Local News

'I'm Sorry That I Did Not Save Kelsey': Krystal Lee Apologizes During Sentencing

January 29, 2020 / 12:30 PM MST / CBS Colorado

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TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) -- Krystal Lee, who admitted knowing Patrick Frazee was plotting to kill Kelsey Berreth, and helping him clean up the murder scene, apologized Tuesday in court.

Krystal Lee Kenney (credit: Colorado Springs Police)

"The most important thing I have to say is how sorry I am," Lee sobbed during the sentencing hearing, CBS News reported. "I am sorry I did not save Kelsey."

Lee, who was Frazee's on-and-off girlfriend, was a key witness in his trial. She claimed Frazee tried three times to get her to murder Berreth and eventually admitted to killing her himself.

Lee testified that Frazee beat Berreth with a baseball bat inside her Woodland Park condominium, on Thanksgiving Day 2018, while their daughter was in another room.

(credit: CBS)

Prosecutors say Lee helped them crack the case. Among other things, she showed them places in Berreth's condo where she cleaned blood from the scene. She also showed them where she said Frazee burned Berreth's body outside his home in Florissant.

Lee told investigators she grabbed several blood-spattered items from Berreth's home to be burned, including a stuffed animal, children's building blocks and what she thought was a Bible, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported. She also admitted taking Berreth's phone to Idaho at Frazee's request to make it look like Berreth had left the state.

Krystal Lee Kenney (credit: CBS)

Lee took a plea bargain in the case and was sentenced to three years in the Colorado Department of Corrections -- but it's not unusual for someone to serve only 25% of their sentence.

"We did a deal with the devil. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about that. And I'm not proud of that. But there's no question that Kelsey wouldn't have had the sure justice today without making that deal with the devil," District Attorney Dan May said of the plea bargain.

Without that deal, she could have faced a sentence of more than 100 years.

Frazee was convicted of first-degree murder, three counts of solicitation to commit first-degree murder and tampering with a deceased human body. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 156 years. His attorneys plan to appeal his conviction.