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- [00:02]
Vanessa
Hi, listeners, it's Vanessa. Before we get into today's episode, I want to tell you about another show I think you'll love. Hidden history with Dr. Harini Bhat. Every Monday, Dr. Bhat goes where history gets mysterious. Vanished civilizations, doomsday prophecies, paranormal phenomena, and events that science still can't fully explain. Dr. Bot treats these moments like open case files. Not myths, not superstition, just incomplete explanations waiting for a closer look. Hidden History drops every Monday. Follow now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, so you never miss a mystery.
- [00:52]
Crime House Announcer
This is crime house.
- [00:59]
Sarah Turney
You're standing at a campsite in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in southern Colorado. Shadow. The area is walled in by trees, except for the dirt path that leads up to it. At the center of the campsite is a circle of large rocks enclosing a fire pit. Once a month, after the sun goes down and the full moon rises, people climb the rocky terrain through a dense forest to get to this exact spot. They light a bonfire in the pit and sit in a circle. They play drums, maracas, tambourines, while others stand around listening and dancing.
- [01:31]
Courtney Nicole
This ceremony is known as the Full Moon Drum Circle. It's a take on Native American tradition. This music is said to echo the heartbeat of Mother Earth. But this adaptation includes heavy drugs and alcohol. In fact, it doubles as a wild party that goes on all night long. But since 2016, it's become known for something else. The ceremony was said to be the last place Crystal Ann Reisinger was ever seen alive. That is, if you can trust the people who started that rumor. Every year, over half a million people go missing. And that's just in the United States alone. Most of those stories barely get a headline. Some don't even get a flyer or a tip line. And when cases do get media attention, we usually only get the broad strokes.
- [02:24]
Sarah Turney
But for those of us who have lived these true crime cases, we know the devil's in the details. This is the final hours. A Crime House original Powered by Pave Studios. I'm Sarah Turney.
- [02:34]
Courtney Nicole
And I'm Courtney. Nicole. Every Monday, Sarah and I will be looking at the final hours of someone's disappearance. The small, seemingly mundane moments to see if there was anything hiding in plain sight.
- [02:46]
Sarah Turney
Looking back at those last conversations, connections and choices, is critical, and it could be the key to unlocking it all. Each episode, I'll offer insight on what those close to the victim might have been going through. And Courtney will use her expertise to give more context into the crime scene. The red Flags and the investigation itself. And we want to thank you for being a part of the Crime House community. Please rate, review and follow the show and for ad free access to every episode. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple
- [03:14]
Courtney Nicole
Podcast this time we're discussing the disappearance of 29 year old Crystal Ann Reisinger. In July 2016. Crystal was trying to get her life on track and create a stable home for her daughter. But after she became the victim of sexual assault, Crystal likely went to confront her attackers and she was never heard from again.
- [03:36]
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- [04:11]
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- [04:41]
Courtney Nicole
Crystal Anne Risinger spent her whole life searching for a community. When her family couldn't care for her, she found surrogate parents. When she struggled in the big city, she moved out to a small town. Then, just when she thought she'd found her place in the world, she vanished from it entirely. But is Crystal really gone or did she find a new life? Maybe somewhere off the grid? Well, before we explore where Crystal may have ended up, let's talk about her journey there.
- [05:06]
Sarah Turney
When people describe 29 year old crystal Ann Risinger, they always mention her piercing blue eyes and wild, infectious laughter. She's curious, compassionate, intense, energetic and cool. Her bleach, blonde, dreadlocked hair, tattoos, face piercings and bohemian fashion stand out in a crowd. She's spiritual, connected to the earth, and supposedly clairvoyant. Crystal was born on November 18, 1987 in Phoenix, Arizona. Her mom was still a teenager when she had her and they shared a bedroom in the family home together with her aunt Jennifer. Her mom was schizophrenic, which often made it difficult for her to parent effectively. But Crystal's grandmother took care of her, especially while her mom was in treatment. Other times she would stay with her aunt Jennifer in whatever state she lived in at the California, Florida, Colorado. Then after Crystal's grandma died, the state sent her to Denver, Colorado to live with her sister Jennifer full time. But when they had a falling out, Crystal no longer felt she had a stable place to stay. Then along came the Irvin family.
- [06:08]
Courtney Nicole
Yeah, so this period is a bit murky and full of ups and downs, but around this time, 15 year old Crystal met a boy. His name has been kept private, but we know he and Crystal became good friends and dated for a while. And her boyfriend's parents, whose names we do know, Rodney and Debbie Irvin, took a liking to Crystal, which was why they offered to take her in after they learned about her situation. They gave her a room in their newly finished basement, got Crystal to school, bought her clothes and fed her. She even became a best friend and sister figure to their biological daughter Amy. But at some point, tragedy struck. Rodney and Debbie lost their son to suicide, which in a heartbreaking way, brought them even closer to Crystal. For those of you listening, if you're ever struggling with thoughts of suicide or have lost someone by suicide, you can call or text 988. They offer amazing resources to help get you through this time in your life.
- [07:03]
Sarah Turney
Sooner or later though, Crystal had to move on. After she graduated high school, she took classes on and off at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, 200 miles southwest of Denver. Crystal got straight A's. She liked to party, but she didn't get in trouble either. Crystal was living the life most college kids do. Eventually, she did move back to Denver, though. She was there in October 2011 when a mutual friend introduced her to a guy named Elijah Ghana. Sparks flew and they fell in love instantly. They moved in together and Crystal got pregnant in 2013. She gave birth to a daughter at the age of 26. After that, Crystal's friends noticed a glow about her. She ate vegan and hardly drank. She rarely went out. Her main focus was being a mom. Rodney and Debbie took on the role of the baby's grandparents. And while things didn't work out between Crystal and Eli, they happily co parented. By 2014, Crystal was back in school, studying psychology and sociology again at Western Colorado University. She also taught independent study courses on tarot and spirituality. Crystal was Looking for religious enlightenment, studying Hinduism and Buddhism. She was focused on awareness and living a peaceful life. Her motto was do no harm. And she felt like living in a big city wasn't in line with that ethos. She believed they were toxic and wanted to get in touch with the earth and her spirituality. So during a break from school, Crystal decided to take a trip about two hours away from campus to check out Crestone, Colorado.
- [08:34]
Courtney Nicole
Yeah, so let me give you a little bit of context on this place. It's located at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near the Great Sand Dunes, so visitors flood the area in the summer to enjoy the outdoors. But typically, it's a tiny town of only 132 people. At 0.2 square miles, it's about three blocks by three blocks. There's not much more than an organic grocery store, coffee shop, ice cream parlor, gas station, and a brewery that serves food. Among its residents, you'll find a few kinds of people off the gridders and spirituality seekers. There's also a select group of trust fund kids who have some bad habits on their parents dime. Because while Crestone is small, it has a big drug culture. But Crystal was attracted to it for other reasons, Mainly because of Crestone's reputation as the new age religious capital of the world. It all started in 1977, when a Canadian power company tycoon and UN diplomat named Maurice Strong bought a 200,000 acre plot of land next to Crestone. While his wife Hana was visiting, a local mystic named Glenn Anderson showed up at her front door. He told her that he'd predicted a foreigner would come and build an international religious center, and he believed Hana was that person. The Strongs were planning to build a retirement community on that land, but Hana ran with the new direction instead. She and Marie set up the Manitou foundation to grant land and money to religious groups who wanted to establish centers in the area. There are now over two dozen spiritual centers in and around the Crestone area and several thousand truth seekers, People dedicated to discovering the deeper depths of reality. But long before the Strongs arrived, the Navajo Nation had considered the area around Crestone to be sacred ground.
- [10:14]
Sarah Turney
And that's what really drew Crystal in. She was fascinated with indigenous American traditions, and their beliefs about land were significant to her. Crystal seemed to find her place in Crestone. She briefly went back to Gunnison for classes, but she came back shortly after, Rented an apartment, got a job at a local brewery, and started singing with the band. Her daughter usually stayed in Denver with Eli, where Crystal would visit but sometimes Crystal took her daughter down to Crestone with her. Crystal was trying to settle in and lay down roots so she could have her daughter join her full time. And when they weren't together, Crystal spoke to her and Eli on the phone nearly every day. However, the move created a lot of other changes in Krystal's life that it seems she wasn't expecting.
- [10:58]
Courtney Nicole
Unfortunately, Krystal was hoping to go down to Crestone to sort of cleanse and ground herself. Instead, she kind of gets caught up in the heavy party scene there. By 2016, Krystal's experimenting with drugs, harder substances than ever before. Part of the reason why is because it overlaps with the spirituality seen there. In June, she moves into a studio apartment in the center of town by herself. But shortly after getting the apartment, she loses her job at the brewery. She has to rely on government assistance. And the situation just keeps escalating.
- [11:30]
Sarah Turney
A week or two later, several tenants complain to Crystal's friend and landlord, Ara MacDonald. They say sketchy people have been coming and going from her unit, making noise at all hours. Then, in mid June, there's a shift. Crystal puts her partying on hold because she claims she had a premonition, a feeling in her gut that something very bad is going to happen to her and Eli and it's going to happen soon. So she calls him to let him know.
- [11:54]
Courtney Nicole
And she turns out to be right. Two days later, Eli is walking home when suddenly, everything goes black. He wakes up in a hospital with almost every bone in his face broken, including his eye sockets. As he recovers, he learns what happened. A mugger stabbed him in the face and beat him nearly to death. So Crystal goes back to Denver to take care of Eli. But she only stays for a few days. On Wednesday, June 22, Chrystal texts Debbie Irvin to say she's back in Crestone. But the trouble Crystal predicted isn't over yet.
- [12:31]
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- [13:31]
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- [14:05]
Sarah Turney
It's Saturday, June 25, 2016. Crystal has a friend drop her off at a party. It's a guy named Catfish John's house. There's drugs everywhere. Someone gives Crystal a drug she wasn't expecting. She becomes hazy and disoriented. Later, she wakes up with the feeling that she's been sexually assaulted by multiple people. While still in this dazed out state, Crystal tries to leave, but Catfish won't let her. He takes her phone apart and holds her captive for three days. On the morning of June 28, Crystal pretends to fall asleep and waits for Catfish, who's been up all night, to do the same. At 10am he finally passes out. She tiptoes around, putting the pieces of her phone back together. Terrified, she calls a new boyfriend she's been seeing in Crestone, a guy named Nate Peliquin. He comes to pick her up. When Crystal gets in the car, she tells Nate what happened. She's understandably shaken and asks him if he'll stay at her place for a while. That same day, Crystal gets a very disturbing comment on her Facebook page. It's a single heart emoji from Catfish John. Nothing else.
- [15:10]
Courtney Nicole
That had to be really, really, I guess just re traumatizing to open up her Facebook and see that he commented a heart emoji.
- [15:18]
Sarah Turney
To her, yeah, it's just further torment, right? We know that part of this abuse is also psycholog and like how bold of him to put it so out in the open, right? Of course to like the unsuspecting viewer of the Facebook page, nobody would know. But to her, right? And the people around them, it's clearly taunting.
- [15:34]
Courtney Nicole
He's definitely taunting her.
- [15:36]
Sarah Turney
I just want to say that if there's anybody out there struggling with something similar, there is help and there's no shame in asking for help.
- [15:44]
Courtney Nicole
Crystal does tell someone other than Nate and what she went through. Soon after she gets home, her landlord, Ara, knocks on her door. Crystal owes a small portion of her rent, $50, and it's late. Ara has to knock several times until finally Crystal cracks open the door. Her face is stained with tears and she's distraught. Ara asks what's going on, and Crystal tells her that she doesn't really want to talk about it. Eventually, though, Aura gets it out of her. Crystal says she went to a party and is pretty sure that she was drugged and assaulted. This isn't the first time a local woman has confided in Ara about something like this. Even though Crystal doesn't say their names, Ara suspects they're the same men she's heard about before. Aura tells Crystal to call the police, and Crystal says that she will consider it, but she never does. There's nothing more frustrating to me than when you have small communities like this and you have these known predators within that community that just keep reoffending, yet nothing ever happens to them. Like they're never held responsible for their actions.
- [16:42]
Sarah Turney
Yeah, I mean, I fully believe that if the entire community knows that these men are doing this, that the police do as well.
- [16:48]
Courtney Nicole
Oh, for sure. Yeah. There's no right or wrong way to go about these. These types of, like, really heavy and serious situations. But in my personal opinion, I feel like everybody should know who this Catfish John guy is, because I feel like if he did that to Crystal, he's likely done it to somebody before, he's likely done it again, possibly. And if he's gone so far as to hold her captive for three days, it's just only going to escalate. That's just. That's horrible.
- [17:12]
Sarah Turney
Yeah, I mean, it's absolutely terrifying. Well, thankfully, Crystal has Nate for support. He stays with her. And on Tuesday, July 12, around 6am he approaches her for a delicate conversation. He's worried about her because she isn't sleeping. And this blows up into a heated argument. Crystal asks him to leave the apartment, and he does, but not before Crystal tells him she's going to walk to the mountains and die. At this point, Nate doesn't know if this is the end of the road for him and Crystal. For now, he just gives her the space he thinks she needs. But later that day, Crystal doesn't head off for the mountains. Instead, she does something that says she's trying to put the pieces of her life back together. She goes to the grocery store. She buys all her favorite health food Items restocks her fridge with veggie burgers, almond milk, and organic vegetables. She even puts a brand new shampoo and conditioner in the shower. She starts opening up to others about what she went through. In the next day or two, Crystal calls Eli back in Denver to break the disturbing news to him. Crystal tells Eli she can positively identify two of the Catfish John and someone else called Dready Brian. She knows for sure there were at least three men on top of that, but she can't say for sure who they were because of the drugs they gave her. Two days after that grocery trip on July 14, Crystal or someone posing as her, posts on Facebook. It's one of those quiz things where you can share the results with your friends. Crystal's the kind of person who posts every day, so this would be normal for her.
- [18:41]
Courtney Nicole
Sure, until she suddenly stops posting. Over the next several days, Ara Krystal's landlord gets nervous. She realizes that she hasn't seen or heard from Crystal in a while, so she goes to check on her. Ara knocks on Crystal's apartment door sometime around late July, and when nobody answers, Ara lets herself inside. Crystal isn't there, but her cell phone is and the battery's dead. Ara grabs a phone charger from Crystal's friend and next door neighbor. Together, they listen to some of her voicemails. The last person to call Crystal was Catfish John, and when Ara starts asking Crystal's friends where she might be, they all say Catfish Johns. She's been talking about confronting him.
- [19:21]
Sarah Turney
Knowing that Crystal might be in some serious danger. Ara reports her missing.
- [19:25]
Courtney Nicole
It's July 30th when the report is filed. We think we should note a big problem with this case has always been the lack of a firm timeline. The case wasn't well documented by police, so some of the dates are estimates people made later on. The excuse the Saguache County Sheriff's Department gives for this is that they're undermanned, underfunded and overworked. They only have about six officers who serve the whole county. Even with the Colorado Bureau of Investigations held, they don't seem to make much of a dent in the case. Even after the police report is made. Saguache County Sheriff Dan Warwick thinks there's a likely explanation. Crystal must have left town of her own accord. It wouldn't be her first time going off the grid. She once went for a two week walkabout without telling anyone. Because of this, he doesn't believe they have grounds to search her apartment. But her ex Eli and her father figure Rodney aren't so sure, so they drive down to Crestone to search for her. They put up missing person flyers and ask locals if they have any information. When Sheriff Dan notices Eli and Rodney looking into Crystal's disappearance, he starts taking it a bit more seriously. And on August 2, 2016, the Sheriff's Department finally searches her apartment. Everything is still inside her cell phone, computer, clothes, shoes and medication, and her tobacco, which she takes everywhere with her. She has a fully stocked fridge and brand new toiletries in the bathroom. They pull the record from her EBT card and see that Crystal went grocery shopping on July 12, the day she broke up with Nate. The day before she last spoke with to anyone. There's no sign that she was planning on packing up and leaving. The small studio apartment is a little disorganized, but that was normal for Crystal. There's some clothes scattered on the floor, but no sign of a struggle and no sign of her partying too hard, at least at home. No drugs or alcohol bottles. The window is open and the fan is on in the window. Some of the lights are on too. It looks like she only planned on stepping out for a little bit, only she never came back. Now the Sheriff's department is starting to suspect foul play. They try to pinpoint an exact time and location Crystal was last seen. And that's how we get to that full moon drum circle.
- [21:36]
Sarah Turney
We mentioned it at the top of the episode, but here's the recap. Once a month on the full moon, people from Crestone and the surrounding areas gather at a campground at the edge of town. They start a bonfire and host a ceremony adapted from the indigenous American tradition of drum groups that echo the heartbeat of Mother Earth. But this circle doubles as a wild party. People sing, dance, drink, and do drugs. It's an all night celebration. One of these events took place on Monday, July 18, 2016, several days after Crystal posted those quiz results on Facebook. And a few people say they saw Crystal there, though there are some competing sources that say the drum circle she attended took place on July 13. Whenever it happened, one witness notes she didn't seem like her usual happy self. She appeared distracted and troubled. Another says she seemed happy until a group he disdainfully calls the drinkers arrived. But if Crystal was there and she came or left alone, she would have hiked through the intense wilderness, likely in the dark. So does that mean Crystal simply could have gotten lost? The Sheriff's department thinks it's a possibility because they do send search and rescue teams out to the area where the drum circle's Held for two days, they search on foot, take out tracking dogs, and send up helicopters. But this wilderness is dense and vast. Even a skilled search party could miss someone.
- [22:56]
Courtney Nicole
That's very true. But there's a few issues with the sightings at the Drum Circle. For starters, people disagree on whether or not she was actually there that night. There were probably about 50 people at any given time. One of her close friends who was there said that he didn't see her. And none of the people who did claim to see Crystal were all that close with her. Plus, Nate was also there and actively looking for her, figuring she might go. But no one, he asked that night had seen her. Which is why some people think that the Drum circle sighting was a rumor meant to muddy the investigation. I feel like it's really hard when you have these small communities and then you have these certain groups in these small communities who are kind of known to not have the best reputation. And they're kind of the ones saying they last saw Crystal here at the said drum circle. You want believe them, but at the same time, like, you just don't have much to go off of. Half the people are saying, yes, Crystal was here. The other half are saying, no, I didn't see her. So I just don't know what to believe at this point.
- [23:53]
Sarah Turney
I mean, it's definitely hard, I think, for us to know what to believe. But I will say that even if one person says that they think they saw Crystal, I think the police did the right thing in investigating. I don't think it's totally up to them to discern. You know, this whole group is not credible. We're not going to look into it. So I'm glad that they at least explored the possibility.
- [24:11]
Courtney Nicole
Oh, for sure. Especially, like, given this location. It's super dense forest, Time is of the essence. So if she was there. Yeah, they definitely need to look into that sooner rather than later.
- [24:20]
Sarah Turney
Yeah. Or if it's something that they even think she might attend. Right. That journey through the wilderness, as we said, you know, is something to explore. I think it's worth looking into. So good on this sheriff's department for at least this. Well, her ex, Eli, knows Crystal well, and he thinks she decided to confront her attackers and that's when she went missing. Not at the Drum circle. He believes Crystal was murdered by the men who assaulted her. And most of the locals, he talks to believe this, too, Especially considering who they were. But people have different theories about what happened to her body. One common speculation is that they put her into one of the area's many mineshafts. Locals say if anyone goes missing to check the mines. So the Sheriff's department does exactly that. They check over 60 mines for Crystal's body, but they don't find any new evidence. The Sheriff's Department believes silencing Crystal is a possible motive. But like the Drum Circle, the wilderness around Crestone is expansive and remote. Without a specific clue, it would be nearly impossible to find her.
- [25:25]
Courtney Nicole
Exactly. And the people suspected of having that clue are her two supposed assailants, Dready Bryant and Catfish John. Most public information about what happened to Crystal is pieced together from Payne Lindsay's original interviews. In 2018, he took the second season of his podcast up and Vanished on the Road to help move her case along. And Payne discovered something interesting. Crystal first went to Crestone with one of the men who assaulted her, a man she once considered a friend. Dreddy Bryan.
- [25:53]
Sarah Turney
His real name was Brian Otten. He and Crystal met back in Gunnison, where she was teaching at Western Colorado University. They were close enough that he even stayed with her for a while and watched her daughter from time to time. In the winter of 2014, Crystal went with Brian to check out Crestone. Then Dreadi Brian started to cause her trouble. About two years before Crystal disappeared, she let Dreadi Bryan borrow her car. He drove it out to a nearby patch of desert and totaled it. Crystal took him to small claims court for it, but he never paid her back. Crystal and Dreadi Bryan had a falling out after that, although she couldn't cut him completely out of her life with how small Crestone was, particularly after she moved there permanently the following year. Which meant that they were still in each other's lives to a degree enough that Dreadi Brian was the one who introduced Crystal to Catfish John. 38 year old catfish John Kennan was born and raised in North Carolina, but he's the son of a very wealthy family that's lived in Crestone for decades. They even owned a few spiritual centers in the area. But he has a terrible reputation for being a grifter, right?
- [26:59]
Courtney Nicole
So when a deputy hears that Crystal was spotted with him shortly before she was last seen, he makes it a point to check it out. On Wednesday, August 10, 2016, almost a month after Crystal went missing, the deputy visits his home. Catfish says that he had a traumatic brain injury, so he hasn't left his house in months. But he admits he saw Crystal around his birthday. He just doesn't remember the exact day or time, just that it was still night out when she came over. They smoked weed, drank wine and watched some movies. He fell asleep and woke up as Crystal was leaving. He didn't know what time it was when she left, just that she took a ten dollar book he bought about computers. Catfish allows the deputy to search his property and he tries to distance himself from the situation by saying he didn't know her very well. But something he said really stands out. That birthday comment. Catfish's birthday is July 21. Most other people said that they last saw or heard from Crystal around July 13, but the cops don't seem to press that issue.
- [27:58]
Sarah Turney
That's sort of where things stand for a while at least. But two years later, in 2018, someone shares a disturbing Facebook message with Payne Lindsay. An anonymous Crestone local had sent a strange eyewitness account to the Saguache county deputy Wayne Clark. Payne gets in touch with the local who retells the following story in greater detail. Back in 2016, around 8:30pm One night after Crystal's disappearance, this guy picked up his roommate from work at the Crestone Brewing Company. This is the same brewery that Crystal had previously worked at. They headed from town back to their house, but when they got there, they saw two people in the front of their neighbor's house standing in the pouring rain. One was holding a lantern outside of a gold or dark silver Minivan from the 80s or 90s. There was a shovel leaning up against it. The back door was open. Next to it, another person stood over a suspicious human sized bundle. It was lying on the ground, wrapped in bed sheets and duct taped. And that neighbor was Catfish John. The roommates followed the van as it took off, but it was flying downhill at about 90 miles per hour in the rain. Then it disappeared into the San Luis Valley, which sprawls about 30 miles outside of Crestone. The next day, Catfish hired a couple to remove everything from his house, from the furniture to the carpets. It took about a week. People said Catfish never cleaned his house, but after Crystal disappeared, the place was spotless. Then another anonymous source shares a verified message with Payne. This one was between the source and Catfish. John, the person asked Catfish what he thought happened to Crystal and he said in a cagey way that he'd do anything to help Dready Brian. The person was asked what he meant by that and Catfish responded saying, dreadi Bryan was the one who killed Crystal.
- [29:55]
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- [30:22]
David Ridgeon
Jacqueline Furlan Smith, a 40 year old former Canadian military trainer, moves to Costa Rica to follow her dreams, but in the summer of 2021 vanishes without a trace.
- [30:34]
Courtney Nicole
How can a woman just go missing and us put out all that effort to find her and she's still missing?
- [30:41]
David Ridgeon
I'm David Ridgeon and this is Someone knows something, Season 10 the Jacqueline Furlan Smith Case, available now on CBC, listen and wherever you get your podcasts.
- [30:55]
Sarah Turney
It's 2019, three years since Crystal disappeared. Catfish has gutted his house and removed everything, including the windows. He's bleached the whole place and gotten rid of all of his computers. He's also skipped town, but he talks to Payne about Crystal on the phone. In fact, they have several conversations over the span of a few months. At first, Catfish tells Payne that Crystal is a rainbow sister. By that he means she's joined a nomadic community that lives completely off grid. This theory has come up before, but few people put stock in it. Then Catfish admits that Brian told him he killed Crystal, but he doesn't want to interfere with the investigation by giving more information. Apparently this confession was made over Facebook messenger, but Catfish says he can't show pain because the Colorado Bureau of Investigation won't let him. So Payne calls the CBI and gets their permission, but Catfish still won't share the message and clear his name. Catfish also denies the story about him in the van and that Crystal was ever sexually assaulted at his house.
- [31:57]
Courtney Nicole
Kane later gets in touch with a close friend of Dready Brian and Catfish named Sean. He also likes to talk and he has a lot to say. Sean used to live with Catfish and said he heard him say things like he, quote, didn't think they'd kill her, end quote, and that Brian should have admitted it. Sean also says that Crystal was assaulted by three men the night she was drugged. John Keenan, Brian Otten, and Brendan Pulver, and they might have killed her. Then Sean shares a theory about what happened to Crystal's body. He thinks she was incinerated. Brendan Pulver supposedly has a kiln in his mom's basement. Shawn thinks after moving the body around, they burned it there. By the way, Sheriff Warwick tested the kiln for human remains in 2019 and it was negative. But his stories change over and over again. From Crystal being buried on a property on the desert to her getting thrown off a balcony. It's endless. And without evidence, firsthand witnesses, or confessions, they're nothing more than stories.
- [32:58]
Sarah Turney
I feel like this is so hard. It goes back to like, do we think the claims are credible? Probably not. But should they be investigated? 100%?
- [33:07]
Courtney Nicole
Exactly. I mean, I feel like we've seen this time and time again. So many people confess falsely just for the sake of attention or inserting themselves in the case. I mean, especially, it sounds like with these, with these two people specifically, it sounds like they kind of already know that they're being looked at. So why not say what they. What they want to say? But you're right. At the end of the day, I feel like it doesn't really matter if it ends up being false or not. The police should definitely still track it down and still investigate. It's the least they can do.
- [33:34]
Sarah Turney
Again, it's like we could speculate all day, but I'm just glad that they investigated it, especially that kiln, because that was the first thing I looked up. Right. I was, can a kiln be used for these purposes? And apparently it can.
- [33:45]
Courtney Nicole
It just goes to show that these stories that they're saying, they might not hold any weight because obviously one of his theories was that she was burned there. You know, obviously there were no human remains, so they might hold any weight, but there's no harm in following up and doing what they can to see what's true or not.
- [34:00]
Sarah Turney
Yeah. And, you know, we do know that, you know, perpetrators will sometimes lie but add a small kernel of truth in there. So even by investigating what is seemingly a false claim, it could lead them to something else. So it's all valuable to me, definitely.
- [34:14]
Courtney Nicole
And I just want to say I love Payne Lindsay and his podcast. I feel like he is spectacular, the work that he puts in. So shout out to Payne Lindsay.
- [34:22]
Sarah Turney
Shout out to Payne for all the work on this case.
- [34:27]
Courtney Nicole
The most frustrating thing about all the talking is that there's absolutely no first hand confessions. It seems like they're going to take that to their graves. At least I can say this. In 2019, three years after Crystal's disappearance, Catfish John is arrested. But it's for a totally different crime. Assault with a deadly weapon and possession of method death. A few women have come forward with stories about how Catfish John drugged them, sexually assaulted them, and held them captive, sometimes with guns to their heads. Horror stories are shared about Dreddy Bryan too. But on Saturday, May 16, 2020, Dreddy Brian Otten dies of a heroin overdose at the starlit hostel, 15 minutes outside of Crestone, where he's been cleaning in exchange for a room. On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, Catfish John is arrested again in Raleigh, North Carolina, for possession of a stolen vehicle and felony drug charges with intent to distribute. He's arrested for a third time in June for meth and heroin possession. A few months after that, on September 22, 2022, the Raleigh Police find Catfish John Keenan dead in an apartment littered with drug paraphernalia.
- [35:38]
Sarah Turney
Trudy Bryan and Catfish John stories may have come to an end, but people are still trying to understand crystals. In 2025, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation forms a unit dedicated to solving Crystal's case, and they ask Payne Lindsay to work with them. Unofficially, largely thanks to the work he's done, the case is moving forward.
- [35:58]
Courtney Nicole
On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the Saguache County Sheriff's Office teams up with Colorado forensics canines. They bring out four human remains detection dogs to search a location in Crestone, one they believe is connected to the case. And the Colorado Bureau of Investigation once again urges the public to call in any tip, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem. And as we know, the devil is in the details.
- [36:26]
Sarah Turney
This is why true crime is so important, specifically covering unsolved cases, because media pressure moves mountains. You cannot convince me otherwise. This is proof of it.
- [36:36]
Courtney Nicole
I feel like the true crime community, it can be split down how people perceive it, but the way pain has. Has done this, I just feel like it is 100% the correct way. Speaking for myself, you know, I've been doing this for, like, six years now. But again, to anybody out there who is also, you know, trying to help in this space, this should be, like, the only end goal. It shouldn't just be retelling these stories for the sake of it. It should be the end goal, should be potentially helping solve these cases. I feel like that's the whole point.
- [37:03]
Sarah Turney
Yeah, exactly. I mean, every time I cover a case, no matter how well known it is, I always hear I've never heard this story before. So even when you think that a case has been, you know, covered all over the place, it's always going to reach somebody who's never heard it. And that leads to miraculous things like tips coming in. I mean, again, this is the whole point.
- [37:22]
Courtney Nicole
Exactly. And I hate to say it, but honestly, without Payne's work on this case specifically, I don't know if it would be where it's at today. I don't know. Like, he's just done fantastic work, and I feel like props to him and props to anybody out there who is really trying to make a difference in this, in this community, because that's what it comes down to.
- [37:38]
Sarah Turney
Absolutely.
- [37:39]
Courtney Nicole
One, or in this case, two people might hold the answers to what happened to Krystal, but now they have since passed away. It is frustrating. I still have hope that, you know, answers will be found, but it just really, really sucks when you have two people who probably know what happened and they're just no longer here to just say what happened.
- [37:57]
Sarah Turney
Yeah, no, I totally get it. And I guess the only thing I can say about that is I think justice looks different for everyone. And all I can hope is that finding more answers eventually will be some form of justice for Crystal's loved ones.
- [38:13]
Courtney Nicole
Though many people think the main suspects involved are already dead. Brenton Pulver, the last we checked, was still in Crestone as of this recording. He. He hasn't been charged with anything related to Crystal, and there are likely other accomplices to hold accountable. Crystal's friends and family have raised $20,000 to offer as a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance. At the very least, her family deserves to know the truth.
- [38:39]
Sarah Turney
What we do know is that Crystal was trying to get her life back together after going through one of the most traumatic experiences a woman can go through through. She tried to find some peace in her routine, going to the store and buying herself her favorite vegan veggie burgers, almond milk, and organic vegetables while she restocked the fridge. She also put fresh shampoo and conditioner in the shower. She was talking to her loved ones about her sexual assault, grappling with the idea of going to the police, leaning towards confronting the men involved herself. And then she disappeared. Christa was spiritual, kind, and compassionate, but she was also tough. She had already been through a lot in her life, and she believed she was doing what was right. Wherever she is, we hope she knows she has a big impact, not just on the people who knew her, but on complete strangers, too.
- [39:28]
Courtney Nicole
Crystal Ann Risinger will be about 38 years old. As of this recording. She is Caucasian and about 5 foot 6. Her last known weight was 155 pounds. Her natural hair color was brown, but she's been known to bleach or dye it. She wears various piercings, including her septum nose, bridge gauged earlobes, and a dermal teardrop under her right eye. She also has many tattoos. If you have any information about Crystal Reisinger, you can reach the Colorado Bureau of Investigation Tip line at 720-741-7410 and the Saguache County Sheriff's Office office at 719-655-2544.
- [40:17]
Sarah Turney
Thank you for listening to the Final Hours. If you have any other details about Crystal Anne Risinger's case, please share it with us on social media. We do want to hear from you. Your thoughts, condolences and feedback are what make this community so special at Crime House.
- [40:31]
Courtney Nicole
We value your support. Share your thoughts on social media and remember to rate, review and follow the Final Hours to help others discover the
- [40:38]
Sarah Turney
show and to enhance your listening experience. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode of the Final Hours ad free along with early access and exciting bonus content.
- [40:49]
Courtney Nicole
The Final Hours is hosted by Sarah Turney and me, Courtney Nicole and is a Crime House original. Powered by Paim Studio Studios, this episode is brought to life by the Final Hours team Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benidon, Lori Marinelli, Natalie Przofsky, Sarah Camp, Alyssa Fox, Dana Brazil Sullivy, Andrew Rosenblum and Russell Nash. Thank you for listening.
- [41:19]
Sarah Turney
I'm Katie Ring, host of America's Most Infamous Crimes. Each week I take on one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history. Listen to and follow America's Most Infamous Crimes available now wherever you get your podcasts.
- [41:34]
Vanessa
Looking for your next listen? Check out hidden history with Dr. Harini Bot every Monday. Dr. Bot goes where history gets mysterious vanished civilizations, doomsday prophecies and events that science still can't fully explain. Follow Hidden History now on Apple Podcast, Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.