CRIPPLE CREEK, Colo. — Patrick Frazee, the man accused of killing his fiancee Kelsey Berreth, was charged with five felony counts on Monday morning by Teller County prosecutors.
Frazee, 32, was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder and three counts of solicitation to commit first-degree murder.
The solicitation chargers suggest to investigators that Frazee conspired with at least one other person to kill Berreth.
Frazee learned of the charges during a court appearance on Monday in Cripple Creek. He was not asked to enter a plea and did not speak at the hearing.
Prosecutors filed two murder charges because they have different theories. One is that he acted alone to kill Berreth, the other, he alone or with other people killed her during a robbery on November 22nd.
“Felony murder in this case is when you rob someone, and they die during the robbery that is also first degree murder,” 4th Judicial District Attorney, Dan May said.
Berreth was last seen shopping with her daughter at a Safeway store in Woodland Park on Thanksgiving.
Berreth’s body has not been found but police believe she is dead. Investigators have not said what led to Frazee’s arrest, only saying they believe the killing happened inside her home in Woodland Park northwest of Colorado Springs.
The cellphone of Berreth, a flight instructor, was tracked to Idaho three days after Thanksgiving.
A charging document says Frazee is accused of working to find someone to kill Berreth between September and November and causing her death on or about Thanksgiving.
Frazee has said the two met at that time to exchange their 1-year-old daughter.
No other details were provided and the document laying out the evidence against Frazee remains sealed.
“The reason why the affidavits are sealed at this point is because this is an ongoing criminal investigation,” Teller County Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Vemen said. “There are multiple leads that law enforcement needs to follow up on and it’s extensive.”
A consumptive testing hearing was scheduled for Friday and a preliminary hearing for Jan. 29.
At a hearing last week, a judge handed custody of the couple’s 1-year-old daughter Kaylee to Berreth’s parents.
Until his arrest on Dec. 21 on suspicion of murder and solicitation of murder, the girl had been staying with Frazee.