Patrick Frazee guilty of murdering Kelsey Berreth, sentenced to life

CRIPPLE CREEK, Colo. (KDVR) -- A jury found Patrick Frazee guilty of first-degree murder for killing his 29-year-old fiancée Kelsey Berreth on Thanksgiving in 2018.

The jury returned a verdict Monday afternoon, hours after deliberations began in Teller County District Court.

Berreth went missing on November 22, 2018, and her body still hasn't been found. Frazee, 33, was was on trial for beating Berreth to death with a baseball bat while their child was nearby.

Frazee was found guilty on a total of six counts: two counts of first-degree murder, one count of tampering with a body, and three counts of solicitation to commit murder.

Frazee received the maximum sentence: life without the possibility of parole, plus 156 years in prison. Sentencing occurred shortly after the verdict Monday afternoon. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty against Frazee.

Testimony wrapped up Friday with a jail inmate alleging that Frazee tried to get him to kill witnesses in the case. While they were housed near each other in jail, Jacob Bentley said Frazee asked him to kill Lee.

Bentley also testified that Frazee wanted him to kill lead investigator Gregg Slater, Lee's relatives and others. Slater said notes provided by Bentley appeared to be in Frazee's handwriting.