Judge sentences Krystal Kenney to 3 years in prison
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At a news conference that followed, 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May described how emotional he was about the case and the judge's decision.
"This is probably the most emotional case I have ever been involved in. Today certainly was no different," he said. "I have to say, as I am standing here in front of you now, I'm still feeling some of the emotions. This is just a horrible tragedy. It never had to happen. Such a nice person (Berreth) and such a nice family. It's one of the toughest cases I've ever dealt with."
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Kenney will have to pay felony court costs, restitution and any surcharges should the court order her to do so as part of her
plea agreement, which was unsealed Tuesday after the sentencing hearing. ...
Also included in the plea deal she signed was the following stipulation: “I agree that my plea will be final. Only the judge will have the power to reject this agreement later. Once I plead guilty in court, I will not be allowed change my mind."
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Kenney was also in the video, describing how she loved her career as a nurse and helping people. She said she knows the pain she has gone through since the crime is nothing compared to what Berreth or her family went through. She said she sees things all the time that remind her of the young Woodland Park mother.
“My punishment comes every day,” she said in the video.
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After the video, three women came up to speak on Kenney’s behalf.
Suzanne Wilson of Hansen, Idaho said she’s known Kenney for many years and frequently asked for her help teaching kids how to ride horses and rodeo. ...
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A friend and counselor of Kenney’s walked up in front of court next and said that she has been working with Kenney in a clinical therapy setting, with Kenney as her patient. She said Kenney shows signs of anxiety, PTSD and depression, and is now fearful, hesitant and isolated. Kenney cries over Berreth and her family every night.
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Sheana Bingham, who was featured in the earlier video, was also in court and described Kenney as an amazing parent, dedicated nurse and leader in her work environment.
She said Kenney has paid the price for her actions over and over again.
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Then, on Dec. 22, 2018, which was the same day as Doss Aviation’s holiday party, Frazee was arrested and the Woodland Park Police Department held a press conference. Paulhamus said the staff watched it online in Berreth’s office space.
The hope they had carried for weeks was gone when the police chief said he no longer believed Berreth was alive.
“Our sister was dead. It was crushing,” Paulhamus said.
He told Judge Sells that he wants justice for Berreth, who is the real victim in this case.
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Just prior to the sentencing, DA Dan May stood in front of Judge Sells and said the state acknowledged that Kenney testified truthfully in the Frazee trial, that she is remorseful for her actions and inactions, and that her friends and family all had positive things to say about her.
But they weren’t in court to sentence her based on the way she grew up or her background, May said.
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Sells leaned forward in his chair and, in an abbreviated way, listed out Kenney’s involvement in the case...
“You made an ongoing multi-day effort to tamper with evidence that spanned hours and hours and hundreds of miles,” he said.
Saying she was sorry wasn’t enough, he said, and she deserved the maximum sentence.
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Woodland Park Police Chief Miles De Young agreed that the three-year sentence was “inadequate” but was pleased that Judge Sells handed down the maximum sentence.
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He said police are no longer searching for Berreth's remains, though they still hope to find them.
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The case has taken a toll on him and all involved, he said to end the news conference, visibly holding back tears.
“I’ve gotten enough emotions as I think I can take today. It was tough on those jurors too, I know that. It was a highly-charged, emotional case for anybody in the courtroom,” May said, adding that he didn’t believe anyone understood the depravity of the murder until experts testified at Frazee’s trial.
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He could face additional charges in connection to the letters he had written in prison to another inmate, asking him to kill a list of people connected to his case. That was turned over to the 18th Judicial District.
"We got a special prosecutor because I’m one of the named people in there," May said. "So, we felt that, obviously there would be a conflict of interest if my office reviewed whether charges should be filed."
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