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Patrick Frazee Was Hours Late To Thanksgiving Dinner On Day Kelsey Berreth Disappeared, Brother Testifies

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - At least seven witnesses, including the suspect's brother, testified Tuesday during the third day of Kelsey Berreth's murder trial. The father of Berreth's child, Patrick Frazee, is on trial for first-degree murder, among other charges.

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Kelsey Berreth, left, and Patrick Frazee, right (credit: Woodland Park Police/Teller County)

Frazee's brother, Sean Frazee, testified that the defendant showed up two hours after the family ate Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 22, 2018 -- the last day Berreth was seen alive.

Sean, who said he has "not been close" with his brother, said dinner began at 3 p.m. at their mother's house but Patrick did not arrive until 5 p.m. Sean said that day was the first time he'd met his niece, Kaylee, who was about a year old at the time.

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(credit: Facebook/Missing Mother - Kelsey Berreth)

Security camera video shows Kelsey Berreth and Patrick Frazee on Thanksgiving

During testimony on Monday, we learned Berreth, Patrick Frazee and their daughter were seen on video entering Berrreth's home in Woodland Park at 1:24 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Three hours later, security cameras showed Patrick Frazee leaving with their daughter, but Berreth was never seen coming out. However, Chad Mininger, a DA investigators for El Paso County said there were issues with the system no always capturing and storing video.

A neighbor's surveillance camera captured 11 images of Patrick Frazee that day.

In court on Tuesday, there was testimony about the location of Patrick Frazee's truck and the position of the black box seen coming and going from Berreth's house on Thanksgiving. The box was facing different directions, indicating the box was moved.

Berreth, 29, was last seen in public at a Safeway store in Woodland Park earlier on Thanksgiving Day.

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Kelsey Berreth seen of surveillance video from Safeway the day she disappeared. (credit: CBS)

Berreth's body hasn't been found but authorities believe she is deceased. Prosecutors allege Patrick Frazee bludgeoned Berreth to death in her home and burned her body on his Florissant ranch.

In court on Tuesday, Sean Frazee testified that his brother told him Berreth's mother had reported her missing on Dec. 3.

"He explained to me that her grandmother was sick and that she may have been visiting her sick grandmother," Sean Frazee said. Sean also said he believed Patrick said Berreth had trouble with alcohol and had been in rehab.

A CBI investigator, Agent Gregg Slater testified that cadaver dogs were requested on Dec. 4 and detected human decomposition on the back bumper of Berreth's Toyota Corolla.

Frazee's finances

Agent Slater testified Tuesday that Patrick Frazee had agreed to pay $700/month to Berreth in child support, but his June or July payment was about $100 short and he hasn't sent any support payments after July.

Slater told the court Patrick Frazee was $72,000 in default on a loan that had matured on Dec. 1, 2018.

Berreth's cell phone

On Monday, one of Berreth's co-workers testified that the last few texts he got from Berreth didn't "sound" like her. He also testified it was not like her to just not show up for work.

After Berreth's disappearance, investigators say her cellphone pinged 800 miles from her home, near Gooding, Idaho. That's where investigators found Krytal Lee Kenney, who eventually admitted to destroying Berreth's phone, and also getting rid of Berreth's keys and a gun -- all to help Frazee cover his tracks.

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Patrick Frazee (credit: CBS)

Kenney, is expected to testify in the next couple of days. In exchange, Lee agreed to plead guilty to evidence tampering. She faces a maximum of three years in prison, but if her story falls apart, her deal is off the table.

Frazee was arrested on Dec. 21. He has entered a not guilty plea to charges of first-degree murder, solicitation to commit murder and tampering with a body. He faces life in prison if convicted.

 

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