Colorado man Patrick Frazee was arrested Friday in the alleged murder of his fiancée Kelsey Berreth. This comes almost a month after the victim’s disappearance. 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May said in a press conference on Friday the defendant was also charged with solicitation for first-degree murder, but authorities clarified that there remains only one arrest.
Investigators continue searching for Berreth, said Woodland Police Department Chief Miles De Young. He added that they do not believe she is alive. The chief declined to comment on the specifics of the solicitation charge, but May later clarified that under the statute, someone must take a step to display the “firmness” of what they planned to do. This would be more than just a discussion, he said.
The affidavit remains under seal because the investigation remains ongoing, May said. Formal charges against Frazee are to be filed within 10 days. Authorities said they were able to get an arrest warrant Thursday night.
As usual in these types of press conferences, investigators released few hard details, and none connecting Frazee to Berreth’s alleged murder. They said the victim’s phone was found in Idaho, however.
An FBI evidence team has just arrived at Patrick Frazee’s property. He is now under arrest for the murder of his fiancée #KelseyBerreth. Investigators will update us later this morning. @abc @GMA pic.twitter.com/6VlHvdVDzb
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) December 21, 2018
Berreth went missing over Thanksgiving. Frazee told cops he last saw her on November 22 when he picked up their 1-year-old daughter, according to CNN. Her employer received a text from her phone on November 25, saying she couldn’t come into work for the week, police said. She was finally reported missing by her mother on December 2. Police described the disappearance as completely out of character.
Investigators never named Frazee a suspect through the month, but they definitely had their eye on him. They executed a search warrant on his home Friday and Monday.
At the time, his attorney said he was never asked to “voluntarily participate” in the search, and that his client would continue to decline participating in interviews with the media.
Frazee made good on that promise on Thursday. He was caught out and about by ABC’s Clayton Sandell, but he shut a gate and said nothing.
We caught up with Patrick Frazee today to ask if he had anything to say about his fiancée #KelseyBerreth, missing since Thanksgiving. He wasn’t interested in speaking. Police say they want to sit down with him. @ABC @ABCWorldNews pic.twitter.com/xIwEJDcaSp
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) December 20, 2018
Note: This article was updated to reflect the press conference.
[Mugshot via Teller County Sheriff’s Department]
