COLORADO SPRINGS — A request made by Krystal Kenney to move to a halfway house has been rejected, according to the family of Kelsey Berreth.
Kenney, who was sentenced to three years in prison back in January, was under consideration at the end of March to be placed out of prison into a community corrections program or halfway house. She received the maximum sentence for tampering with evidence followed by one year of mandatory parole after the judge said what she did was "cold, calculating and cruel."
Scott Morin, Berreth's uncle, said the family is happy with the decision not to place Kenney in a halfway house, but they are aware she could be referred again in as soon as six months.
Morin says even though Kenney was sentenced to three years, she likely won’t serve all of it, but Berreth’s family wants her to serve as much as possible. So, he is thankful the request to be moved to a halfway house was rejected for now.
— Colette Bordelon (@ColetteBordelon) June 3, 2020
Kenney, the only person prosecutors needed to piece Berreth's murder together, made a plea deal to put Patrick Frazee behind bars for the murder of Berreth. He was sentenced to the maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 156 years, plus five years with parole for solicitation.
At the time this move was being considered, the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office described two months of her sentence in the Department of Corrections as "outrageously, dishearteningly distorted" when it comes to Colorado's sentencing.
"When Judge Scott Sells handed down a three year prison sentence he said what she did was 'cold, calculating and cruel' and that if he sentenced her to probation it would minimize the depravity of her actions. We believe that sending her to a halfway house would do just that," a letter penned by District Attorney Dan May and Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Viehman stated.
At this time, Morin said Kenney is scheduled for a parole hearing in February 2021 with her mandatory release date set for Nov. 4, 2022.
