The undiscovered country of true crime is undoubtedly social media. Ordinary people leave digital breadcrumbs of themselves online, willy-nilly, randomly, arbitrarily but also authentically. These are off-the-cuff but more important, timestamped and related to a key inner circle of people. These hidden networks reveal plenty about the true social dynamics of the key role players.
Once a crime happens, typically attempts are made to scrub compromising online activity. Kessinger did an impressive job in destroying her virtual identity, but as is typically the case, she wasn’t able to scrub everything.
The True Crime in Colorado channel has done some good work recently in developing the Kessinger narrative in a meaningful way [as opposed to the ongoing conjecture that has been mostly baseless].
They’ve followed a few leads using Venmo notifications,* and trying to connect these to the discovery as well as timeline-related texts sent between Watts and Kessinger. Fleshing out the timeline is integral to cogent True Crime Rocket Science, which is why there seems to be some – not a lot, but some – new insight here.
The bottom-line with these possible connections to Trent Bolte, Danielle and others, is it provides the cursory apparatus to interrogate the beginnings of “dark things” Watts suggested in his letters to Cheryln Cadle. Were these dark things sexual?
*Note: Venmo is a mobile payment service app owned by PayPal.
Friday is another cold, glassy clear day in Colorado.
Hello again from Teller County, #PatrickFrazee trial to get underway again shortly. Today the courthouse/media parking area was visited by a fox! Lovely! pic.twitter.com/rcztYJGlvA
Good morning from Cripple Creek. We’re back in court today for day six of the #PatrickFrazee murder trial. He’s accused of killing his fiancée #KelseyBerreth and soliciting his ex #KrystalKenney to help.
So far today in #PatrickFrazee trial we’ve heard from woman who owns ranch where he allegedly stored #KelseyBerreth’s body, two cadaver dog handlers, Krystal Lee Kenney’s dad. Story from yesterday’s proceedings: https://t.co/MsNUT4S8eV
Day 6 of Patrick Frazee trial. Two K9 handlers that can detect decomposing human scent testified. One dog sniffed at Kelsey Berreth’s home and the other at the Nash Ranch. Both picked up on positive scents. More details on @FOX21News#Frazeetrial
And another law enforcement officer testified that his bloodhound, Lucy, detected decomposing human scent near the trunk of #KelseyBerreth's car at her condo, where #PatrickFrazee's mistress said she set down bags filled w/ blood-stained towels & other items last year.@csgazette
Asked to describe Krystal Lee's personality, her father said: "She likes to please… she was always good at what she tried to do. She likes people. And she likes people who like her. I remember that she was really soft-hearted."@csgazette#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee
Star of the day -"Radar" an 8 year old Bloodhound who smelled decomposed human scent on the hay where #krystalkenney says #PatrickFrazee left tote with #KelseyBerreth 's body inside. He wasn't in the courtroom but we saw a cool video of her in the Nash Barn. Here's a picture. pic.twitter.com/iMNo7fKGQc
All the effort to burn and dispose of the poor woman’s remains, and the cadaver dogs knew all along there were dead remains.
This is significant because #KrystalLee said #PatrickFrazee took the black tote box that allegedly had #KelseyBerreth body in it to the ranch and placed it on top of a hay stack. The cadaver dog located human decomp at the exact place the tote box was. @KKTV11News
So Kelsey’s remains were moved twice. From the condo to the Nash Ranch, and from the Nash Ranch to somewhere else where he burned it – southwest of Cripple Creek.
Specifically, an Elizabeth Police Department officer testified his bloodhound detected the scent of human remains in February at the Nash ranch — the spot where #PatrickFrazee is accused of stashing #KelseyBerreth's body before burning it, southwest of Cripple Creek.@csgazette
The father of #PatrickFrazee's mistress, Krystal Lee, also took the stand today. He testified that Lee was at home on Thanksgiving Day last year, and he was with her most of the day.#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee@csgazette
When #KrystalLee's dad, a Sam Elliot look-a-like, took the stand, the courtrm was silent. Dusty Lee says when Krystal talked about #PatrickFrazee when they first met "I didn't like what I was hearing." Break for :20. @abc#KelseyBerreth
DAY 6 #PatrickFrazee trial: Out on a quick morning break. We’ve heard from 4 witnesses so far. Two of them were experts in K-9 unit cadaver dogs. Both law enforcement officials. @KKTV11News
The breadth of witnesses that we’ve heard from today is interesting. So many people tangentially connected – or not connected at all – to #PatrickFrazee have now become wrapped up in his trial. Teens who worked on his ranch, lady who manages Woodland Park Sonic Drive In, etc
In the video you see #KrystalLee driving a small black car, she pulls into the gas station parking lot and drives off to the side to park. Then #PatrickFrazee truck pulls into same station and up to a gas pump. @KKTV11News
Then you see just #PatrickFrazee truck (#KrystalLee told investigators she got into his truck) it turns out of the parking lot and goes toward Nash Ranch. This is when Krystal says they're retrieving the black box. @KKTV11News
We’ve been walked through multiple searches of #PatrickFrazee ranch. On one of first searches involved multiple FBI evidence teams, ~100 search and rescue personnel and seven cadaver dogs. Didn’t find much, but this is before Kenney told investigators what she knew.
But when #PatrickFrazee's mistress, Krystal Lee, came forward a few days later, she led them to the burn area covered in dirt. It was where Lee prevoiusly testified it was — on a dirt driveway, uphill and in sight of Frazee's house.@csgazette#KelseyBerreth
The burn area was about 5 feet wide by 7 feet long, and it was covered by about 1-2 inches of soil that differed in color from the rest of the driveway.@csgazette#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee
Under the top layer of dirt, there was a layer of melted black plastic. An FBI agent testified that he smelled ash and smoke while removing the dirt, and he smelled burned plastic when he began removing the plastic. @csgazette#PatrickFrazee#KelseyBerreth
NEW: A tooth was found on #PatrickFrazee's Florissant ranch, at the place where he's accused of burning #KelseyBerreth's body. It was part of the last shovel full of dirt removed from the burn area by Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents.@csgazette
An FBI special agent testified the tooth almost went undiscovered. He told his crew during the Dec. 2018 search that they'd take 1 more shovel full of soil from the burned area to sift, and it was in that dirt that the tooth was found@csgazette#PatrickFrazee#KelseyBerreth
An FBI agent testifies about the extensive excavation into the burn area where #KrystalLee says #patrickFrazee burned #KelseyBerreth's body. On the last shovel, using sifters, they found a human tooth fragment. May have been too small for DNA match. @abc
UPDATE: FBI investigators found a tooth in the dirt near burn area on #PatrickFrazee ranch. Also found that there was a crust of melted plastic on the burn area, as well as an area of dirt moist with a substance. https://t.co/dBpnLlhkBD
Also: FBI found 3 bats inside #PatrickFrazee's Florissant house, all wooden, as well as a wooden club in a pickup truck on the property. There wasn't any testimony this afternoon on whether investigators suspect Frazee used any of those bats to kill #KelseyBerreth.@csgazette
The testimony about the conversation was from Joseph Moore, a longtime friend and fellow rancher who considered #PatrickFrazee like a stepson. He detailed several conversations with Frazee in 2018 that he considered increasingly concerning.#KelseyBerreth@csgazette
NEW: On Dec. 20, 2018 a longtime friend of #PatrickFrazee said the two spoke, and that Frazee was befuddled that news of #KelseyBerreth's dissappeance was making national news. "And he's like man, if I had known it was going to blow up this big, I never would have…"@csgazette
On Dec 20 2018 #PatrickFrazee is talking to the friend saying he doesn’t understand why there so much media coverage on #KelseyBerreth going missing. He said “people go missing all the time.” @KKTV11News
#BREAKING: #PatrickFrazee friend just testified saying Patrick told him "I figured out how to kill Kelsey." Friend told him to stop messing around. Friends says Patrick told him "No body no crime." @KKTV11News
Some new voices have joined the throng of mainstream coverage of the Patrick Frazee case, this bright blue morning on Day 5.
Good morning, everyone. I'm back at the courthouse in Cripple Creek for another day of testimony in the #PatrickFrazee first-degree murder trial. He's accused of beating his fiancee, #KelseyBerreth, to death on Thanksgiving Day last year.@csgazettepic.twitter.com/3sJrn2jpQ3
— Nick van der Leek – True Crime Rocket Science (@CrimeRocket) November 7, 2019
Standing by in the media line ready to get inside Teller Co Courthouse for the #PatrickFrazee trial. More testimony from Krystal Lee and then the critical cross-exam by defense atty. #kelseyberreth
We just broke for lunch. Court started late today. Judge said #PatrickFrazee and #KrystalLee both weren’t feeling well. 10:30 court started with Krystal on stand. @KKTV11News
Once we began, Kenney retook the stand. Lead Prosecutor Jennifer Viehman led Kenney through photos of Berreth’s townhome. Kenney used a laser pointer to show every spot she saw blood & the places she cleaned. @KOAA#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee#KrystalKenney
She also pointed out things she didn’t clean, like the rock face to the fire place, the back of the cedar chest on wheels and on top of the fire place. @KOAA#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee#KrystalKenney
Another interesting thing we saw— prosecutors showed the physical gas can they got from #PatrickFrazee property, which is evidence in the case, to #KrystalLee in court. She says that’s the exact one he used to pour gas on the box with #KelseyBerreth body. @KKTV11News
In one picture we saw #KrystalLee inside #KelseyBerreth condo. You see the living room floor ripped up and Krystal in the picture, showing investigators where she found a tooth. The tooth #PatrickFrazee allegedly told her to look for. @KKTV11News
The prosecution walked Krystal through several pictures, maybe around 30 or so. From there they had Krystal explain the crime scene she saw when she walked in #KelseyBerreth condo. @KKTV11News
Lee said #PatrickFrazee also added wood soaked in gasoline into the trough, and poured more gas on it. He then lit it with a match. At one point, the flames were as high as the nearby trees, Lee said, so Frazee covered the fire with what appeared to be metal roofing.@csgazette
In the afternoon session, Kenney faced aggressive cross-examination from Frazee’s defense team.
UPDATE: Krystal Lee, the prosecution's star witness, comes under agressive cross-examination by #PatrickFrazee's public defender.@csgazette#KelseyBerreth
Public defender Adam Steigerwald repeatedly questions Lee about if she's aware she could be facing the rest of her life in prison, if she didn't cooperate with investigators and accept a plea deal with up to three years of prison time. @csgazette#PatrickFrazee#KelseyBerreth
Steigerwald also sought to poke holes in Lee's testimony that she left clues at #KelseyBerreth's house and on way back to Idaho. If she wanted to be discovered, he asked, why not contact police before the killing about #PatrickFrazee's previous murder requests?@csgazette
Steigerwald reviewed Lee's testimony from Wednesday and earlier today. "That's the story that you had to tell those agents to get your plea deal, is that right?" "I had to tell them the truth," Lee responded.@csgazette#PatrickFrazee#KelseyBerreth
Think of it – Kenney driving for hours from Idaho with a murder weapon in her vehicle, and murder in heart and mind. Irrespective of what she did or didn’t do, malintent was clearly present.
Steigerwald also focused on the three times that #PatrickFrazee asked her to kill #KelseyBerreth, which Lee backed out of each time. One of those times, Lee drove from Idaho with a baseball bat in her car, which Frazee asked her to use to kill Berreth.@csgazette
"You drove 750 miles with a baseball bat; the purpose of that baseball bat was to to kill #KelseyBerreth?" Steigerwald asked. "It was at Patrick's request," Lee said. "No baseball bats in Teller County?" Steigerwald shot back.@csgazette#PatrickFrazee
Lee was released from the stand, and will face no more questions today. (Lee also has gone by the last name of Kenney in the past). I'll update more after the next round of testimony.@csgazette#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee
UPDATE: Two young men, at least one of them a teenager, testify at the #PatrickFrazee trial that they unwittingly helped cover up a burn area at Frazee's ranch, where prosecutors say #KelseyBerreth's body was burned.@csgazette
The two young men also testified that they helped #PatrickFrazee dispose of a metal trough that prosecutors say Frazee used to burn #KelseyBerreth's body. Frazee never told them anything other than wood and deer or elk antlers were burned in the fire.@csgazette
Call it True Crime Rocket Intuition [TCRI] but I had a feeling Kenney would be called to the stand today. As the prosecution’s star witnesses it makes sense that they would construct their narrative – their entire case – essentially, around her. And so once the FBI’s Kevin Hoyland’s testimony was done [Hoyland did the Phone Data Review in the Chris Watts case], in terms of the phone narrative, it was only logical to assume Kenney would step in and provide her essential piece to the prosecution’s puzzle.
Her testimony, when it came, came after the tea break at about about 11:00 local time on the morning of Trial Day 4.
#PatrickFrazee Trial day 4: looking ahead today, we're going in pretty blind. We were excused early yesterday because the prosecution ran out of witnesses. They said there were flight and travel issues. I'll be sure to update on breaks. @KKTV11News#KelseyBerrethpic.twitter.com/upRQJkVTpV
Expecting explosive day in the #PatrickFrazee trial. Tues, Judge indicated the prosecution is expecting out of town witnesses. Pros narrative : #kelseyberreth thought she & PF were going gp out for a family Thanksgiving, even buying champagne but Frazee had murderous plans. @abc
Once again, the judge in this case has imposed strict guidelines on where reporters can file, so no live tweeting. But I'll try to post updates during breaks in testimony throughout the day.#PatrickFrazee@csgazette#KelseyBerreth
At 12:10 the court went into lunch recess, and the speculation turned out to be true as the first tweets went out summing up the morning session.
More coverage from the afternoon session:
The very last session of the day was the most emotionally brutal of all for witness #24…
UPDATE: Krystal Lee, the mistress of #PatrickFrazee, describes a gruesome scene she found upon entering #KelseyBerreth's townhome. It capped the final hours of testimony today. @csgazette
Lee (who no longer goes by last name of Kenney), described blood in all directions in #KelseyBerreth's house — sometimes on the wall higher than she could reach. Bloody footprings tracked in most rooms. And she found a tooth behind a cedar chest.@csgazette#PatrickFrazee
Lee said it took her about four hours to clean #KelseyBerreth's condo. She took from there six garbage bags of curtains, washclothes, child's toys and other items stained with blood that she couldn't clean.@csgazette#PatrickFrazee
"Her mom and that little girl never needed to see what Patrick did to her," Lee said. "And I didnt know he was capable of that. I didn't think he was capable of what happened."#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee@csgazette
Lee met back up with #PatrickFrazee at his Florissant ranch after cleaning #KelseyBerreth's condo. "He asked me if I got it done. I told him the best that I could do. He said 'You better hope you did, because your life depends on it.'"@csgazette
Lee testified that at #PatrickFrazee's insistence, she accompanied him to property he leased southwest of Cripple Creek, where he retrieved #KelseyBerreth's body, which was in a tote.@csgazette
Witness #24, #KrystalKenney, ran out of courtoom sobbing after reiterating #KelseyBerreth's last words: "Please Stop." #patrickfrazee's head was down. After 4-5 hours of grilling, mood in the courtroom was somber. Jury quietly files out Invesgators gather papers. back 845 am.
At roughly 1:30 p.m., the man investigators say is Frazee, 33, entered the home with Berreth, who was carrying poinsettias, and their infant daughter, Kaylee.
“This is the last image I ever recovered of Kelsey Berreth, period,” Mininger said. Investigators say she was never heard from after that.
And when the man leaves later that afternoon, he is seen carrying the baby, Mininger said. The person on camera is wearing a light-colored T-shirt and ballcap.
The records also showed calls between Frazee and his mistress, Krystal Lee Kenney, the beginning Thanksgiving evening and into the next day. Kenney was in Idaho on Thanksgiving Day and began driving to Colorado on Nov. 23.
YouTubers are really scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to come up with new Chris Watts-related stuff. It wouldn’t even be fair to call this stuff “tenuous links” to the case. It’s linked to the case in the same sense that the sky above the house, and gravity under it are also linked to the rest of the neighborhood. Correlation doesn’t not imply causation, they say, but even these images aren’t correlated to actual people involved, that’s how poor the standard of true crime application is by these folks.
The latest tail-chase is car spotting, preferably red or white vehicles, using the Bodycam footage. In YouTubeLand the standard to meet is weak visual coincidences and an audience that wants to stay in Wonderland.
When does video footage qualify as evidence? Simple – when it’s high-quality and unambiguous. What then if it’s low quality and ambiguous, is it entirely useless as evidence? Not quite.
UPDATE: Defense grills DA investigator over alleged surveillance of #PatrickFrazee at #KelseyBerreth’s condo, questioning if it’s Frazee and pointing to changing light and shadows to attack timeline. @csgazette
There is a gap in the surveillance from about 1 pm to 4pm when no one is shown. Then around 4:20 you see #PatrickFrazee walk out with the couples daughter. Prosecution and defense both asked if this is when the black tote was taken in. Investigator couldn’t tell. @KKTV11News
#PatrickFrazee trial day 3: just let out on a short morning break. So far and investigator with the DA’s office finished up his testimony on neighbors surveillance that shows Frazee and #KelseyBerreth going into her home on Nov 22. We never see Kelsey come out. @KKTV11News
#PatrickFrazee's big brother, Sean, takes the stand. Explains Thanksgiving Day 2018, even though the family ate at 3 pm, Patrick didn't show up until 5 with the baby. He also told Patrick to give up his phone when confronted by a cop on 12/4. Sean is a Colo Springs cop. @abc
Defense has a good day with the neighbor surveillance camera footage pointing out that it does no show #patrickFrazee removing a black plastic container from #KelseyBerreth's condo, only a baby. Lots of talk about that box and how it changes places in Frazee's truck cab. @abcpic.twitter.com/RYAKEaCagN
Defense poked holes in neighbor surv-camera photos from T-Day 2018, pointing out unexplained shadows, and #PatrickFrazee’s blue jeans are blocked by fence, but visible, Questioning time stamps.Jury attentive on Day 3. #kelseyberreth@abcpic.twitter.com/mux7UAJ0VA
Pointing to 2 photos from same time— each with dramatically different lighting—public defender Adam Steigerwald turns pointed: “I know you’re a forensic cellphone reconstruction expert, but that’s not the way the sun moves, is it?” #PatrickFrazee#KelseyBerreth
All the defense needs to do is provide a measure of reasonable doubt. And yes, there is some. There is talk that there is more evidence implicating Kenney than Frazee. Maybe, but the surveillance video doesn’t suggest she was there on November 22nd. That doesn’t seem to be something addressed by either legal counsel.
Morning notes: – Defense makes a clear point that not once is Frazee caught on neighbor surveillance carrying the black tote. His clothes also show no blood. – Defense also pointed out changes in shadows, trying to strike doubt in them.@KOAA#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee
Yet another police officer affiliated with the investigation is identified. This time it’s WPPD Corporal Beth Huber. Huber did a review of the CCTV surveillance from Safeway.
Right now Cpl Beth Huber is testifying. She was assigned to #KelseyBerreth case on Dec 3. She talks about conversations she had with #PatrickFrazee. She says she remembers Cpl Currie telling her she had an odd conversations the precious day with him. @KKTV11News
– WPPD Corporal Beth Huber took the stand next. She’s working through her work on the case, including surveillance review of Kelsey at Safeway. We saw a new photo of her buying some bread. It seems clear her child is with her.@KOAA#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee
The attack forced a caveat by witness Chad Meninger, who acknowledged his analysis of timeline depends on when neighbor looked at each image in her phone. If she looked out of chronological sequence, pics would be jumbled, too. #PatrickFrazee#KelseyBerreth
If Frazee is innocent, then why is it that there’s an impression of him being less than honest? For example:
– Prosecutors pointed out that Frazee doesn’t actually exchange custody of the child in the alley, like he told police. The neighbor surveillance shows him at the door 11 times on Nov. 22, between noon and 4:30. @KOAA#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee
Huber also emphasized she was looking for Berreth’s purse, keys and gun that Frazee said he gave back to her when serving a search warrant on Berreth’s home. She said they were never found. @KOAA#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee
There’s also the issue that Frazee was late for completely missed a scheduled Thanksgiving Dinner with his mother and brother that day. What was he supposedly doing all afternoon that afternoon that held him up?
UPDATE: #PatrickFrazee arrived late and missed T-day dinner at mother’s house, arriving about 5 p.m., says his brother, Colorado Springs police officer Sean Frazee. #KelseyBerreth@csgazette
This matches up with window from surveillance at #KelseyBerreth’s condo, which allegedly spotted him 11 times between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m. that day. Takes 20-30 minutes to get from Woodland Park to mom’s Florissant ranch #PatrickFrazee
#PatrickFrazee's big brother, Sean, takes the stand. Explains Thanksgiving Day 2018, even though the family ate at 3 pm, Patrick didn't show up until 5 with the baby. He also told Patrick to give up his phone when confronted by a cop on 12/4. Sean is a Colo Springs cop. @abc
At the family home, Sean Frazee describes a nice evening with his kids and brother’s toddler. “He brought Kaylee in and we played with her and got to enjoy #PatrickFrazee#KelseyBerreth
When Sean does encounter his brother he seems to be “acting normal”, as does 1-year-old Kaylee. This raises a question – if there was a murder that day, wouldn’t Kaylee have witnessed it in some way, and if she did, wouldn’t she be traumatized?
Says #PatrickFrazee told him before #KelseyBerreth was reported missing that they were separated. “Our discussion was sometime before that. … He just said that they had not been together for a while.” @csgazette
Sean Frazee also acknowledged ongoing dispute among him, his sister Erin Frazee and #PatrickFrazee over late father’s estate worth $400k, including Mom’s house. In successfully warding off objection by defense, DA Dan May says “financial pressures” are part of case #KelseyBerreth
Another significant witness was DA investigator Stephanie Courtney, who walked jury thru surveillance vids from 4 locations showing #PatrickFrazee together with baby and #KelseyBerreth before they arrive at Berreth’s place together about 1:30 p.m.
The police said they didn’t have one, but that they would get one. Sean says he told Patrick to give it up and he did. On his way out, I saw Sean give Patrick a strong look, then turn his head and roll his eyes. @KOAA#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee
Police believe #PatrickFrazee hid #kelseyberreth ‘s body inside after they say he killed her. Frazee’s sister is in the courtroom. His mom is outside perhaps waiting to testify. @abc
1. Kelsey not seen taken out of her home [neither was Shan’ann].
2. Video evidence matters, but not necessarily sufficient.
A major point I haven’t put on Twitter : at no point is #PatrickFrazee seen with the black tote at #KelseyBerreth’s door. Investigator suggested camera didn’t always activate. Also, there’s a slotted fence partially blocking view. @csgazette
3. The defense alleged prosecution’s footage has been manipulated to overstate their case. They cite strange incongruous shadows that don’t match up with chronological lighting, unless cloud cover played a role.
4. Just as happened during the Watts case, the first hearing in November coincided with mid-term elections. The same thing interrupted – and arguably interfered with – coverage of the Frazee trial.
4. Frazee “appears normal” after the alleged incident.
Differences:
If Chris Watts blundered by not removing Shan’ann’s purse, keys, car and meds, Frazee has the opposite problem. Why is Kelsey missing, but food is on the table, her cars are out back, but her personal possessions [including phone] are gone and apparently on the move?
On Trial Day 2 Frazee is in court neatly dressed in a crisp, blue-striped shirt. In criminal cases appearances matter. Impressions count just as they do for those wishing to get away with murder.
FRAZEE TRIAL: Cheryl Berreth to resume her place on the stand today — to face questions by attorneys for #PatrickFrazee. Her testimony began late Friday, when she described growing fears over missing daughter #KelseyBerreth. @csgazette pic.twitter.com/XY41IYMo7h
As his voice reverberated they courtroom, #PatrickFrazee jotted notes on white legal pad at defense table. Today he’s wearing a blue-striped shirt, his head neatly shaven. @csgazette#KelseyBerreth
Before Kelsey’s brother Clint testifies, Cheryl finishes her testimony. She mentions financial troubles. Another parallel with the Watts case.
When #KelseyBerreth first came to CO after meeting #PatrickFrazee online, money didn’t seem to be issue, her mom testified. She was told cattle prices declined, creating financial pressures. @csgazette
She mentions a strained relationship with her future in-laws. Another parallel.
On the witness stand, the mom of #KelseyBerreth testified that the relationship between her daughter and #PatrickFrazee and his family was strained — with his mom even referring to Kelsey once as a "prostitute." pic.twitter.com/Sk0dRpM2UR
And the winter sunlight streaming into the condo gleamed silver over what appeared to be wipe-trails.
In her testimony, #KelseyBerreth’s mother described haunting moments she went looking for clues in her condo. No signs of trouble, but in the sunlight it looked like everything had been “wiped” — the aftermath of alleged effort by #PatrickFrazee ‘s mistress to erase evidence.
Though being respectful (often saying yes ma’am), Frazee shows no real concern for Berreth’s well-being. He says they had a heart-to-heart the week prior & she decided their arrangement wasn’t working. @KOAA#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee
Back to the texts really quickly, Kelsey’s supervisor Raymond Siebring said it’s not out of the ordinary for her to text him requesting a day off if she’s sick. A week off, though, seemed odd. @KOAA#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee
The Judge continues to enforce strict protocols. Only the media may cover the trial in court.
To be fair, Judge Sells also offered a stern warning to public. Only media can use phones in court. He earned two people they could face 6 months in jail for violating. @csgazette#PatrickFrazee#KelseyBerreth
Judge Sells made a point Friday of saying his rules weren’t meant to be “punitive,” only to safeguard trial. Today he told us that if we talk in gallery, we’ll be relegated to back rows in court. Defense complained they couldn’t hear, he said. @csgazette#PatrickFrazee
Like his mother, Clint’s testimony regarding his sister is emotional, in stark contrast to the defendant.
#KelseyBerreth’s brother grew emotional talking about last text exchange with her. He thought she was mad at him for forgetting Xmas plans, he said with voice breaking. @csgazette#PatrickFrazee
One thing Clint noticed that stood out – that didn’t look right – was a broom on Kelsey’s bed. The equivalent of the sheets stripped off the bed, or thrown in the trash, in the Watts case.
Prior to that, Clint Berreth and his mom noticed things that were “odd” but nothing definitive: Broom on her bed. Film on pantry doorknob. Makeup still in bathroom. #KelseyBerreth never left home without makeup, Clint said. #PatrickFrazee@csgazette
After Clint’s testimony, Kelsey’s work supervisor is called to the stand.
Clint Berreth is confident as he tells the jury about texts he shared with #kelseyberreth before she went missing. She was excited about Christmas and wanted him to visit. On the stand now – her work supervisor. #patrickfrazee@abc
We have also heard from neighbor who gave #KelseyBerreth the babygate that will become relevant soon, and from supervisor at Doss Aciation who called her a motivated employee. #PatrickFrazee
What was Frazee doing with Kelsey’s gun? Meanwhile, like Chris Watts, Frazee told others of relationship problems, whereas Kelsey Berreth hadn’t mentioned this to anyone.
Woodland Park cop testifies #PatrickFrazee told her 12/2/18 the last time he saw #KelseyBerreth was 11/25/18, and they were having a "bump in the road." He was giving KB space, and had given her back her keys and gun. Frazee taking notes on a legal pad.
The Woodland cop on the stand is Corporal Dena Currin. A 15 minute body camera recording is played in court. According to the Denver Post:
“We basically had a heart to heart that this wasn’t working out, that she wanted to go our separate ways,” Frazee told Corporal Dena Currin on Dec. 2.
Many people following the Chris Watts case have wondered how he thought he could get away with it, and carry on with his life as usual. The Patrick Frazee case provides a possible scenario for how one might act, or pretend, following a crime.
Then with WPPD Corporal Currin on the stand, they played her body camera-recorded phone call with Frazee from Dec. 3 before the court. It’s about 15 minutes long. They played it in his preliminary hearing too. @KOAA#KelseyBerreth#PatrickFrazee
Today’s slate of witnesses is meant to poke holes in #PatrickFrazee’s earliest statements to police by showing that #KelseyBerreth told no one of relationship problems and didn’t alert family she wanted to leave CO, as he claimed. @csgazette
UPDATE: Credit union worker describes “very strange interaction” with #PatrickFrazee on Dec. 5. He stopped in at Ent Credit Union asking to see surveillance from Nov. 22 and any transactions from #KelseyBerreth thru Nov. 22. But he expressed no concern for her welfare. @csgazette
One investigator said #KelseyBerreth’s home smelled “pleasant,” apparently from scented candle. Another cop said candle was on a hot plate that had been left on. #PatrickFrazee
The defense will do their damnedest to argue a botched investigation, contamination and a compromised crime scene.
Defense has been drilling into how law enforcement spent several days searching #KelseyBerreth’s condo before any blood was found. Investigators said they were looking for her, not a crime scene. #PatrickFrazee
Here’s my story from #PatrickFrazee trial this morning: https://t.co/Wnu4iitm1K So far this afternoon we’ve heard from multiple cops who investigated the case, as well as a bank worker who had a peculiar conversation with Frazee after #KelseyBerreth disappeared
We have a short break right now before going back in. We are moving through witnesses very quickly, and also getting to see photos from inside Kelsey’s home and her vehicles. One investigator said there are more than 600 pieces of evidence in case
2. Neighbor’s surveillance data while not conclusive, nevertheless compelling and damning.
Differences with the Watts Case:
1. Friends knew about the plot to murder Kelsey – not only Krystal Kenney, who was in on the plot allegedly for three months or more, but also Michelle Stein who knew about the plot for a month, and did not come forward during this time, nor immediately following Kelsey’s disappearance.
2. Motive had likely more to do with issues of child custody than alimony [see below].
True Crime Rocket Science II 