact that, you know, Alan Duke said that she was frightened. Yeah, sure. Maybe she was, but you know what? Maybe taking that cell phone to a police department and telling the story and spilling the beans would have been a little bit better for her and a heck of a lot better for this case listen to our friend at kk tv 11 ashley franco through tears crystal lee admitted to a judge that she moved kelsey barrett's phone in order to hinder the investigation she took a plea deal that requires her to testify against patrick fraze in court. The district attorney says as long as she cooperates, they will not arrest her. She is free to come and go at this time. She has a requirement, obviously, to keep touch with the court.

We do have review dates when she has to have contact with the court, and she is required at some point to report for sentencing. The DA would not comment on whether Kelsey's phone has been found or not. He did tell us we will receive more information regarding what evidence they have in the case. That will happen February 19th when Frazee is back in court for his preliminary hearing. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

Take me to the first moment Crystal told you that Patrick Frazee had tried to involve her in this crime. I will just tell you, Crystal was very, very scared. Crystal's a very level-headed, kind, fun-lo loving, happy-go-lucky person. She's a tough cowgirl. But she was absolutely scared and extremely upset. On Friday, Lee admitted she dumped Barrett's cell phone just two days after Barrett's death. I have no right or authority to live in this hall. And claimed she knew Frazee had already

killed Barrett. She had very, very good reasoning for whatever it is she may or may not have done. What was the reasoning? I can't really comment completely, but a fear and legitimate fear. That if she didn't comply with Patrick, he might kill her. Yes, that's what I believe, yes. Stein says Lee and Frazee, a blacksmith, met after high school at a ranch and bonded over horses. Were they in a sexual relationship recently? I don't want to comment on that. Frazee is currently in jail without bail. Authorities believe he murdered Barrett at her home, but they have not determined a clear motive and her body still has not been found. As a part of her plea, sources tell CBS News Lee is expected to testify against Frazee and possibly

reveal what Frazee told her about Barrett. You have no doubt Crystal wasn't involved in the murder? I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever. You're hearing Crystal Lee Kinney's best friend Michelle Stein with CBS Morning News reporter Nikki Batiste, saying that she believes Crystal was very, very afraid. Now, Ellen Killorn, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter, our sources tell us that one of the things the killer fiancé, alleged killer fiancé, Patrick Frazee, said was, you know, little girls go missing off the playground all the time. And doesn't Crystal Lee Kenny have children? That's right, Nancy. Crystal Lee Kenny has two children. I

believe they are two daughters. And her friends have said, sources have said that he threatened not only her, but to hurt her two young children. What an SOB. I mean, just to add, add on to what we think he's already done. Take a listen to this best friend speaking to Nikki Batiste. Do you think Patrick's a murderer? Yes. I do. I think he's a very dangerous person.

Michelle Stein says her close friend Crystal Lee confided in her about her role in covering up Kelsey Barrett's death. We sat down with Stein in Twin Falls, Idaho, where the two women live. Has Crystal ever said that she's been fearful of him at any point? Yes. What did she say? She did tell me that she has never seen that kind of evil in anybody. Barrett, a 29-year-old pilot, vanished on Thanksgiving Day in Colorado and was last seen in this surveillance video, shopping with the one-year-old daughter she and her fiance, Patrick Frazee, shared. Investigators say three days later, Barrett's cell phone pinged nearly 600 miles away

in Gooding, Idaho, about an hour from Lee's home. Two text messages were sent, one to Barris' employer, saying she would be away for a week, and another to Frazee. You know, I'm not really buying it. Kathleen Murphy, North Carolina family and divorce lawyer, because up until she was just caught dead in the water throwing this cell phone away, throwing Kelsey's phone away to try to trick the cops and save her lover, Patrick Frazee, up until then people

were saying oh she was smitten by him she's so in love with him that's her first love now we're hearing oh she was afraid of him he threatened her everything has changed do you mean to tell me Kathleen Murphy that this woman drove 800 miles to see a man she was afraid of because I'm not really swallowing that. Neither am I. And you know what, Nancy? She may have been able to save this woman's life and she did it. So I have zero sympathy for her. Zero. I still don't understand why they haven't found the phone, but Alan Duke is joining me out of L.A. and has also been working the case along with E.K. Ellen Kaloran. Alan, it's my understanding the D.A. was asked that very question, do you have the cell phone?

And he won't say. I'm guessing they may have it. They have been talking to Crystal Lee now since the middle of December. You remember we quietly talked about it. We didn't want to blow what the investigators were doing, but we knew that it was coming up, but we just didn't know who. I think they've got the phone. The DA was coy in the news conference and he just wouldn't say, he says, I can't tell you right now. That is not on the record. I think they've got it too, Alan. And I'll tell you why. They have offered her one sweet deal and boy does it stink but i bet they got a hold of her and her lawyer and he said listen you get your fanny out in those woods miss rodeo queen and i

don't care if you have to go out there with your your hair pick you get out there and you find that cell phone and if you do we'll give you tampering with evidence. Because, yes, I think they need her testimony. I think they could probably prove it without her testimony to shore it up. But they had to have more than just her. Okay? Because a good defense attorney can flip that around and say she killed Kelsey. She was there. She was in Colorado.

They had to have more than just blah blah blah I think he's got the cell phone Dr. Daniel Bober I'm trying to imagine her Crystal Lee Kinney out there trying to find the cell phone I mean she knows where she threw it she may have done it at night but she's probably got a good idea where she threw the cell phone or hit it but dr daniel bober are you buying that she was so terrified of patrick frazee that she drove 800 miles to get with him yeah this case reminds me a little bit of another case in canada if you remember the paul bernardo and tammy hamilton caseka. Remember that one? Oh, yes. Where they would kidnap little teen girls and torture them sexually with like curling irons and all kinds of horrible things. And the boyfriend would kill them.

Yeah. And then Homolka claimed, I was under his spell and afraid for my life. What was it like 10 to 15 times she was afraid for her life? Right, so then after they gave her the plea deal, they found video that showed that she was a lot more involved than she said she was, that people were completely disgusted by the plea deal. I think in this case it's the same thing.

I think she knows a lot more than she's saying, and I think, again, the evidence tampering charges is a huge gift for her. Oh, huge a huge gift for her oh huge huge gift so karen smith if they already have the phone you're the forensics expert what will they be able to mine from kelsey's cell phone they're going to go into that cell phone they're going to look at all the social media they're going to look at all of the text messages they can go in and find out where that cell phone was when it was there uh pings off of messages they can go in and find out where that cell phone was when it was there pings off of towers they can actually trace where Crystal Lee Kenny drove the area where she dumped it they're going to go back and look at the

text messages and see if there's any hint or any clue that something was a miss prior to November 22nd 2018 when apparently she was killed. So all of that data is going to come together and tell the story, hopefully, of what happened to Kelsey Barrett. E.K. Ellen Killoran, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter. She didn't just take the cell phone and throw it out into the woods. She reportedly sent texts pretending that she was the missing mom, Kelsey Barrett, to throw investigators and family off the course. What were the texts we believe Crystal Lee Kinney sent for her boyfriend? Three days after the alleged murder, on November 25th,

two text messages were sent from Kelsey Barrett's phone. One was sent to Patrick Frazee, and we don't know what was said in that message. Another was sent to her employer. She was a pilot and a flight instructor at a school in Colorado, and she sends him at the phone, sends a message to her lawyer saying I'm not coming into work this week.

That was not something that had been arranged beforehand. Take a listen to our friend Jennifer Meckels at 9 news. She entered the courthouse quickly not stopping to talk to reporters and while in court Kenny stood with her attorney and faced the judge. Through tears she admitted to learning Frazee committed a homicide, to knowing law enforcement was investigating the crime and to moving the victim's cell phone to

impair the phone's availability in the investigation. There are terms to this plea deal. District Attorney Dan May said that means she could testify in the case against Patrick Frazee. She is required to cooperate in all cases. She is required to testify, if called upon to testify in all cases. And in particular, obviously, he referenced the Patrick Frazee case that is currently set for February 19th for preliminary hearing at nine o'clock. A judge will ultimately decide Kenny's sentence, and that happens only after all other related cases wrap up. Right now, she is not in custody. She is free to come and go, but the district attorney's office said she will certainly stay in touch with the court. Crystal Lee pled guilty to a class six felony

tampering with physical evidence. It carries a penalty in the presumptive range of up to 18 months in prison in the aggravated range up to three years in prison. And that's by state law. By state law, it is not a mandatory sentencing type charge so that actually the judge has a choice of anywhere from probation on up to that three years if the judge finds aggravation in this particular case. We have postponed sentencing until after any hearings or trials are done on any other related matters. Certainly that would include the Patrick Frazee charges at this time. He is presumed innocent unless until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. We have agreed though by our agreement that she will not be sentenced

until after all trials are completed. You heard the judge say that could be six months from now, that could be two years from now. We really don't know. What she stated today, she read a statement. You probably saw her holding it in there. She said, I learned that Patrick Frazee had committed a homicide on approximately November 22nd, 2018 in Teller County. I knew that law enforcement would be investigating that crime. I moved the victim's cell phone with the intent to impair the phone's availability in the investigation. I had no right or authority to move the victim's cell phone. That occurred between November 24th and November 25th, 2018 in Teller County. You are hearing the District attorney Dan May speaking to reporters

after Crystal Lee, the Rodeo Queen guilty plea. She's facing 18 to 30 months. Now the judge will have discretion to give her straight probation and sentencing is delayed until we hear her testimony. What is going to happen next, Ellen Killoran? Well, Patrick Frazee is due next in court on February 19th. Kristen Lee Kenney is not due back in court until June, but she obviously is a key witness for the prosecution, and she's not going anywhere. She is going to not only testify for Patrick Frazee, but if there are any other trials in this case,

if there are any other suspects, she's going to have to be a witness there too. Straight out to Dr. Daniel Bober, forensic psychiatrist. Right now, Kelsey Beara's family, her mom and dad, her little daughter, have no idea where her body is. And there you have Patrick Frazee sitting behind bars claiming he's innocent all this was over what he wasn't even married to Kelsey they could have just broken up why this dr. bober you know Nancy it's really hard to say you know I think at some point you start bargaining with yourself and you say I know that you know my mom's not alive or my family members not alive

but I just want answers I just want to know the truth just so I can have some peace but it's very difficult to know you know what motivated her to actually do this or to be involved in it there's a really good question from Jackie Howard here in the studio with me to you, Kathleen Murphy, North Carolina family and divorce lawyer. Kathleen, could Crystal Lee Kinney lose custody of her children over this? Because she has clearly been consorting with a killer who's been planning the murder for a long time and she knew about it. And now he's threatening that her children, her girls could just disappear on the playground.

Oh, Nancy, if the courts even cared about what the parents do with their children, I would say she should lose custody, but they don't really care. They don't. And I deal with it all the time. You walk in and they put in, oh, 50-50 custody, next. I would love for custody courts in this country

to start paying attention to s*** like this. You know what? What about it to Ellen Kaloran? What effect will all of this have on Crystal Lee Kinney's custody of her children? Yeah, we don't know yet what Crystal Lee Kinney knew, but her own statements imply that she knew that there was a murder on the day of the murder, and she did not come forward. So what that means about whether it's safe for her to have custody of her children, we're going to have to wait and see. You know, Karen Smith, forensics expert, joining me out of the Florida jurisdiction. Before she was busted getting rid of evidence in a murder case, friends said she was, quote, deeply in love, that Patrick Frazee was her, quote, first love. Quote, she was in love with him from a very young age. He had some kind of a hold on her. Now, see, the story has morphed Karen Smith to she was afraid.

She was afraid he was going to get her girls. So that's why she did it. He's 800 miles away. She can call the cops and have him busted pronto for murder. No, that didn't happen. So how are we going to use her phone, his phone, social media, electronics, phone records to prove her involvement? Karen Smith, you're the forensics expert. You know what? They don't even need outright threats between Patrick Frazee and Crystal Lee Kenny.

They don't. The fact is, is that she drove 800 miles with Kelsey Barrett's cell phone in her possession. She sent false texts to her work and to Patrick Frazee, knowing full well, it's in the statement, I knew Patrick Frazee committed a homicide. She didn't leave until two days later, November 24th and November 25th. So there were two days for her to sit around and think what am i going to do am i going to go to the cops or am i going to go along with this plan and don't give me the whole love thing nancy you and i have had cases where that's been an argument and i don't buy it one little bit i want to know what she knew when she knew it and more importantly how she knew it was she there

or was she not those are the questions i want answers to well here's the other thing to ellen colorin crime online.com investigative reporter we still don't have kelsey's body this woman was murdered in her own town home i wonder if this is a money motive because she had just bought a $250,000 townhome on her own. She was a flight instructor. No help from the fiance, the father of her child, to our understanding. She may have had a life insurance policy on herself, payable to the child or the father.

That has not been explored, but I can't think of any other motive why he would kill her. I mean, they weren't even married. There wasn't going to be a messy divorce. It would have been a break, Ellen. Right now, still no body. How is that going to affect Kelly as she grows up? No idea where her mother's body is.

Who has custody right now, Ellen, of little Kelly? Kelsey's parents do. The maternal grandparents have custody of their one-year-old daughter. And, Auntie, you make a really good point here about we don't know where the body is. The body has not been found yet. And yet here's this woman who obviously knows a lot about what happened here, getting a very, very, very sweet plea deal when she played a role in this murder. So perhaps she knows something about where that body is. We wait as justice

unfolds. This should be back in court in a matter of days. Nancy Grace, Crime Story, signing off. Goodbye, friend. This is an iHeart Podcast.