Missing Colorado Mom Update: Judge Orders No Cameras For Patrick Frazee’s Arraignment Hearing

On Friday, Patrick Freeze, the man accused of murdering missing Colorado mom Kelsey Berreth, is expected to enter his plea to the court. The arraignment hearing will not have media coverage despite being delayed, so Frazee’s defense team could have more time for evidence testing.

Judge Scott Sells ruled against cameras in the courtroom even though they were allowed at the previous arraignment date of April 5 and also on Dec. 31, 2018, when Frazee was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of solicitation to commit first-degree murder, one count of tampering with a deceased human body and two counts of a crime of violence, KOAA, an NBC affiliate in Southern Colorado, reported.

Judge Sells maintained his decision by saying, “I have determined that any expanded media coverage of the arraignment on May 24, 2019, would interfere with the rights of the parties to a fair trial and would create adverse effects greater than those caused by traditional media coverage. No expanded media coverage of any type will be permitted.”

The arraignment hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. MST on Friday. If Frazee pleads not guilty to the eight charges against him, his case will head to trial. The district attorney in the case, Dan May, previously said that his office will have nine weeks to decide whether or not to pursue the death penalty based on the plea that Frazee enters in the case, the news outlet reported.

Berreth was last seen on Thanksgiving Day. She is presumed dead as investigators have determined that Frazee allegedly beat Berreth with a baseball bat, burned her body, and disposed of her remains. Berreth’s remains were thought to be located in the Midway Landfill, but the search was called off after a month when no evidence was found.