UPDATE: On Tuesday, December 13, 2022, Krystal’s boyfriend, Tony Berry, was charged with her murder.
According to the arrest warrant provided to Dateline by the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, investigators believe Berry “took the life of Krystal Anderson.” The warrant states that on August 20, 2022, witnesses saw Berry in a verbal altercation with Krystal and also saw him place her into the trunk of his vehicle, a 2007 Cadillac CTS.
That same vehicle, the warrant states, was found burned in Newberry County, South Carolina. Based on cell phone history, investigators believe Berry was in the area around the same time the vehicle was burned.
The warrant goes on to say that Berry purchased “numerous items that could be used to aid in the disposal of human remains” including a shovel, plastic coveralls, gloves, and a box of trash bags. It also states, "Berry researched how to carry out this crime and leave no evidence.”
Krystal’s body has not been found.
Berry is currently being held in police custody without bond.
Dateline reached out to his public defender, William McKellar, but has yet to receive a response.
----------------------------
Krystal Anderson was last seen on August 20, 2022, at her Wagener, South Carolina home. On Wednesday, September 28 -- over a month after the 30-year-old mother-of-four disappeared -- the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office announced an arrest has been made in connection with her disappearance.
Dateline featured Krystal’s case in our Missing in America series last week and spoke with her sister Shadira Smothers.
Shadira told Dateline that on Tuesday, August 23, she received a concerning phone call from the father of one of Krystal’s children. He told her Krystal failed to pick their son up from his house that Sunday and he hadn’t heard from her.
Shadira said Krystal would never miss the time to pick up her children, so she immediately grew worried.
Shadira told Dateline she called Krystal’s live-in boyfriend, Tony Berry, who she said told her he hadn’t seen Krystal since Saturday at 1:00 a.m.
According to a police report provided to Dateline by the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a missing person report on August 24 and spoke with Krystal’s mother, Wanda Sumpter.
Wanda told deputies it was “very irregular behavior” for Krystal to disappear and “she normally has communication with Wanda or other family members on a daily basis.” The report also states that “Wanda was very concerned due to past history of violence with Krystal and her boyfriend, Tony Berry.” Dateline reached out to Berry last week for comment on Krystal’s disappearance but calls went straight to voicemail.
On Wednesday, September 28, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office announced in a press release that the last time she was seen, “it was believed that Krystal was in the company of Tony Lee Berry at her home on Seivern Road in Wagener.” It goes on to say that “results in this investigation has led investigators to obtaining an arrest warrant for Berry in relation to the disappearance of Krystal.”
Berry was arrested and taken into custody Wednesday evening. Captain Eric Abdullah with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office told Dateline in an email that a tipster spotted Berry and called the police. According to Capt. Abdullah, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office arrested Berry and he is currently being held at the Lexington County Detention Center.
Captain Abdullah told Dateline that Berry is charged with kidnapping and is expected to be “transferred to the Aiken County Detention Center later today.” It is unclear if Berry has an attorney at this time.
Krystal has not been found but Captain Abdullah said his office is “still searching.”
Shadira told Dateline that her family found out about Berry’s arrest through the news. “Law enforcement has yet to reach out to us,” she said.
Shadira stressed to Dateline that her family is “still hopeful” and still have faith that they “will bring [Krystal] back alive.”
Krystal is 5’1”, 105 lbs. with black hair and green eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office at 803-642-1761.xxx
