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Did Patrick Frazee Report Kelsey Berreth For Child Abuse? Prosecutors Mum On Recently Received Documents

The prosecutor recently received documents from the Teller County Department of Human Services that include “extensive interviews” with Frazee, but their exact nature is unknown.

By Jill Sederstrom

New documents received by prosecutors in the Kelsey Berreth murder case may indicate that her fiancé Patrick Frazee, the man accused of killing her, reported her to child services claiming she’d been abusing their young daughter.

Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Reed received documents from the Teller County Department of Human Services on March 20. However, the exact nature of what's in the documents is unclear and Reed has asked a judge to bar the public release of the records, according to The Colorado Springs Gazette.

In her motion to the judge, Reed said the records “relate to the charged crimes in this case and include extensive interviews documenting statements made by the defendant and witnesses in this case.”

The prospect that Frazee may be claiming abuse by Berreth can be traced back to previous statements given to investigators by Krystal Jean Lee Kenney, who had been having an affair with Frazee when Berreth disappeared on Thanksgiving Day, according to the Denver Post. Kenney said Frazee told her they needed to “get rid of” Berreth because she had been physically abusing the 1-year-old girl she shared with Frazee.

In a February preliminary hearing for Frazee, Colorado Bureau of investigation Agent Gregg Slater testified Frazee told Kenney that Berreth burned the young girl with a hair curler, the Post previously reported.

Whether the Department of Human Services documents confirm that Frazee made abuse claims against Berreth remains to be be seen. They've been turned over to the defense, according to the Post. 

Investigators believe Berreth was murdered though her body has not yet been found. They allege that Frazee beat her to death with a baseball bat after convincing her to wrap a sweater around her eyes to play a game guessing different scents of candles. They believe Frazee then burned her body at his ranch and later disposed of it.

Kenney, an Idaho nurse, later admitted to driving to Colorado shortly after Berreth disappeared to help clean up blood and dispose of evidence from the Berreth’s town home. She has since pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and could face up to 18 months in prison.

Information she provided to investigators led to Frazee’s arrest in December.

Frazee is expected to be arraigned on Friday, when a trial date will also likely be set.