Missing Colorado Mom Update: Maternal Grandparents Granted Physical Custody Of 1-Year-Old
A judge has granted physical custody of the baby of missing Colorado woman to her maternal grandparents, amid the arrest of her fiancé Patrick Frazee. Kelsey Berreth, who is now presumed dead, was last seen with her daughter on Thanksgiving Day in Woodland Park, Colorado.
On Thursday, Kelsey’s mother was given temporary custody of 1-year-old Kaylee while the legal custody remains with the Teller County Department of Human Services, according to the Denver channel. Frazee was present at the custody hearing, in Teller County before he was taken to jail where he was being held after being charged with first-degree murder and solicitation to commit first-degree murder. Police said, with the trial pending, Frazee is yet to confess whether he committed the murder or not.
Kaylee was staying with her father Frazee before his arrest. After Frazee’s arrest, the kid was sent into the custody of Child Protective Services, the Denver Post reported.
Before going missing, Kelsey texted her employer on Nov. 25 stating she would not be coming to work the following week following which she went missing. Her parents launched a search campaign on Facebook in a hope to get their daughter back. The page called "Missing Mother - Kelsey Berreth” is being followed by thousands of people who are trying to help them find a clue about the whereabouts of the 29-year-old.
Kelsey’s parents have been in acute grief and "absolutely devastated" after learning that their daughter might have been killed. Her cousin Jodi Garretson told Inside Edition: "I can't even fully comprehend how horrible they have to be feeling. That's their only daughter.”
Initially, Woodland Park Police Chief Miles DeYoung said the department was treating the disappearance of Kelsey as a missing case. But after the arrest of Frazee, investigators were of view that Kelsey was no longer alive.
“Sadly, we do not believe Kelsey is still alive," DeYoung said at a press conference on Dec. 21.
Frazee’s next court appearance in the first-degree murder charge is due on Dec. 31 and the next hearing related to the custody of baby Kaylee is set for Jan.3, 2019, repoted KKTV.
Frazee was arrested and charged last week after investigators searched his 35-acre property. It is unclear, whether any cluses to the dissapearance of Kelsey was found on the property.
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