that video snowballed into this big mystery, and your family is right in the middle of it. that for you snowballed kelsey would never, ever have abandoned her baby-- into this big mystery, and your family is like right in the middle of it. >> kelsey could never, ever have abandoned her baby. never. >> i'm trying to find a missing

person. the supervisor ask to interview a girl named crystal. we didn't really have any idea who she was. >> blood all of the floor. i saw blood up the wall. >> she told -- us >> what you start cleaning up? >> i started picking things that were blood splattered. >> this woman knew about the murder, covered up. >> the things that were thrown into the fire by me or the belongings from kelsey's house. >> she could have stopped this from happening. he had a hold on her that he totally exploited. >> this whole thing is crazy. >> it took my breath away. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> was there any blood on the tv, do you remember? >> yes, there is blood on the tv. >> okay. >> there was blood on the chairs. there is blood on the table. there was bloody on the hobby lobby bag sitting there. >> reporter: you're witnessing

something highly unusual. a woman at the center of a murder investigation reconstructing the scene of the gruesome crime. >> can you tell me what you saw in here and what you cleaned up? >> there was a lot of blood. i wiped the top of the toilet. >> reporter: her name is krystal lee kenney, a former nurse and one-time rodeo queen, a mother of two small children. >> and this is where the burn occurred. >> and a key player in the murder case of another young mother. >> i also threw in all the clothing that i was wearing into the fire. >> reporter: watch carefully. is she a witness? an accomplice? or something else? and was the sentence she received a fair and just or just the opposite? you called this making a deal with the devil? >> i did. >> reporter: we will take you inside the investigation and hear from the investigators who cracked the case.

>> it was horrific. >> reporter: and from family members living through it all, giving their first ever interview. >> i still wait for her to call. >> reporter: really? >> our kelce can't be gone. >> reporter: our story begins with the most unremarkable scene. november 22nd, 2018. a mother with her baby was captured on security camera at a local store in colorado buying last-minute groceries for thanksgiving dinner. but this video would go viral because it was the last time she was ever seen in public. her name, kelsey berreth. more than a week after that thanksgiving day, kelsey's mom cheryl was home in idaho with a nagging feeling. she last spoken to her daughter on the phone thanksgiving morning. kelsey was preparing to have dinner with her fiancée patrick frazee and their daughter kaylee. >> small talk, basically. she had fixed kaylee cinnamon rolls to celebrate

thanksgiving. kaylee didn't like them, she wanted to naturalism. >> reporter: two days after that, cheryl received a text from kelsey's phone saying we'll call you tomorrow. but kelsey didn't call. at first, that wasn't surprising. kelsey struggled motherhood as well as looking for a home, so she and patrick, who lived on a rant with his mom, could move in together. she also had a demanding job as a flight instructor. >> she's busy lady. she works long shifts, they spent a lot of time with kaylee. it takes a lot to be a mom, a working mom. >> reporter: still, kelsey rarely went this long without calling. so, after about a week, cheryl called kelsey's fiancée patrick. he told her he had last seen kelsey on thanksgiving day when he picked up their daughter. then,. he said something that took cheryl completely by surprise. he told her kelsey had called and broken up with him and seemed to have taken off. >> i can't think of anywhere she has ever gone that she hasn't told me, this is the plan. it is just not in your

character to just take off and be gone. >> cheryl called to ask if we had heard from kelsey. and we hadn't. >> reporter: scott and kay moran are kelsey's aunt and uncle. the family was growing more anxious by the minute. >> i remember laying in bed, just calling kelsey's phone, leaving a message to have her call me. >> reporter: it was now ten days since cheryl had last spoken with her daughter. she called the police. what happened on day one of this investigation? >> december 2nd was day one and cheryl berreth called in a missing person for chelsea. >> chris adams went on to work with colorado bureau of investigation, but back in 20 7:18 years with wood park pd and led the investigation into kelsey's disappearance. this was his first time speaking out about the case. >> officers were dispatched. initially they went out to her house, tried to make contact, or unable to. >> reporter: no one answers? >> correct. >> reporter: charles anxiety

turned to panic. she and kelsey's brother set off for colorado. >> she calls us back and says clint and i are flying down friday. >> reporter: that is chilling, even hearing you say that. >> yeah. >> reporter: as a kelsey's family agonized over her whereabouts, investigators went back to her condo. >> we're just trying to find evidence of where she may have gone. >> reporter: did she leave behind her phone? her purse? anything that would be out of the ordinary? >> we never found her found, purse, or keys. both vehicles were out of the driveway. she's got a black sedan and red chevy truck. >> reporter: also in the condo, investigators found kelsey's makeup bag, something her family said she never traveled without. on the stove, cold cinnamon buns. >> it was that evening i realized certain things weren't adding up. the car is there, but not the keys. she is a young mother, she's not with her kid. i requested assistance from the fbi.

>> reporter: greg, that's when you entered the case? >> yes. >> reporter: greg slater is also an agent with the colorado bureau of investigation. he's been in law enforcement for more than 35 years. this, to, was his first time speaking about the investigation. what are your initial thoughts? >> first, you thinking, you have a missing mom. chuck inside the house to see if there is any type of struggle that may have taken place in the house, if there had been a burglary or something of that nature. that box had been checked. we recommended that they started calling around to local hospitals to see if she was there. >> reporter: by now, investigators had found at the grocery store receipt on kelsey's kitchen table. it was dated november 22nd, thanksgiving day. they pulled the security footage from the grocery store and there was a kelsey. they started to build a timeline of her whereabouts. >> we knew that kaylee was with her. we knew that she had made

purchases. those purchases, the receipts had been found in the house. there was some bread that was found in the house, she had talked to her mom earlier on thanksgiving day about a bread recipe. there was other food articles that she had purchased that were consistent with the conversation she had with her mom. so we did know that she had not been abducted from the safe way, so that was one thing that we could eliminate. >> reporter: meanwhile, cheryl and kelsey's brother arrived in woodland park and state and kelsey's condo. they spoke with investigators. cheryl, recalling her last conversation with kelsey thanksgiving morning. >> she has been happy, she has been wanting to decorate for christmas and excited about that. she was planning her christmas list and calling people, wanting to know what was on their list for christmas. her job was going well. i just don't see any issues in her life at this time. >> reporter: investigators also spoke with kelsey's fiancée, patrick. was patrick cooperative?

>> he was. >> reporter: patrick told investigators the same thing he told cheryl. he had last seen kelsey thanksgiving day. he said he picked up baby kaylee in the alley by kelsey's home. he also went to the local credit union and walmart and tended to his cattle in the afternoon. sure enough, security camera footage showed him at the credit union and walmart. patrick also gave the investigators his cell phone. what do you find on patrick frazee phone? >> we find a text message exchange between patrick and kelsey. >> reporter: investigators found texts that backed up is a story, that kelsey had broken up with him on the phone two days after thanksgiving. patrick had messaged, if this is truly what you want, all respect your wishes and give you space. let me know if you change your mind. a leave you alone, now you can call me when you decide what you want to do. text message the day after it showed kelce in distress. one right, do you even love me? patrick replied, why would i

bend over backwards and stand behind you through everything if i didn't? so, to answer your question, yes i do. he told investigators that was the last time he heard from her. kelsey's manager at the flight school said he also received a text from kelsey's phone. what did it say? >> reporter: not to expect or him, that she went to visit her grandmother. >> reporter: investigators had to consider it kelsey's profession as a pilot. did you look at airports, that maybe she had taken a plane somewhere to get away? >> personally i did. >> reporter: no flight plans were filed? no sightings of kelce? >> no. >> reporter: defined kelce, the investigators needed to know more about her. they dug deeper and uncovered a complicated life. coming up, where was kelsey? >> we were treating kelsey's disappearance as a missing persons case at this time. >> kelsey, we just want you home. and we won't quit looking. >> reporter: the mystery was just beginning and one woman would hold the key.

>> we didn't know how vital she was going to be to the entire story about what happened to kelsey berreth. >> i think that she knew that we had plenty of evidence against her. she was smart enough to realize that i can't hide this anymore. >> part of me wants to strangle her. part of me wants to hug her. >> reporter: when dateline continues. line continues. listen, your deodorant just has to work. i use secret aluminum free. just swipe and it lasts all day. secret helps eliminate odor, instead of just masking it. and hours later, i still smell fresh. secret works! ohhh yesss. ♪♪ with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one.

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fearless, determined,n. always up for a challenge-- fearless, determined, always up for a challenge. that is what kelsey mom cheryl was telling investigators about her daughter who vanished on thanksgiving day. >> >> she's a good person, she's very dedicated, very loyal, reliable, she loves god. i couldn't ask for a better daughter. >> reporter: kelsey grew up on her family farm near moses lake, washington, about 100 miles from spokane. >> kelsey was a light. she lit up a room. she looked up your heart.

>> reporter: kelsey's uncle scott is a pastor of the homedale community church near boisdale, idaho. he and his wife came had a very close bond with kelsey. this was their first interview about the case. >> she was a smart. if she was determined to do something, she fought. she put it all in. she was an incredible woman to watch. >> you want it to be with kelsey. we wanted to hang out with her, you wanted to hear what she had to say. at some point she is going to make you laugh. >> reporter: what made her happiest? >> being on the farm. she loved being on the farm, she wanted to live there and i think she enjoyed this little girl driving this big tractor. watching her karate, it made her happy. >> reporter: kelsey discovered her lifelong passion at a very young age. >> she loved being a pilot, she loved thinking about flying. from watching crop dusters on

the farm to, in high school, going flying with her friends. >> reporter: she actually wanted to be a crop duster for a time? >> yeah, that would have been her dream job for a time was being a crop duster. >> reporter: you don't hear that every day from a little girl. >> it was exciting, she was fascinated with. it >> she loved challenge. >> reporter: after high school, kelsey enrolled in a flying program at her local community college. kelsey graduated and eventually landed a job as a flight instructor in spokane. she also dipped her toe in the world of online dating and, around christmas 2015, someone peaked our interest. his name was patrick frazee. >> we knew he was a ranch or, we knew he was successful at the time. we knew that he was a farrier. >> reporter: as a fairy, or patrick truman and shooed horse hooves. he lived on his family's ranch more than 1100 miles from

kelsey in florissant, colorado. but the distance didn't seem to matter. over the next year, the relationship flourished. >> i think there were online interactions for months. he came down and then at each other in person. it was a few months later that we found out that she was heading to colorado. >> reporter: in 2017, kelsey found work with dos aviation, a flight school for u.s. air force trainees. >> she was in the best of both worlds being able to fly, having ranch. she loved being outdoors, so this was good. this was good news. >> reporter: so you must have been happy for her? >> yeah. >> reporter: there was more good news. kelce and patrick learned that they were expecting. >> she always wanted to be a mom. she always wanted to family. pilot and family. >> reporter: that october, they welcome daughter kaylee. >> she is always grown up loving family. to have her own family, or to start a family, was something that, i think, she wanted.

as soon as kaylee was born she was loved and nothing was going to stop that. >> reporter: in may, 2018, kelsey moved into a condo in woodlyn park. it was a 20-minute drive from patrick's family ranch and the flight school was about an hour in the opposite direction. it was a stressful situation as the new parents took turns carrying four kaylee. patrick was a hands on dad, often taking kayleigh with him on farrier jobs while kelsey was away at work. >> he had these old wool sock city put on on top of her other socks. >> reporter: clint cline, a longtime customer of patrick, saw how patrick doted on her daughter. >> he had this jumpsuit, and he kept or where he could see here. he took very good care of that girl. >> 11 was working, the other took care of her, and vice versa. they seem to have that going pretty well. >> reporter: everything is coming together for kelce? perhaps not everything, as

investigators put together the timeline, they found that, by thanksgiving, kelsey appeared rundown. the day after the holiday, patrick received a text from kelsey's saying, actually, do you mind keeping kaylee tonight? sorry, i'm really tired and stressed out. comey in the morning when you guys wake up. patrick replied was a concern, sure, i don't mind. what's going on? are you okay? do you need anything? or can i do anything? the response seemed to come from an exhausted kelce. no, i'm fine, just worn out. talk to you guys tomorrow. not long after that, those texts dried up and no one seemed to know where kelsey was. but, patrick's friend clint had an idea. he said that he knew of another side of kelsey altogether. coming up, new questions surrounding kelce. had she vanished before? >> she disappeared for some time frame.

>> reporter: disappeared? >> he did know where she was. >> reporter: what did he think happened during those days? >> he didn't know. >> reporter: and where was her gun? >> does it concern you at all that the gun was missing? >> it does. >> reporter: when dateline continues. continues. ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ feel significant symptom relief at 4 weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi is the first il-23 inhibitor that can deliver remission and visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. and the majority of people experienced long-lasting remission at one year. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. liver problems may occur in crohn's disease. ♪ now's the time to ask your gastroenterologist how you can take control of your crohn's with skyrizi. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me. ♪

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as police stepped up the hunt for missing >> reporter: as police stepped mom kelsey berreth, her disappearance made the news. up the hunt for missing mom, kelsey berreth, her disappearance made the news. >> we're treating kelsey's disappearance as a missing persons case at this time. >> i would just like to talk to a little bit about kelsey. she is not the kind that runs off. this is completely out of character. kelsey, we just want you home. call us if you can and we won't quit looking. >> reporter: patrick did not attend the news conference about his missing fiancée. four days later, police served a search warrant at his branch. >> a lot of developments over the weekend in the search for that young colorado mother who vanished mysteriously more than three weeks ago now.

>> reporter: on patrick's ranch they took these photos, including this one, patrick's list of what he did the day kelsey disappeared. >> he had written down, pick up kaylee. go to walmart. then he puts check out all, thank at home and have thanksgiving dinner. >> they come in, they check his place, they didn't find anything. >> reporter: did he sound upset at all? >> he sounded concerned. >> reporter: but patrick's friend, clint, wasn't especially concerned that kelsey was missing. he said patrick had already confided him, that kelsey had issues and sometimes just took off by herself, leaving patrick and the baby. >> she disappeared for some timeframe. >> reporter: disappeared? >> he did know where she was. she left, then the next thing he knew she had checked into rehab. >> reporter: what did he think happened during those days? >> he didn't know. he just said that, after she got out of the rehab the first time, she went into rehab a second time, is what he had

told me. >> reporter: alcohol, drugs? >> what i gathered was that it was alcohol. >> reporter: clint believed may be kelsey's disappearance was another relapse of some kind. >> reporter: when you first heard that kelsey had disappeared, did your mind go back to those times that patrick had told you about the fact that she would disappear? >> that's what my first thought was, well, she is in rehab again somewhere and will show up. 20 days or so, whatever the rehab timeframes are, that she will show back up. >> reporter: but kelsey didn't show backup. >> you don't know anything about this woman? so is that one possibility that you have to consider? that she willingly disappeared, that she took her own life? >> it is. >> reporter: as the investigators delved into kelsey's past, they didn't find any evidence of drug or alcohol abuse, but did find about three months before thanksgiving, kelsey had been to a clinic that treats depression. >> it's a facility in california where clients paid

go to get over some depression, sleep deprivation, anxiety, things of that nature. in more of a holistic approach as opposed to using mediation. it's a ten-day clinic. so it's just more to give kelsey an opportunity to get some rest and get back to position where she felt that she could function better, both as a mom and as a pilot. >> reporter: kelsey is not in the best frame of mind she's ever been. to go away from your child and to go into a facility like that, you know, it says to me that she needed to declare her head. >> i think she was just worn out and is trying to figure out why am i tired? why am i feeling, maybe a little depressed? >> reporter: 1000 miles away, near boise, idaho, kelsey's family knew she had bouts of fatigue, but said her problems weren't bad enough to make her run away. >> i don't think she suffered from depression more than anyone else does.

>> especially when you're so tired. >> reporter: and a new baby? >> and a new baby. >> i would say she would have a down day. there were times that she was more tired and needed some rest. i would never put her in that category of it depressed. >> reporter: she definitely had a lot on her plate. >> she did. patrick had already told police that he and kelsey broke up over thanksgiving. he said, in the days that followed, they continued texting to tie up loose ends. >> he and kelsey had decided to end their relationship. other than him returning property that belonged to kelsey, her kharkiv, her gun, that was the extent of it. there was nothing out of the ordinary. he didn't mention any issues or concerns that he had with her at that time at all. >> reporter: the whereabouts of kelsey's gun was a cause for alarm, especially when investigators recalled one of the text messages from kelsey's

mom on her phone on thanksgiving. we went shooting today, was so much fun shooting a my gun again! patrick is gonna let me keep it. but when police searched kelsey's home, there was no sign of it. there is no gun in the condo? >> correct. >> reporter: does that concern you at all that the gun is missing? >> it does. it's one of the things that we looked for once we learned about it. but that could also lead to a possible suicide scenario. >> that she might've used the gun on himself? >> yeah. >> reporter: you had to seriously consider that? >> if we did, yes. >> reporter: but then, something completely unexpected happened that would change the trajectory and tone of the investigation. kelsey's brother made a worrying discovery in kelsey's condo. a smidge on the bottom of the toilet that looked like blood. police hadn't noticed it when they had been in the condo because they hadn't been looking for forensic evidence. >> the initial search, we were just looking for evidence of a disturbance.

anything that could lead us to where kelsey is at the moment. we don't get on our hands and these, lift things up, look at the bottom of a toilet. we don't do that. >> reporter: after finding this march on the toilet, cheryl and kelsey's brother took a closer look at the rest of the condo and found suspicious smears on the furniture and appliances. does this now a spark a full blown search of the condo? >> yes. >> reporter: they sprayed kelsey's bathroom with blue star agent, a substance that glows on contact with blood. >> suffice to say, the bathroom load pretty well. >> reporter: the bathroom lit up like a christmas tree? >> correct. >> reporter: kelsey's home was now being treated as a crime scene. the investigators began to suspect she had been murdered and teams of local state and federal law enforcement agencies descended on the condo. then, suddenly, 800 miles away there was a baffling new development that would break

the case wide open. coming up, a startling clue from kelsey's sulfone. >> kelsey's phone gave a location near idaho. >> reporter: are you thinking maybe she's an idaho readout? >> absolutely. >> reporter: and an intriguing new lead. enter the rodeo queen of magic valley. you're really starting to connect dots now? >> yes. >> reporter: when dateline continues. ne continues.

hi, richard luthier our's top stories. the supreme court has declined to take up the issue of whether former president donald trump is immune from prosecution, the special counsel asked the high court to expedite that review of the case because of its, quote, compelling interest to the country. now the appeals court will consider the issue before the supreme court weighs in on that. also, related, major secretary of state poised to decide whether trump can stay on the ballot there following colorado supreme court decision to disqualify him in that state.

a decision is expected next week. now back to dateline. o dateline as police in colorado continue to search for kelsey berreth, the trail it unexpectedly to idaho. >> kelsey's phone gave a location near gooding, idaho, on november 25th at about 5:13 in the afternoon. >> reporter: kelsey's phone had pinned off a cell phone tower near in idaho gorge. even though her condo was being treated as a crime scene, investigators had to consider the possibility that kelsey might still be alive and on the move. are you thinking that maybe she is in idaho right now? maybe she decided to get away and didn't tell anybody? >> absolutely. >> reporter: any idea where she would have been going? is there any serious about what was in idaho? >> her parents live in idaho. >> reporter: the news reached

kelsey's uncle, kevin's got. when you heard that kelsey's phone had pinned in idaho, did that give you even a glimmer of hope that maybe our instincts are wrong? maybe she is okay? >> it did, for just a minute. yeah. >> but it pink in the wrong part of idaho. >> reporter: kelsey's parents lived in northern idaho. her phone lived in the southern part of the state. >> when you leave colorado and head to northern idaho you go through montana. you don't go through southern idaho. kelsey had no reason to be in this part of the state. it doesn't make sense. >> reporter: that was not the route? >> that was not the route, no. >> reporter: investigators asked the local sheriff's department check the location of the pink, but they didn't find kelsey. so that dashed your hopes right there. >> yes. >> reporter: but there was an idaho connection. when patrick turned over his cell phone to police, they found in idaho number in his call history and they learned the number belonged to a woman.

>> reporter: why did she stick out, this woman in particular? >> the timing of the phone call after the last ping on the 25th. it was, i want to say, ten minutes? it had gone by between when kelce's phone last pink in idaho that patrick's record show this 208 area code phone number. >> reporter: the woman's name? crystal lee county. there is just this bizarre timing with this audio connection. and crystal is in idaho? >> yes. >> reporter: crystal, and what she might know about kelsey's disappearance, suddenly became the most important lead in the investigation. are you now learning more about krystal? who is she? >> we knew she had a family, that was about it. >> she didn't have a criminal history, active on social media to an extent. in horses, ranching, that

lifestyle. >> reporter: what was her personality? like >> very loving, very caring. >> reporter: laura stutsman is a friend of crystals and has known her since she was ten years old. >> she is the type of girl that would give you the shirt of her back. >> reporter: krystal worked out a local hospital as a senior registered nurse. >> she wasn't just a nurse, she was a good nurse. anything krystal did she did it very well. >> reporter: in her early twenties she was even crowned rodeo queen of magic valley. a total awarded for beauty, horsemanship, and good character,, which made her something of a local celebrity. is it like a really big deal? would she be like julia roberts in twin falls? >> she would be. well, she would probably be bigger than julia roberts because everybody knew and loved krystal. >> reporter: laura said rodeo queens embody tradition and what local people call the cowboy code.

>> that cowboy code is living life correctly. it's helping your fellow man, it's helping your neighbor, it is just being a downright good person. >> reporter: honesty, integrity, community, god? >> you bacha. >> reporter: in short, crystal seemed like the last person who could be mixed up in the disappearance of kelsey berreth. nevertheless, investigators had to check her out because of what they found in patrick's call history. what are you seeing between their two phones? crystal and patrick? >> a lot of phone calls. i couldn't put the number on it, especially from that november 22nd to 25th, through december 4th. that critical time. >> reporter: you're really starting connect dots now? >> correct. >> reporter: what does that tell you, right there? >> we need to talk to krystal and find out what's going on. >> reporter: by now, the feds were involved in the case. an fbi special agent was about to give crystal a call. coming up -- >> i identified myself as the

fbi, saying that we're looking for a person named kelsey berreth. she says i have no idea who kelsey berreth is. >> reporter: crystal tells her story and one thing becomes crystal clear. >> she lied and we could refute those lies easily. >> reporter: it's crystal realizing that she's in a whole lot of trouble? >> yes. >> reporter: when dateline continues. continues. if you know... you know it's pantene.

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john grusing, then an fbi special agent, had joined the investigation into kelsey berreth's disappearance, and was now dialing john bruising, than fbi the number of the idaho nurse named krystal lee kenney. special agent, had joined the investigation into kelsey berreth's disappeared and was now dialing the number of the idaho nurse named krystal lee kenney. when he reached her, she was with a group of friends in las vegas attending the national finals rodeo, the super bowl of rodeo. as >> i identified myself as the fbi, saying that we are looking for a person named kelsey berreth. she says i have no idea who kelsey berreth it is. >> reporter: the fbi agent kept probing, asking crystal if she knew anything about kelsey's cell phone that had pinned off a tower near idaho gorge. >> i asked her if you knew anything about the phone. it had already been off the news and --

she says that she heard about it on the news. i said, okay, well the gorge is only about 20 miles from your house, from what we see. and she quickly said, no, i live at least an hour, i don't live near any gorge. >> reporter: he sensed that krystal was hiding something. >> if you have nothing to do with this, why are you distancing yourself from the gorge? why would it make any difference? so i asked again, you have no relationship with kelsey? you have no idea who she was, i've ever met her? it was absolutely not, no. >> reporter: the more they talked, the more suspicious he became. >> her story was not a solid to start out with, then it got worse as we went on. >> reporter: the investigators wondered what krystal might be covering up. she >> initially said that she did know patrick but when confronted with we sought your phone number in his phone, at the point it was, well, we have a business relationship. >> she said that she had last doctor patrick a month or a month and a half ago, she couldn't be sure. >> reporter: the agent asked if

krystal has seen patrick in person. >> she said that they texted each other happy thanksgiving on thanksgiving and krystal decided that she would drive down from twin falls. >> reporter: krystal told agent cruising that she made the trip because a few months prior she in patrick had bought a horse together, and crystal wanted patrick by her out. >> they both paid $4,000 and crystal decided that she wanted to use about $4,000 to find a new home. >> reporter: when she arrived in colorado, patrick wasn't available. >> she said she slept at a gas station until he was ready to meet her. >> reporter: she told the agent that in the early afternoon she finally met up with patrick to talk a business. >> they talked about her selling her half of the horse, he said it is not a good dime because he hurt is back, so at 5:00 she gets back in her car and she drives 13 hours back home. >> reporter: greasing put himself in that situation. something about her story didn't add up.

>> i would be very upset that i drove 13 hours, he spent four hours with, me and i have to drive 13 back. are you upset about that? absolutely not, i was just happy to see patrick. he sent a thank you note, a thank you text, and everything is good between us. >> reporter: the agent wondered if krystal's relationship with patrick was more than just a professional. >> i said, okay, do you have a personal relationship with patrick? absolutely not. i said, okay. >> reporter: investigators had also gathered a cell phone data showing, not just calls and texts, but locations, to. >> we knew there was a lot of communication between krystal and patrick, and we also knew that kelsey's phone may have been with krystal. >> reporter: do you confront krystal with what you know now? >> we do. >> i say, you traveled the same time, basically, that kelsey's phone winds up in that courage. i have a hard time figuring it out. patrick got in your car, maybe

he dropped the phone in your car. trying to give her a reason for that phone. she said it's highly unlikely. >> reporter: it looked like krystal a deacon kelsey's phone to idaho, but why? the investigator pulled his net tighter. >> i said, are your texts krystal, between even patrick, only dealing with horses? what are? they're >> she said they're only dealing with horses. >> i said, good, do you mind if i verify that on your phone? she said no. at this point she felt uncomfortable and wanted to end the interview and that is about where we stopped. >> reporter: by the time she finished her call with the fbi agent, krystal was the focus of the investigation. investigators knew that they had to confront her in person. >> reporter: because she lied and because we could refute those lies easily -- >> reporter: they traveled idaho. >> we meet first with the police department there, twin falls please. we meet with fbi. we have a big briefing that evening. we talk about the case. there is a lot of uncertainty right now, but one thing is certain, is that krystal lied

on a lot of different things and it was enough for her to draft an affidavit and get a warrant for her house. >> so the fbi, myself, and when false police department go up to the door, she comes to the door and we introduce herself and say we want to talk to her. krystal says come on in. >> we stepped inside and talked to her at the house as police officers are around, and say we have a search warrant here. i want to talk to, again, on the one who talk to you on the phone. >> as a student crystals home, the investigators realize they have leverage. >> i remember her daughter with huge eyes asking to see what was going on. she was such a family person. she was a head nurse there, a small town, nice house. she had so much to lose by lying. i tell her those things. you have a lot to lose, we know you lied. >> reporter: how is she reacting to this? >> she's just sitting there

very attentive, not saying much, shaking her head, agreeing. at that point we just say to her, we know you have a story and we want to hear your story. >> reporter: in the end, crystal decided to get herself a lawyer and the investigators left. >> is it crystal realizing that she isn't a whole lot of trouble? >> yes. >> reporter: crystal told friends about her situation and it wasn't long before word got out. >> you get word that the police have zeroed in on a woman in idaho who may have knowledge about what happened to kelsey. this is a big moment in this case. what are you learning? >> we learned about her taking the phone and transporting the phone and it finally clicked, that make sense why it is an idaho. so the first question is, why? why would you be involved in this? >> reporter: sun kristol met began with investigators, with her new lawyer present.

it was a confession time. coming up -- this is a very important interrogation. >> yes. >> reporter: crystal and patrick. >> she craved his approval. she talked about that. >> patrick had some sort of hold on her that is rare to see. >> reporter: love and secrets. >> she learns that patrick has a daughter and she is kind of dumbfounded by the whole thing. >> krystal was incensed that patrick had a baby that he didn't tell her about. >> reporter: when dateline continues. ne continues. whatever i was doing now, i'm staying ahead of my eczema there's a power inside all of us to live our passion. and dupixent works on the inside, to help heal your skin from within. it helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema. so, adults can have long lasting, clearer skin and fast itch relief serious allergic reactions can occur, that can be severe.

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vikrystal lee kenney. knew she'd been caught in a series of lies. three weeks after kelsey was reported missing, krystal lee kenney knew she krystal hired a lawyer and went had been caught in a series of lies. three weeks after kelsey was reported missing, krystal hired a lawyer owing to colorado for another meeting with investigators. >> we knew that there was some information that she was going to share with us. we do know the exact specifics. >> reporter: this is a very

important interrogation? >> yes. >> reporter: that gave krystal some leverage. before she talked, krystal told them that she wanted to make a deal with a local district attorney. >> before her statement we didn't know anything. >> reporter: jennifer wehman is one of the prosecutors who got the case. >> she had to provide a full and complete statement about what happened. tell us everything. tell the truth and come back and testify when it is needed. >> reporter: krystal promised to do all of that and, in return, prosecutors offered a plea deal. a charge carrying a maximum sentence of three years in prison. >> reporter: did you know into it knowing that it might be unpopular? >> i don't know that we did. i don't think we knew the extent of how vital she was going to be about the entire story of what happened to kelsey berreth. >> reporter: but they're about to find out. please deal in place, krystal started to spill. first of all, she can, first

her relationship with patrick frazee was about a lot more than buying horses. >> this has been an ongoing, on again off again relationship since 2006. >> reporter: krystal said she first met patrick how to dance when she was 20. that he was her first true love and she fell hard. obsessed with him? >> twitter painted. >> what does that mean? >> the world are great, here i am. the spurs goes tomorrow walking in here. handsome guy, she says. she says to us that he appreciated her. it's nice to have you out here with me herding cattle and fixing fans. >> she craved's approval. >> she talked about that. she truly felt at times that he approved her and proved her to be in his life. >> reporter: he seemed to have a real power over women. >> i think the women he went

after sure that same lifestyle he did. >> reporter: they liked the cowboys, ranching lifestyle. as smitten as crystal was with patrick, he didn't reciprocate. they fell out of touch, she got married, and had two children. but krystal said she never forgot her first true love. in 2015 she rekindled her relationship with patrick and they restarted an affair. she got pregnant by him and and the pregnancy after she says she got angry at the news. after the pause in the relationship, krystal reconnected with him and she made a trip to colorado in 2018 after she was divorced. >> she wanted to be with patrick, she wanted to -- wanted him to totally have love for her. it is not even like she lived down the street, she's driving 13 hours each time to do this one way. patrick had some sort of hold on her that is rare to see. >> reporter: but patrick had a secret. crystal had no idea he was engaged and had a new baby.

>> krystal did not know about kaylee, did not know about kelsey. there is no mention at all about kelsey or kaylee. >> reporter: that all changed a couple of months later. >> fast forward to june of 2018 when krystal's is having breakfast with some friends. she learns that patrick has a daughter and is kind of dumbfounded by the whole thing, but plays it off, like, wow. didn't know anything about it. no big deal. >> reporter: but about three months before kelsey went missing, krystal went on to patrick that she knew. >> she simply tells him, i know about the baby. i know about kaylee. you don't have to tell me anything about it if you don't want to, but you've got to know that i know about. or >> at first krystal was incensed that patrick had a baby that he didn't tell her about and then she came around and started giving him baby toys and baby clothes and she saw what a good dad he is and they talked about the baby. >> reporter: she said that is when patrick confided to her

that is fiancée was a deeply troubled woman. but >> she tells a crystal that kelsey's got all these problems, she's alcoholic, she beats the baby. >> reporter: she started to tell -- people watching kelsey and that she was concerned that kelsey was going to hurt the baby, if not worse. >> reporter: krystal when she told patrick to report kelsey to the authorities. >> she says that patrick did say that she did go to the police, but kelsey's family is influential in the police won't do anything. >> he's filed complaints with the department of human services over abuse, has gone to the hospital with her, as tried to file police reports but never taken seriously. >> reporter: krystal said patrick seemed baha side himself. >> you know, i can't trust her. she is drunk, she's not working, not doing anything. >> she would tell us, in the interview, no, i was trying to protect the baby. i didn't want to hurt the baby.

>> that is how this whole plan hatches, if you will with crystal killing kelce to get rid of her to protect kaylee. >> reporter: coming up -- >> she says i can get some volume and some ambien, maybe i can get those things, and storage in. >> poison coffee? a deadly plot to kill? >> they buy a caramel macchiato from starbucks. >> she goes up to kelsey's door and knocks on the door. >> reporter: some terrifying turns lie ahead. >> i started picking up things that were blood splattered. >> reporter: when dateline continues. continues.

ying] andrea canning (voiceover): krystal lee kenney was sitting face-to-face with investigators about to make an extraordinary confession. krystal lee kenney what i think that she knew that we had plenty of evidence sitting face to face with investigators about make an extraordinary confession. >> i think that she knew that we had plenty of evidence against her and i think that

she was smart enough to realize that, i can't hide this anymore. >> reporter: this time, it was about so much more than a long time love affair with patrick frazee. >> it is like every turn in this case you're getting a new clue? >> correct. >> reporter: krystal told them it all began in the summer of 2018 when she became convinced that kelsey berreth was unstable, cruel, and a danger to her daughter. she said she was determined to help patrick. so, in september, she traveled to colorado and, together, they hatched a plan to get rid of kelsey. >> they would talk about how people can die from overdosing on drugs and whatnot. >> reporter: their plan? crystal, the nurse, would use prescription drugs to poison kelsey's coffee. >> she says i can get some value and mbn, maybe i can get those things and store it in. >> reporter: krystal went to starbucks and bought a caramel macchiato for kelsey. >> that is your favorite coffee

drink, so that is what krystal does. she buys a caramel macchiato from starbucks and parks in the little alleyway. >> then she goes up to kelsey's door and knocks on the door. she introduced us herself as cassie johnson, she already has an alias. she goes, i'm new to the neighborhood and you put my dog back in the yard and i want to thank you with this coffee. kelsey takes the coffee, but says i didn't help with your dog. she gives, krystal gives kelce her phone number and says i would love to have a play date with you and i have a nephew and kelsey's like, my daughter is only ten months old, i don't think we're going to do a play date. >> reporter: krystal left, but kelsey didn't i. >> patrick calls and says what happened? he was very angry. used much angrier orange than that. she says, what are you talking about? he says, she's fine. did you not poison the coffee?

she says, well maybe she didn't drink it. >> reporter: krystal said a guilt trip followed. >> he said that if you're going to let her kill the baby, that's on you. but that wasn't the end of it? >> no, there was a second time. >> reporter: this time the plan involved beating kelce with a metal pipe. >> he hands through the middle pipe and says this is not that hard. when she comes out of the house you hitter in the back of the head so that there's not a lot of blood. >> he was to beat her and put her in a dumpster down the road. >> she takes the metal pipe, drives to kelsey's place, she told her that she barks the -- car >> she gets out of the car out kelsey's place with the pipe and here's a dog bark and get scared and jumps back in the car and goes and takes a nap at the kanako. >> then patrick calls her and she says, i'm not the right person to do this. then, again, egos maybe you don't love the baby? >> reporter: but this still isn't the end of it? >> no. >> reporter: crystal told them a third murder plot took shape

one's kelsey returned to her condo after handing over kaylee to patrick. krystal was opposed to ambush her. >> the third attempt, unfortunately, i can still see in my brain from crystal describing it so well. he tells her to use a baseball bout and, quote, just go to swinging. so crystal takes and illuminate that from her house in twin falls, she drives and goes and sits in kelce's front yard with a bat in her hand, waiting for kelsey to come home from a baby exchange. >> she gets out of her car and is sitting on a planter. sees a police car drive by, here's some people, and leaves. >> reporter: this whole thing is crazy. >> yeah. >> just to picture a head nurse sitting with a baseball bout waiting to hit to someone on the back of the head, i still have that image in my mind. >> it is just bizarre. >> reporter: she said patrick had the same angry reaction after she failed on the third attempt. >> he gave her a litany of

reasons why she failed, putting more guilt on her. >> reporter: crystal claims she acted only because of patrick forced herself to. it was patrick who devised the three schemes to murder kelsey. she told the investigators that she tried to push back. she claims she asked patrick if you want to kill kelsey so badly, why didn't he do it himself? >> she asked, well why are you taking care of this? he said, are you kidding? everyone would know it is me if something happens to her. >> she said patrick countered with threats against her and even her children. >> she said she was scared of patrick. if she didn't do it, if patrick is willing to kill kelsey, what would happen to krystal? >> reporter: when the outlandish story filtered down to kelsey's family, they too were dumbfounded. >> the story is so crazy when you think about crystal driving to woodlyn park and, first it is going to be chic shows up with a coffee, then it is a lead pipe, then it's a baseball

bat. >> yeah. >> reporter: how do you wrap your head around that? >> i don't think we can. i'll never be able to understand it. >> reporter: investigators believed they had an inkling. >> she was madly in love with patrick and that overruled all of our common sense of judgment. >> reporter: even so, the fbi agent believed that krystal was still responsible. >> each of us have that choice. whether we decide do i have to do this? >> reporter: but according to krystal, she didn't have a choice. coming up -- >> the call basically is, you need to come now. you have a mess to clean up. >> reporter: does he explain what the mess is? >> no. >> reporter: a horrifying discovery at kelsey's condo. >> blood, all over the floor. i saw blood of the wall. >> reporter: what does she say that she saw? >> she walks into his house and, in her own words, as soon as she opens the door, it was

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krystal lee kenney had given investigators krystal lee kenney and the incredible account of how, three times, given investigators the incredible account of how, three times, she had planned to kill kelsey berreth. as about as that all sounded, it was about to get even worse. she told them, on thanksgiving day, while at home in idaho with her family, her phone lit up with a message from patrick.

>> she waits until late in the day to finally call him and then the call, basically, is you need to come now. you have a mess to clean up. >> reporter: does he explain what the mess is? >> no, no. >> reporter: the following day, krystal said she continued to follow patrick's orders, just as she had been doing all along. she got ready. >> she brings cleaning supplies. >> reporter: he asks her to bring those supplies? >> he doesn't specifically ask her to bring supplies, he just says come prepared. >> reporter: crystal gathered what she thought she would need. >> she brought a cover all outfit that they would wear at the hospital to prevent blood borne pathogens through uniforms, booties, a hair net, and a box of gloves, along with trash bags and some bleach. >> reporter: this sounds like it's an out of an episode of dexter? >> that's a good analogy, yes. >> reporter: so she thinks i

might be going to clean up a crime scene? >> she doesn't really say it. >> reporter: you don't bring bleach -- >> it's not we are taking on vacation. >> reporter: crystal board a friend's vault wagon and once again drove the 13 hours to colorado. i >> don't think she was certain that kelsey was dead, because she had told her i can be the want to do this. so, he had had her tried to do it for three times, then why would he go ahead and do it now? so she was very conflicted in the drive down there. >> reporter: but she told the investigators, when she got to colorado, patrick removed all doubt. she said he confessed he had killed kelsey and had hidden her body. she said patrick told her where to find keys to kelsey's condo. she picked them up and went inside. what does she say that she saw? >> in her own words, as soon as she opens the door, it was horrific. >> reporter: she didn't just tell the investigators, they brought her to kelsey's condo so that she could show them on video. >> we're inside kelsey's

apartment with krystal. her attorneys with us. >> reporter: stepping inside the condo again, this time dressed in a law enforcement body and kept, crystal was transformed into the kind of witness investigators could only hope for as she led a tour of the crime scene with agents later. >> when i first walked in i saw blood all over the floor. i saw blood of the wall. saw blood on this wall. that's what i first saw. >> reporter: does she see a body? >> no. she doesn't see the body at that point, she doesn't know where kelsey is. she just walks into this house and, again, says it is just a horrific scene. >> reporter: then, she said, she got to work hanging towels over the kitchen window so she couldn't be seen by passersby. >> you put your stuff on, and what did you start cleaning up first? >> i started picking up things

that were blood splattered that i would have a hard time getting blood off of. >> reporter: she used a broom handle to show how high the blood splatter was on the walls. at times, she seemed emotional, apparently fighting back tears. >> the spray was from here all the way -- i had to clean up underneath here, and it was all down here. and i know that i didn't get there. >> reporter: she told investigators, among the things she discovered as she cleaned, was a tooth. >> can you point, do you remember, where the tooth was? >> can you use the broom? >> around the tooth, what was there, if anything? >> blood. >> all right. >> reporter: as she cleaned, she said patrick called with

more instructions. >> it's basically saying make sure you pick up the stuff, that stuff. he told her to wash stuff if she can. she can't do that, so she has got to trash bags, her own trash bags, and used trash bags of kelsey's to remove debris that is soaked in blood or has blood on it that they can't clean. some of kaylee's stuffed animals had blood on them. the drapes, several other items. >> reporter: krystal said the cleanup took about four hours. then she drove the sonic and, captured on security camera, but food for herself, for patrick, and the baby. her date wasn't nearly done. there was much more dirty work ahead. coming up -- >> you also collected wood and put it into the burn pit? >> yes i did. >> reporter: krystal leads investigators to another crime scene, more disturbing in the last. >> she kept wanting to go, she kept asking to go.

>> from there, i told him, i have to leave. >> reporter: he is like, no, we started this, we're going to finish it. >> reporter: when dateline continues. ne continues. 36 weeks of pregnancy to protect babies against rsv from birth through 6 months. 6 millions breaths to meet your baby. know you've helped protect them against rsv. abrysvo is not for everyone and may not protect all babies of vaccinated mothers. don't get abrysvo if you've had a severe allergic reaction to its ingredients. people with a weakened immune system may have a decreased response to vaccination. the most common side effects among pregnant women are headache, pain at the injection site, muscle pain and nausea. in clinical trials with abrysvo, low birth weight and jaundice were reported more frequently than placebo. every breath matters. talk to your obgyn or other healthcare provider about pfizer's maternal rsv vaccine, abrysvo.

or other healthcare provider about pfizer's krystal lee kenny's story was stranger than fiction. krystal lee kenney story andrea canning (voiceover): the nurse from idaho was stranger than fiction. >> there's blood on the wall here. there's blood on the wall. here >> reporter: the nerves from idaho had turned on her longtime boyfriend patrick frazee, telling investigators she had cleaned the bloody

condo after patrick had murdered kelce there. >> we're going to go ahead and shot the video of here. >> reporter: now she would tell them what she and patrick ended with kelsey's body. she said he had hidden it on a black bostic told box on a stack of hay bales on a ranch. >> they both drive out to the ranch and recover kelsey's remains and bring it back to patrick's a place where they burn the body. >> reporter: crystal took them instigators on another video tour, this one of patrick's ranch or if he and patrick took the tote box. >> we brought the tote here. >> okay. >> we unloaded the tote. >> reporter: krystal said she and patrick placed the box into a makeshift burn pit. >> you also collected wood and put it into the burn pit? >> yes i did. >> at which time he uses a gas can, opens up the lid of the tote and poured gasoline and oil inside and then ignites the fire. >> was it matched? was it a book of matches? a flare?

a light or what? >> a match. >> she said the fire reached with vicious intensity, the flames leaping as high as some of the trees. crystal gathered the trash bags of bloody items that she had taken from the condo. >> they throw the trash bags in, so they are very evidence conscious. >> i also threw in all the clothing that i was wearing, plus a pair of shoes that i had been wearing. and i believe that that's all of -- that i had with me that i threw into the fire. >> reporter: even some of kelsey's most precious books were tossed into the flames. >> do you remember the books were? >> one of them was her, i would imagine it was a bible. >> she said that she stood there for hours as patrick was turning the fire and making it burn. >> reporter: even so, not everything burned. investigators most chilling discovery at the burn site was this, a tooth fragment.

as she stood with patrick watching the flames, krystal said she didn't want to be there. >> she kept wanting to go, she kept asking to go. >> from there i told him, i have to leave. >> he is like, no, we started this, or going to finish it. obviously is bringing her in as part of the homicide. >> reporter: and the partnership continued. patrick directed krystal to take some of kelsey's belongings with her to idaho and help create a false trail of evidence. what does he tell you to do with these items? >> according to crystal he said, well, take the gun, get rid of it. you're going to get rid of the phone, you're going to get rid of the purse. >> reporter: crystal confessed that she took's phone and turned it on as she drove home. that is why kelsey's phone ping near the gorge in idaho. she also sent text messages, like the one saying do you even love me? to make it appear that kelsey was in some kind of distress. then, she burned the phone. >> the purse and its contents, and phone --

>> okay, and those were burnt where? >> at my property. >> okay, okay. >> reporter: so that wasn't crystals the story. driven by love and fear she cleaned the crime scene, help burned kelsey's body, and destroyed crucial evidence. but krystal wanted to make one thing clear. she said it was patrick who murdered kelce. to prove she was telling the truth, she pointed to more evidence that would turn the tables on patrick because, as thoroughly as she mopped and wiped kelsey's condo, she told investigators that she deliberately left spots of blood for them to find. >> can you show me where you left those? >> this one -- there. >> all right. did you leave blood anywhere else? that you didn't cleanup? >> yes. here on the baby gate. >> after about 12 hours of questioning, the investigators were astonished. krystal had drawn, in videotape,

the anatomy of kelsey berreth's murder. do you believe that patrick frazee was really the mastermind, that you have the puppeteer? >> yes. >> with crystal? >> yes. >> patrick was the one that was manipulating her the whole time, patrick is the one who wanted kelsey killed, patrick is the one who actually killed kelsey. i believe krystal was a fool. i believe patrick was a murderer. >> about a month after that thanksgiving day when kelsey went missing, patrick frazee was arrested and charged with first degree murder, solicitation to murder, and tampering with a deceased body. is this a big sigh of relief knowing that there had been interest? >> yes. relief because there was hope that he wasn't going to get away with it. at the same time sadness that

her death was a little more real. >> reporter: was this kind of that moment that it really hit you? >> it is starting to hit. >> she really isn't coming home. >> reporter: in november, almost one year after kelsey went missing, patrick frazee would go on trial for her murder and a jury would decide if krystal was telling the truth or if she was lying. coming up -- did you feel like anything with week in your case going in >> -- would be the biggest concern that we had. the whole case rested on her shoulders. the concern was, and she believable? >> reporter: what really happened the day of the murder? >> i bet that easy -- on the first blow. he's beating her and beating her. >> reporter: powerful new details from the prosecutors star witness. >> you saw jurors crying, you saw people in the audience crying. >> it took my breath away. >> reporter: when dateline

continues. line continues.

i'm richard louis with the hours top sprees. the supreme court declined to cut donald trump's immunity from the prosecution in the january 6th case. it's unclear how the court decision will impact trump's upcoming trial which is scheduled for march 4th. and president biden extended a pardon for any u.s. citizen or resident that was convicted of marijuana use and possession. it also granted clemency to 11 people serving sentences for non violent drug offenses. now back to dateline! w back to da teline in november 2019, here at the old county courthouse in the mountains of colorado, after months of pretrial hearings. one of which was videotaped, patrick went on trial for the murder of kelsey.

>> this one probably had more twists and turns than any case i had ever seen. this one had more a motion to it than any other case i had seen. >> reporter: dan may what's district attorney, he led the prosecution team with janet and beth. they assembled evidence against patrick frazee and dozens of witnesses. including their star witness, krystal lee kenney who they recorded on video. did you feel like anything with week in your case going in? that you have to worry about? >> rosa lee would probably be the biggest concern that we had, it all rested on her shoulders, and phone records. so i think the concern was is she believable? >> reporter: they thought they could make krystal lee kenney credible by explaining how patrick manipulated her. for example, krystal said that patrick frazee told her that patrick was abusing the baby and he reported her to police. in fact, there was no police

report. it was all a lie. >> he was claiming that she was an alcoholic, an abusive mother. that she was not showing up for work. all of that is untrue. >> reporter: then they would try to prove crystal story with hard evidence, like -- and digital record starting with kelsey's condo. the police video showed some areas where she wiped away blood from furniture and appliances. >> it gives you some inkling, because you're seeing water in the floorboards of her wooden floor. >> reporter: a dna expert testified it was a match to kelsey's blood, see i a agent took the stand. >> crystal claim that she left some blood on the baby gate, and the fireplace, did you believe? her >> i couldn't dot her because the evidence speaks for itself. it shows that that is kelsey's blood. without her telling as that, we would never know that it was there. >> reporter: crystal also told law voice meant later that day,

she met patrick frazee at a gas station. >> when she tells us, we met at the station in florida south. let's go to the station, and let's see if we can find video. lo and behold, we find video. >> reporter: in the video, krystal lee kenney can be seen driving in the volts wagon. and patrick went up to the truck. he filled it with gasoline, which investigators said that he used to burn kelsey berreth body. like the one of the video found on -- the body. but things weren't matching up for that alibi. >> the story basically was, on the 22nd i picked up kaylee around noon from kelsey berreth apartment. and i left. and that was the last time i saw her. consistently, he says i never went into kelsey berreth house. >> his story was that he was tending to his cows at the time

kelsey berreth has been intended to be murdered. >> he put himself out with a cattle, miles away when the murder happened. >> reporter: but prosecutors presented images that showed patrick frazee was lying. a security camera caught patrick struck passing by a furniture truck and kelsey's cousin no. and the neighbor's security camera showed patrick frazee at kelsey's home multiple times during that period. >> it was walking in and out because we have the photos from the next door neighbor. from that scene, him and kelsey berreth as he's going out of the same. >> and once he and kelsey is visible. carrying a plant. the last image of her alive. as the prosecutors continue to press their case, they told the jury that patrick frazee cell phone also placed him at kelsey's conduct at the time that she was murdered. >> patrick made two calls at

4:30 of the 22nd, when he was supposedly not even there. those phone calls are being made on the tower that is served. this cell phone tower that services kelce house. >> reporter: photos from they expose more of patrick frazee lies. >> on the day, kelsey berreth cell phone and patrick frazee cell phone where together. and remember, he says he has not seen her. >> reporter: cell phone analysis where our crystals story that patrick gave krystal kelsey's phone. >> only when he provides her with kelsey's phone, do we see the pattern change, and then it travels to with krystal lee kenney back to idaho. when she destroys. that >> when she tells us yes, i turned kelsey berreth phone off, i turned it on at this point at this point on a trip back, i turned it on at this point on my trip back.

i sent a text message at this point, i, or patrick called me at this point. that matches all the information that we have. >> reporter: as for why krystal says patrick stored the body after murdering her? a cadaver dog try to sit, when it scented human death did exactly that. krystal lee kenney walked there in court also played in court. she also detailed how they burned kelsey berreth body. >> reporter: did it hold any clues that you felt were important? >> crystal goes straight to where the area was, and says this is where she was burned. and they essentially, excavate that area. and remove all the dirt. and there you see what i would almost describe as a burn scar. there is melted plastic in the ground. >> reporter: as for the murder itself? the courtroom fell silent as crystal described what patrick told her about kelsey berreth

horrific last moments. once inside her condo on thanksgiving day, according to crystal, patrick told kelsey berreth he wanted to play a game with some scented candles. >> he comes up with a ploy of smell the candles, and tell me which one is the scent of the candles. and then blindfolds her with the sweater. that's when he pulls out the baseball bat. i bet he thought it would knock her out on the first one, it did not. his beating her, and beating, her and beating her. >> reporter: prosecutors played the video of you krystal lee kenney pointing out the blood spatter. >> all of a sudden, the jury sees that these little spots are back close to her head, and every time he's pulling it back above him, it is throwing spots of blood all the way back into the kitchen as he is coming back down for another bullet. >> reporter: the courtroom is getting a real visual of what happened. >> a blood spatter expert witness confirmed the wears.

>> i asked him how many times he think that he better with a bat. and he estimated ten or 15 times warmer. >> reporter: another sickening moment in the trial came when the prosecution showed the jury the tooth fragment found at the birthday. and krystal added one more detail that patrick had described to her. >> the hardest part of the entire time watching krystal lee kenney testify is the question, do you know what kelsey berreth's last words were? and in tears, crystal said the words, please stop. that was, that was the blow that rocked my world again. >> to hear that those were the words, and that he continued? took my breath away.

i do not know that i'm breathing yet. >> reporter: all during the murder, crystal testified, baby kaylee was in the condo. >> that's for everybody. there were times you saw jurors crying, he saw people in the audience crying. i know that we were at time. >> reporter: the prosecution case was killed. patrick had killed kelce in the most -- manner. found the remains that could be found, and then covered it up. at least that was krystal story. now, the stage was set for patrick's defense team to go after her. coming up! this is the woman who has admitted to covering up a murder. >> we didn't as the jury to like, are we just asked them to listen to her. >> reporter: what they? >> i just could not believe that she was persuaded, or manipulated. >> it's an conceivable, you can

get into that position. >> this one is hard to understand? >> everything about this is hard to understand. >> when dateline continues! ne continues also try for fizzy fast cough relief. when you smell the amazing scent of gain flings... time stops. (♪♪) and you realize you're in love... steve? with a laundry detergent. (♪♪) gain flings. seriously good scent. i've never been healthier. shingles doesn't care. (♪♪) but shingrix protects. proven over 90% effective, shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can also happen. the most common side effects are pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingrix today.

the colorado courtroom had heard shocking evidence. patrick frazee had bludgeoned to death his fiancée kelsey the colorado courtroom had berreth and burned her body now it was the defense's turn heard shocking evidence, patrick frazee had bludgeoned to death his fiancée kelsey berreth, and buried her body. now it was the defense's turn

to try to shred the case by targeting krystal lee kenney. the more guilty she appeared to the jury, the less guilty patrick frazee might appear. >> if you believe krystal story the evidence is overwhelming, and if you do not buy off of krystal story, than the evidence is not overwhelming. plain and simple, done. >> reporter: patrick's friend, clips clyde, attended the trial. >> the only time krystal told the truth is when she was approached by the fbi and the colorado bureau of investigation. and told her that they had enough of her that she would go away for much of her life. >> reporter: he says krystal told her story to investigators only after law enforcement caught her lie. >> she got on us after she got caught. >> reporter: under tough cross examination, krystal admitted again how three times, she had drawn from colorado and back to kill kelsey. if krystal was telling the

truth, the defense team said, it was an outrage that she had never terrell's law enforcement of the murder plan she was part of. not once, until she was caught. >> blood, all over the floor. blood up the wall. blood on the -- >> reporter: neither did she tell us all about the pools of blood she cleaned up, thus battered while she bleach, the blood soaked evidence she got rid of. patrick's defense pointed out how calais krystal lee kenney was. leaving a false text message trail, and taking kelsey berreth's phone to court where she said every day. >> you saw her. you saw the evidence. if he did not kill kelsey berreth, who? did >> -- you either bought krystal story, or you did not buy krystal story. >> and you did not? >> i did not. >> krystal's testimony was the crux of the prosecution team. >> this is a woman who admitted

to covering up a murder, she has done a lot of bad things. so it would be easy for the jury to not like krystal lee kenney, and to maybe not trust her? >> we did not as the jury to like, are we just asked them to listen to her. and, in the match of what he's says, with other piece of evidence. >> reporter: bob, kristie, and dennis, who want to see is only the first names, sat on the jury as crystal described how patrick instructed her, three times, to murder kelce. >> some of the things that went through my mind when krystal was testifying was, i was thinking, she could've stopped this. what were you thinking? i just could not believe that she was persuaded, or manipulated. she seemed like a very intelligent person. >> it's inconceivable you can

get into that position. >> >> reporter: this one's hard to understand? >> everything about this is hard to understand. >> reporter: the jurors also blame crystal for covering up the murder, instead of calling police. >> how chilling was it to see the video of krystal in kelsey's condo doing that walk through? >> i think her saying that she put, she put towers over the kitchen window? was probably one of the harder things for me because, you know, that's really, you know what you're doing. you know you are hiding. >> that showed me she was complicit. when she walked in that condo she could call the police right then. >> reporter: to some in court, she artfully minimize her own role to make sure all the blame would fall on patrick frazee. >> reporter: did you buy the whole story? >> no, i did not buy that. i think she was not completely honest with how complicit she was. >> reporter: this is a woman

who potentially came close to killing kelsey berreth herself. three times. coffee, baseball that? >> she talked about being afraid of him, but then she said after she went into the condo, she said that she did not believe that he could actually do it. so, those two statements did not mesh to me. >> reporter: the defense argued that crystal story was shaky, and so with some of the prosecutions evidence. they argued the security camera images showing patrick entering and leaving kelsey's condo on thanksgiving day, did not necessarily match the time they were saved to the security system. and that apparently damning tooth fragment? not so fast. were you able to match that to kelsey berreth? >> the forensic anthropologist could determine that it was the male dna, but they could not develop a profile. >> reporter: the tooth evidence

was not the slam dunk they hoped for. as the jurors wrestled what the evidence, and krystal's testimony, they were not prepared for what came next. the trial was about to reach its climax with a new witness who was stunning the courtroom. coming up! >> this particular informant had the letters. and they contain information that only patrick frazee would know. >> reporter: from behind prison walls, perhaps the most sinister plot of all. >> there were very sinister threats. >> reporter: and the verdict. >> did your heart start beating really fast? >> i remember checking my pulse. >> when they like idiots! ey like idiots my husband and i have never been more active. shingles doesn't care. i go to spin classes with my coworkers. good for you, shingles doesn't care. because no matter how healthy you feel, your risk of shingles sharply increases after age 50.

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on a chilly november day, one year to the week after kelsey berreth went missing, after a meticulous investigation on a chilly november day, from colorado to idaho, and after the damning testimony one year to the week after kelsey berreth went missing. after meticulous investigation from colorado to idaho, and after a testimony from her former girlfriend, krystal lee kenney. 33 year old patrick frazee would soon learn if he would spend his life behind bars for a monstrous, and premeditated murder. >> i was dreading what if, how is our family going to handle if they say not guilty? >> reporter: there could be one person on that jury who maybe did not believe that he was capable of that. >> right. >> reporter: as nervous as

kelsey berreth's family was as the trial came to a close. there was nothing that they had not counted on, and a witness, from the prosecution. >> -- >> reporter: he was jacob atlee, he had been house next to patrick frazee in jail. they became buddies. after he got out, he came forward with a mind-blowing story about some notes that frazee had written down. >> the substance of the note, some are in on jail napkins, or paper, where to assist patrick in killing a number of witnesses in the trial. >> reporter: it was a hit list, with patrick frazee offering to pay ben to kill those named. most of the notes came with instructions of flesh them. at the top of patrick frazee's was krystal lee kenney followed by her family and friends. they all needed to disappear. but one note, at least until after the trial, another note

instructed bentley to use a gun to make krystal's ex-husband talk, then dump him out in the desert. >> i think what was shocking in this case is usually when we get that information, is the word of one informant, without any corroborating evidence. but this particular informant had the letters. and they were clearly in patrick's handwriting, and they contain information that only patrick frazee would know. >> reporter: no one was too high of the food chain for patrick frazee. lead investigator, greg slater, and even the dea himself were on the kill list. and, perhaps even more shocking, kelsey's mom to? >> reporter: -- >> there were threats to kill cheryl berreth, very specific threats. >> the hit list? cheryl was on it. crazy? >> crazy. >> it's so insane that he has this hitless than jail? >> it showed his character. it showed his belt.

>> reporter: the jail notes, and the testimony stunned the courtroom, and seems to be a blow to patrick frazee's defense. the prosecution said frazee not only murdered kelsey berreth, he had also sought to kill those who testified against him. >> we wanted the jury to hear, so we could really understand the mindset we were dealing with in terms of patrick frazee. he is a very troubled person. >> reporter: after three hours of deliberation, the jury reached a decision. >> you walked back and that courtroom to deliver the verdict, are you feeling scared to death? [laughter] >> i feel the weight of it. >> definitely, it was hard. >> a lot of tension. knowing that her family is out there. his family is out there, he's right there. >> reporter: did your heart start beating really fast? >> i couldn't breathe.

my >> heart was beating. i remember checking my pulse. >> we were holding hands. >> holding hands in such anticipation. praying that a fast verdict, was a good verdict. >> reporter: for kelsey's family, all the prayers were answered. >> as soon as the first guilty came in. >> then we could exhale. >> that was the first murder charge? >> yeah. and when they just kept coming. >> everything else was i saying. >> guilty, guilty? >> praise god, praising god. >> love an answered prayer, a lot of hugs, a lot of tears, a lot of relief. >> yeah. >> reporter: the prosecutors welled up to. seeing kelsey's father, daryl. >> i heard the verdict, i got showed up. and i look back at there'll, and, i was just nodding at him

of thank you for being with us. going through this and being behind us 100 percent the whole time. >> reporter: amid all the reaction in the courthouse, a swift verdict was followed by a swift sentence. >> patrick frazee got everything he deserved coming to, him life sentence plus six years. >> reporter: three months went by, it was a very different set of emotions when krystal lee kenney was sentence. the judge called her actions cold, calculated, and cruel. but of all the things krystal lee kenney admitted to with prosecutors, she pleaded guilty to only one thing. tampering with evidence by moving kelsey berreth phone. the judge gave her the maximum sentence, three years in prison. >> do i think she should have gotten a lot more time? you better. >> but she may serve a lot less time. >> they serve 25% of the sentence, on the crime, no matter what it is. >> reporter: so krystal could end up serving just nine months.

the data set to convict patrick frazee, he was forced into a devils bargain with krystal. >> we did a deal with the devil. >> reporter: you call this making a deal with the devil? >> i did. that was absolutely a deal with the devil. i'm not proud of it. i'm not saying that it is justice for krystal lee kenney. it's not justice for krystal lee kenney, but it got justice for kelsey berreth. >> reporter: in 2021, an appeals court ruled that krystal lee kenney -- and was sentenced to 17 months. you said something really powerful to me about your feelings towards krystal lee kenney. >> part of me wants to strangle her, some of me wants to hug her. >> that's a complex statement right there. >> she couldn't stop this from happening right there, and for that i want to choke her. but she finally vest up, and for that i want to hug her. and thank her. >> for that we have closure.

>> reporter: as kelsey's family tried to move on, little kaylee went to live with kelce's mom and dad. if kaylee watch is this when she's older, what would you say about her mom? >> her mom loved her. her mom was fearless. her mom love the lord. and the best thing in the world would be to see her daughter committed to the lord as well. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> reporter: the communities where kelsey berreth lived and worked did everything they could to make sure that she was remembered. the local furniture store placed a bench near kelsey berreth condo. kelsey berreth family set up an aviation scholarship, and even

some of the jurors supported it. they are all testaments to the young mother whose life was so clearly taken. but whose spirit continues to uplift. >> if the kaylee does get to watch this at some point, then it would be her mom telling her, do not back down. >> dream bag. >> dream big, run hard, sir. go get them. because you have the support of this family behind you. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ d lay in bed with my imagination, >> reporter: hello, i'm craig melvin. and this is dateline! >> i lay in bed with my imagination. and i would play out possibilities of what happened that night. i thought