Nov. 15--CRIPPLE CREEK -- Blood present in Kelsey Berreth's Woodland Park townhouse -- on a rest room, a child gate and beneath the lounge floorboards -- is sort of actually the lacking girl's, a DNA knowledgeable testified within the trial of the Florissant rancher accused of killing her.
The testimony Wednesday buttressed allegations that Berreth, 29, was bludgeoned to demise with a bat by her fiancee, Patrick Frazee, in her dwelling on Thanksgiving Day final yr, spattering blood throughout.
It got here as prosecutors moved right into a closing section of their case in opposition to Frazee, 33, sifting by way of DNA proof and unveiling a doable motive for Berreth's killing as they ready to relaxation their case by Friday.
Authorities imagine that after Frazee beat Berreth to demise he had his mistress clear up the blood earlier than they each burned the physique, which has not been discovered.
Additionally on Wednesday, investigators mentioned they might not hyperlink two tooth fragments discovered the place they imagine Berreth's physique was burned -- the one physique elements found to this point -- to Berreth.
Each fragments seem to have been taken from a burn space the place prosecutors say Frazee incinerated Berreth's physique within the driveway of his Florissant ranch.
On Wednesday, a DNA knowledgeable testified that the bigger of the tooth fragments was human and belonged to a feminine -- however investigators may attain no additional conclusions. The tooth was pulverized into mud throughout the check.
The bigger fragment gave the impression to be fractured by trauma -- presumably from a baseball bat, mentioned Diane France, a forensic anthropologist. However France agreed with considered one of Frazee's public defenders that the tooth may have been fractured by biting one thing arduous.
The outcomes got here as prosecutors sought to agency up testimony of their star witness, Krystal Lee, who described a scheme to assist Frazee cowl up Berreth's demise. In painstaking element over two days, Lee described burning Berreth's physique with Frazee after cleansing up her blood-spattered townhome.
Investigators mentioned they discovered no indicators of blood in Berreth's lounge throughout an preliminary search. However engaged on a tip from Lee, investigators pried up floorboards to find what gave the impression to be human blood.
The DNA investigator went by way of quite a few samples taken from Berreth's townhouse and located that most of the blood stains might be linked to her. The blood on the bathroom, for instance, is 108 septillion instances extra prone to be Berreth's than another person's. A septillion is a 1 adopted by 24 zeros.
Investigators additionally mentioned they discovered a mix of DNA in plenty of places -- together with the floorboards -- that belonged to the previous proprietor of Berreth's townhouse.
The previous proprietor testified Wednesday that she was vulnerable to bleeding, recalling an incident by which she had bled whereas transferring out in Might, six months earlier than Berreth's disappearance.
And in two instances, investigators discovered proof of Frazee's blood within the townhouse.
The revelations adopted testimony earlier Wednesday that Frazee additionally gave the impression to be the beneficiary of Berreth's life insurance coverage coverage -- offering a doable motive for Frazee within the alleged killing.
On Wednesday morning, Jennifer Barks, previously human sources director at Doss Aviation in Pueblo, the place Berreth labored as a flight teacher, mentioned that Doss was within the strategy of being taken over by new house owners across the time of Berreth's Nov. 22, 2018, disappearance.
Berreth went lacking earlier than she may full her advantages enrollment below the brand new house owners, Barks mentioned, however below her life insurance coverage by way of Doss, Frazee was the one beneficiary. She didn't disclose the potential payoff, or say if Frazee tried to gather.
The testimony got here as authorities sought to reply why Frazee would brutally homicide Berreth, with whom he had fathered a daughter. In keeping with testimony, Frazee had disparaged Berreth as a heavy drinker and unfit mom, though no proof of both declare has been offered.
One other longtime acquaintance of Frazee additionally described her "shock" at studying in October 2018 that he had a daughter.
Anissa Smith, additionally of Florissant, mentioned Frazee claimed he picked up the lady on the day she was born on the hospital and had full custody of her.
"He mentioned he would go weeks to months with out listening to from Berreth to test on the infant," Smith informed the jury.
A former co-worker of Berreth's, Robert Hill III, additionally a flight teacher, mentioned Berreth as soon as confided in him a couple of battle with Frazee, however by no means talked about critical discord with Frazee.
In reality, she mentioned their battle was over an actual property agent they'd used to attempt to discover a place collectively.
"I assumed that he was her husband," Hill mentioned.
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Gazette reporter Jakob Rodgers contributed to this report.
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