Krystal Kenney could be moved to halfway house; DA’s office ‘vigorously opposes’ move

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The accomplice and key witness that helped prosecutors put Patrick Frazee away for life after murdering Kelsey Berreth is already being considered for placement in a halfway house.

Krystal Kenney was sentenced to three years in prison for tampering with evidence. She has served a little over 60 days, but she's now being "referred for consideration of placement in a community corrections program."

4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May, who prosecuted the Frazee case last year, says his office "vigorously oppose moving this defendant to any community-based alternative."

Kenney was convicted for her role in the murder of Berreth. Frazee tried to get Kenney to kill Berreth multiple times before ultimately committing the murder, himself, inside Berreth's Woodland Park townhome on Thanksgiving Day, 2018. Frazee then called Kenney to help clean up the crime scene, which she admittedly did.

Kenney gave all of the details to prosecutors and testified in court, ultimately securing Frazee's murder conviction.

May and Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Viehman, who also helped prosecute the case in Teller County, issued a statement Friday on behalf of Berreth's family and friends, "along with a still-healing community."

It shall never be forgotten that his defendant – who worked as a nurse - was aware of convicted murderer Patrick Frazee’s intent to kill Kelsey Berreth, and had she notified anyone – any law enforcement agency or even the victim herself –  Ms. Berreth would likely be with her family today.  She further drove to Colorado from her home state of Idaho to assist Mr. Frazee after the fact, and proceeded to clean up a gruesome, bloody crime scene. When Judge Scott Sells handed down a three year prison sentence he said what she did was “cold, calculating and cruel” and that if he sentenced her to probation it would minimize the depravity of her actions.  We believe that sending her to a halfway house would do just that.  This defendant was sentenced to serve three years in prison for her participation in a horrible, depraved crime – 1,095 days.  To date she has served barely sixty. 

The fact that this defendant is even being considered for “step-down” placement demonstrates once again that Colorado’s sentencing scheme is outrageously, dishearteningly distorted – with an utter lack of truth in sentencing - and is in desperate need of reform.”

Dan May, Jennifer Viehman

There's no guarantee that Kenney, who is incarcerated in a Department of Corrections facility, will be moved to a halfway house. The DA's office also says this process is separate from the parole process.

Frazee is serving his life sentence without parole in the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility