There could be more than one culprit involved in Colorado mom Kelsey Berreth’s disappearance, People is reporting. Berreth was last seen on Thanksgiving day before going missing. Her fiance, Patrick Frazee, was arrested on December 21 on suspicion of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit murder. While Berreth’s body has not been discovered, authorities announced that they had reason to believe that she was indeed killed.
“Sadly, we do not believe Kelsey is still alive,” Woodland Park police Chief Mies De Young said at a news conference.
Berreth was a 29-year-old pilot instructor as well as a mother to a 1-year-old girl. Frazee had initially told police that he last saw his fiancee when they met up so he could take custody of the child, as the two lived separately. There was brief security footage released that showed Berreth and her daughter at a Safeway before they met up with Frazee. The video was not much to go on, however, and it was ultimately cell phone records that helped crack the case, according to De Young.
Berreth’s cell phone pinged on a cell tower near Gooding, Idaho, nearly 600 miles from her home. Her employer at Doss Aviation claimed they received a text from Berreth that she would not be in for work, and Frazee said that he had received a text from her too, although it has yet to be revealed to the public what the alleged text said. Authorities were able to obtain a search warrant for Frazee’s home, where they apparently found damning evidence.
“Investigators have discovered a number of items that make us suspicious that the crime did occur at Kelsey’s residence,” De Young said.
Woodland Park police Chief Miles de Young would not say whether a body had been found or what led to the charges of murder and solicitation to commit murder against Patrick Frazee, allegedly the last person to see 29-year-old Kelsey Berreth. https://t.co/NdRk8f9Gwc
— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) December 22, 2018
While the media caught wind he had been arrested for solicitation as well, authorities have yet to confirm whether Frazee attempted to hire someone to kill Berreth or not. When asked if additional arrests could be made during the case, De Young said it was “an absolute possibility.” Authorities have also yet to divulge if they know where Berreth’s body is. De Young said that while they “have not found Kelsey at this time, information has been developed to help us narrow down our search.”
Her daughter is now in protective custody and will be placed with Berreth’s family members. Frazee is currently being held in the Teller County jail. District Attorney Dan May said that formal charges would be filed in around 10 days.
