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The Murder Book: A True Crime Podcast
Each week, The Murder Book will present unsolved cases, missing persons, notorious crimes, controversial cases, and serial killers, exploring details of the crime scenes and the murderer's childhood. Some episodes are translated into Spanish as well. The podcast is produced and hosted by Kiara Coyle.
The Murder Book: A True Crime Podcast
The Dark Side of Friendship: Unraveling the Ken Register and Crystal Todd Murder Case Part IV
Can you imagine the terror that grips a small town when one of their own is brutally murdered? This episode plunges you into the fear that permeated the community after the death of Crystal Todd, a beloved local girl. We follow the relentless pursuit of Detective Knowles as he delves into Crystal's life, navigating rumors of wild parties, drugs, and even a connection to the police department. Bonnie Faye, Crystal's mother, wrestles with her grief and a troubling question - did she conceal certain aspects of Crystal's life to protect her daughter's image, even after her death?
Now, consider the figure of Eugene, Bonnie Faye's boyfriend. As the investigation intensifies, his unique insight and memories of Crystal become a crucial puzzle piece. Yet, as the police probe deeper, another figure emerges - Ken Register, a family friend. Ken finds himself under suspicion, and we're there with him as he endures a grueling police interview and a nerve-racking blood test. Can he withstand the pressure, or will this investigation reveal more than he bargained for?
Finally, we step into the shoes of Bonnie Faye, dealing with her intense sorrow and the horrifying realization of Crystal's fate. As she grapples with her loss, we analyze her complex relationship with her daughter and the secrets it might hold. Into this emotional turmoil steps Ken, a figure shadowed by suspicion. As the investigation tightens around him, we uncover the nuances of his relationship with Crystal and his fear of what the investigation might unearth. What questions will be answered, and what new mysteries will unfold? Join us on this emotional rollercoaster as we seek justice for Crystal Todd.
Sources:
Newspapers:
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal/159938097/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-news/159938177/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-news/159938235/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-news/159938295/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-news/159938412/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-news/159938463/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-news/159938500/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-news/159938577/
Books:
Hudson, D., Hills, B. (2001). An Hour to Kill: A True Story of Love, Murder, and Justice in a Small Southern Town.
Welcome to the Murder Book. I'm your host, kiera, and this is part four of the case of Ken Register and Crystal Todd. Let's begin. During the second week of the investigation, the police stressed that someone with knowledge of the murder could be in danger. Crystal's classmates and friends were more terrified than ever. Certain the killer would go after them.
Speaker 1:The local newspaper was in close contact with Bonnie Faye throughout the early weeks of the investigation and knew she always gives them something interesting to write. In article November 25 issue of the Sun News read, quote Bonnie Faye Todd said Sunday that classmates of Crystal's continued to visit her as she mourns her daughter's death. I tell everyone to be careful because there's a maniac still out there. We don't know who the devil is. If they don't catch him, he is liable to get somebody else. End quote. The police were concerned when they read Bonnie Faye's statement. Her words were sure to promote fear in the community. Three days later, on Thanksgiving Day, the newspaper ran a four page holiday spread that pictures several families celebrating with their friends. The homicide investigative team, however, found little time for Thanksgiving celebrations. During the last three weeks of her life, crystal had the ominous suspicion that someone was following her and wanted to kill her. After her death the police diligently searched for the person that might have been stalking Crystal.
Speaker 1:A witness had seen Crystal's car parked at the school and remember a slender man and an older gray hair woman with Crystal late that night Under him, noses induced by a sled hypnotist. The witness described the man as a medium build with an olive complexion and sodium pepper hair. He wore a dark tan jacket and a plaid shirt and drove a dark gray Ford Granada or similar Mercury car. The witness was sure he had seen the man leaning into the driver's side door. The gray hair woman was sitting in the passenger seat talking to the young dark hair woman seated behind the steering wheel. Both the man and the older woman appeared to be calmly talking with the young woman. Because the witness was positive he could identify the man if he saw him again, sled brought in a profile artist to draw a composite sketch of the man. The first composite appeared on TV and in newspapers on November 28. The police received more than 20 calls with names and descriptions of people resembling the man in the composite drawing. Many callers identified the man in the composite as Eugene Boniface Todd's boyfriend. Police had not targeted the man in the composite as a suspect. He was someone they wanted to talk to as a possible witness. Even Chief Harvey said it's not an unusual profile. It could be one of a hundred guys and we're not saying this person participated in the murder. But we think he knows something about Crystal. He may even have seen what vehicle she entered before she was driven to her death. We just want to talk to him.
Speaker 1:Eugene and Boniface had been dating for more than four years. He knew Crystal well and said she was a good girl. Eugene told police that he didn't remember any problems she might have had with anyone. He said that on the day of Crystal's murder he, boniface and Boniface mother, had gone to a birthday party in Marion at around 5.30 pm. Crystal had followed them to the party in her car and left at around 7 o'clock. He and Boniface arrived back at her house around midnight and then he went home Shortly afterwards.
Speaker 1:At about one o'clock Boniface called Eugene to say that Crystal had not come home. At 1.30 am he and Boniface rode in his car around the coastal mall, stopped for gas at the Texaco station adjacent to the mall and then continued their search in and around Conway. They returned to her house at approximately 3.30 am. He stayed until 4.15 am. Then Boniface told Boniface that he had to go back to his house but to call if she needed him. Eugene called her at 8 o'clock in the morning. Boniface said she still had not heard from Crystal. He advised her to call the county police. He started getting ready for church, then called Boniface and told her he would come back over to her house. He arrived back at the Todd house sometime before 9 am. Officer Wade Petty was there completing a missing person's report. Eugene stayed for just a few minutes before returning home.
Speaker 1:After he got home Boniface called and said that the police had found Crystal and that she was dead. So he went back over to Boniface. The police decided to ask him about Crystal's relationship with her mother. They asked if Crystal had ever heard Crystal discussing any problems she might have had. Eugene said no, sir. If she had a problem she kept it to herself. She didn't bring it home with her.
Speaker 1:The detective asked did her mother ever tell you that Crystal had discussed with her any problems she might have been having? He said one night and I'm going to tell you the truth One night she went out to a party. She went down there and she came in drinking a little bit that one time. But her mama talked to her about that and she promised she wouldn't do it no more. But she did it one more time and she wrecked the car down there at the light pole and totaled it and I don't think after that she ever drank and I don't think she had nothing to do with no drugs, I mean as far as I know. So Eugene said that he and Crystal had always been friends and he said that she was like a daughter to him. And he said I used to give her money, sometimes like five, ten dollars, because when we were going out her mom and I didn't cook. She didn't cook so she wouldn't have no dinner. So I would give her money so she could get her something to eat too. So the investigators asked have you heard anything about Crystal receiving any kinds of threats from anyone? And he said no, sir, I have not. No harassing phone calls, anything of that nature. He said again no, sir.
Speaker 1:The detective asked Eugene what he thought would have happened to Crystal if she didn't come home on time. Someone close to the family had told police that upon returning home one night after her curfew, crystal got into a terrible fight with her mother. Crystal had been to a party where she drank and got home nearly two hours late and the friend began a sin argument which got out of hand and ended up a real nasty ugly incident. Boniface was furious that Crystal had not at least called, and Eugene told the police she was careful about when she came in. Most of the time she came in by 12.30, but if she was late she knew to call Boniface and let her know, because if she didn't, boniface would start walking the floor. She would get nervous to death if Crystal didn't come in on time. She was always looking for somebody to grab her or something. I don't know why, but she was always afraid for that to happen.
Speaker 1:And the detective asked have you ever been out and around and seen Crystal out anywhere? And Eugene said well, most of the time. If I see her car at the mall, I would never pull in and talk with her a while Any of her friends were around. I didn't hardly ever do that, but Bonnie did it a lot. And so they asked him would Crystal have told her mother if she was having any trouble with anybody or if anybody was threatening her? And Eugene insisted. He said no, I don't believe she would. But that's the way Crystal was. She never complained about nothing. I remember once her shoes hurt her feet and she wouldn't even tell her mama. So although the homicide team at headquarters have heard from Boniface almost every day since Crystal's death, they weren't comfortable asking her about certain things. Perhaps now the detective thought was the right time to ask those questions.
Speaker 1:Every murder investigation begins with immediate family. Most murders are committed by someone close to the victim. The process of elimination begins often delicately with immediate family and friends of the murdered individual. No one is more aware than the police of how cruel and indecent this can seem. When the detectives ferret out and catch a killer in immediate family, it's good police work when the same process doesn't produce a killer. An incensed public criticizes the ethics of police procedure and rushes to comfort the aggrieved individuals who have been victimized again this time by a called ruthless system. Boniface was never considered a suspect. After the police spoke with Eugene, however, pieces of the puzzle no longer fit. Maybe Boniface had not told investigators everything she knew about her daughter's behavior over the last month of her life.
Speaker 1:Detective Nolde thought Crystal might have been killed because of something she was involved in or something she knew. The homicide investigative team had heard stories about Crystal being involved in drugs and wild sex. They had heard that Crystal was a paid informant for the police departments. They had heard she was involved with cold related activities. They have heard she was a sweet girl who was a joy to be around, just a typical teenager. Nolde knew how easily rumors get started and desperately wanted to track down every angle, no matter how bizarre Many of the most promising leads had been played out. Had Christo been involved with something or someone that she shouldn't have been involved with? Had Christo been murdered? For what she knew and might reveal Was Boniface withholding vital information from the police to protect Christo's reputation? Detective Nolz decided that perhaps only two people could best answer those questions. One had been buried almost two weeks earlier at High Point Baptist Church. The other was alive, but not so well, at her home on Juniper Bay Road.
Speaker 1:Nolz was confused. Although he had told himself it was beyond reason to think Boniface would purposely withhold information relevant to her daughter's murder. The evidence implied otherwise. If she was holding anything back, he had assured his fellow officers it was because she was protective of her daughter and had a desperate need to cling to all. She had left her memories. Since when it is a crime to love your child too much, he had asked.
Speaker 1:Detective Nolz breathed deeply and looked out of his car window at Juniper Bay Road and he thought maybe I have gotten too close to her. Maybe I do feel sorry for her. Even if I could ask her, would she be able to tell me that she has been completely honest with me about her relationship with Christo? He could no longer pretend to be ignorant and allow Boniface to continue a deception if in fact the evidence led in another direction. As a police officer, the people had entrusted him to carry out his sworn duty. He knew he would do the right thing Now if someone would just remind him what the right thing was. And Boniface said sharply as she opened the door I had a feeling you were coming to see me. Jun told me you were asking questions about me and Christo, so I figured you will be coming to see me next. Might as well, come on in. Boniface seemed to look older that when they had last met, he thought. As he entered the trailer, the long hours he was working with distorting time and the bags under Boniface's eyes were more pronounced. The dark circles looked like permanent half moons.
Speaker 1:Detective Nolz was aware that she had been through a lot in the past few weeks and felt sorry for her. She told him that since Christo's death her nights were so long that day and night ran together. She sometimes didn't know if she was awake or dreaming. Nolz thought she looked swollen. She seemed thinner than before. She was very fragile, he thought, like glass, and if he wasn't careful what he was about to do might shatter her. He needed just the right words at the precise moment to prevent that from happening.
Speaker 1:The time had come for Boniface to tell him if something about Christo wasn't as she had always hoped it would be. The investigative task force had to consider the possibility that the sex and drugs Christo was reportedly involved with might have contributed to her murder. Boniface had to be confronted and encouraged to tell the whole truth if she expected the police to ever find her daughter's killer. Detective Nolz knew he needed a subtle, gentle lead. In Reaching into his small pocket, he produced a small bag. Miss Bonnie, thank you for seeing me again this morning. He sounded apologetic in his southern, gentile way.
Speaker 1:The detective chest up gave me these things and asked me to return them to you. I knew you would want to have them. And her swollen eyes fixed on the brown paper sack. As he extended his arm Puzzle to Bonnie Faye, took the bag and sat down on the kitchen table. She said, oh my word. And she she. When she opened the sack, she start crying. And Detective Nolz said well, this is all the jewelry that Christo was wearing the night she was killed. The boys at headquarters thought you might like to have them. She said I should would.
Speaker 1:And, one by one, bonnie Faye examined the 14 pieces of jewelry that had been worn by her daughter the night she was murdered. Place them side by side on the table. Each piece was shiny and in perfect condition. Detective Nolz stood quietly and watched. The last piece of jewelry was a herringbone necklace with a bend in the chain links because of the attack.
Speaker 1:Detective Nolz winced when he saw Bonnie Faye's expression change as she held up the necklace to examine it. Her chest heaved, unaware of why, but knowing something wasn't right with her daughter's necklace, she fought to retain her composure. Detective Nolz suddenly felt his spirit sagging from the weight of the investigation. Lived to match the compassion he felt for Bonnie Faye, his vision of why he was there was clear again, his mission restored. He was there to help her. She would understand if he had to delve into unpleasant areas. He was confident the interview would go well.
Speaker 1:And she asked Bill, what do you think somebody would want to kill my young, my young? And I think it looks like she said my young one. And so he put back a chair and sat down and he said well, I don't know, miss Bonnie, that's why I'm here. I'm hoping you will tell me something that will help us figure that out. And after several seconds he leaned up to the table and said softly miss Bonnie, I hoped it doesn't offend you. I know you have been through an awful lot, but I need to ask you something important. Did you ever know of Crystal being involved in any trouble of any kind, like, for instance, had somebody, anybody threatened her recently or called to say she was in any kind of trouble? And Bonnie Faye looked fuss, puzzled, and the second note sat down Bane. Bernie Faye has, since the detective didn't want to forge ahead with their interview.
Speaker 1:She mistakenly concluded, though, what he was going to comfort and console her. He was on her side, after all, and would protect her from the rumors and insinuations, she had no way of knowing that the investigation has suddenly shifted to spot light the secrets of her and her daughter's life. When the detective hinted that he had heard talk about Crystal's friends, of her promiscuity and drinking and drug use, bane Faye became still Detective knows what. Has her face changed this time into an expressionless mask. Bonnie Faye would not or could not talk to notes about Crystal being anything other than the sweet, loving child she so missed. She appeared confused and stammered that she had put so much out of her mind. There was so much she couldn't remember. So thought detective knows this is how she's been dealing with her daughter's murder. She's in a state of shock that memories of her daughter's life are frozen in her mind. Bottling up bad memories in favor of the good ones allows her to cope with her loss.
Speaker 1:The homicide investigator had seen this before with individuals who had gone through extreme amounts of emotional stress. How would Bonnie Faye cope, he wondered when she learned the truth about the horrible way her daughter had died. And so he said tell me, miss Bonnie, was she involved with anything that she shouldn't have been? And she answered calmly no, not that I know of. You hear a lot about what's going on, but that's just people running their mouths, just talking about something they don't know nothing about. And she shifted in her seat. What you're saying to me, miss Bonnie, is that you have never received any knowledge of any kind that she was in any type of trouble with the law. Or maybe she knew someone who sold drugs.
Speaker 1:Bonnie Faye's disposition turned sour. She stared at detective knows, she gritted, her teeth sucked in her bottom lip and she replied. I know what you're asking. Detective knows what her fury built and thought of the eerie primal noises she had admitted. On first learning that her daughter was dead, he didn't know whether to move forward to comfort or move back out of her reach. He sat still and she said sharply and her voice was rising I know people have been talking, but they ain't got no business talking about a dead girl like that. She was no different than any of those other young ones who live around here, so she was just like him and she did the same thing as any of them do. If you ask the ones that run in their mouth, you'll find their young ones are doing stuff way worse than what Crystal ever done.
Speaker 1:Detective knows immediately fell in overwhelming desire to take his words back and start over. As Bonnie Faye rented, he thought of her children, of his children and how he might respond in similar circumstances. And then she said Crystal was not a bad girl, she was a good girl. And she even got from her seat in and then slumped back. Detective Knott tried to look into her eyes but he just couldn't. Boniface had lost the one thing in life that had meant anything to her, had nothing left but her memories, and now he had threatened to destroy those memories. Detective Knott wondered if she was re-evaluated him as no better than the animal that had killed Crystal.
Speaker 1:Knott tried to ease the tension by diverting Boniface and then he said abruptly that was a pretty cat on the porch out there, but he felt foolish for being so obvious. He was grateful when Boniface let him off the hook by allowing the destruction. And she said yeah, there's two of them. They belong to Crystal. One is named Church and the other is Knott. Crystal used to diaper them cats and push them around in a baby carriage. She would know more than a baby herself. You know, before Crystal died them two would not come in the house, but now I can hardly keep them out, robbing on me and purring and all. I figured they missed Crystal, just like I do. They might be trying to comfort me.
Speaker 1:Detective Knott understood what Boniface was trying to tell him. More than anything else, she needed to be confident. She needed him to understand her, to be sympathetic toward her. She couldn't take any tragedy in her life, not another one. Any more pain would probably destroy her, might even kill her. She couldn't afford to lose her memories and Detective said Bonnie, I thought Crystal looked fine at the funeral. And she said, yeah, I wish I'd seen what she looked like before she was fixed up. But Mike Hill said I didn't want to see her.
Speaker 1:Detective Knott didn't want to leave Boniface with that image in her mind, but he wasn't at loss for words. He desperately needed to know the truth about Crystal's life. But he wasn't going to get any further with Boniface, at least not then. Her version of the truth was as she remembered it, and that was that the real truth might lay hidden forever. She might never be able to tell what she knew. But how could he find Crystal's killer without her help? Maybe she would ultimately find peace with her memories and be able to face the bad as well as the good. He couldn't wait for that to happen. So he said I'll be in touch, miss Bonnie, I'll let you know the moment we have anything significant on the case. And she said please do. And she abruptly shut the door behind him.
Speaker 1:Detective Knott stood on the porch for a moment and he thought I wonder if, if her not saying goodbye means she's mad at me. Maybe she thinks um geez, what are you doing, detective Knott? What are you doing? And then he walked to hit his car and got in. He felt miserable about what he had just done. He had baited the mother of a murdered child Rolling down the window. He lit in the crisp December air. He breathed deeply for a minute but didn't feel any better. He cranked the engine, switched the heater fan to high and rolled up the window. A sudden chiller took him and forced his body forward, drawing his elbows tied to his sides. He tried to take slow breaths. Cold air blew from the heater. He put the car in gear and backed out.
Speaker 1:He had repeatedly found himself drawn back to Colin's jolly and the blood soaked dirt lane. Recreating murder scenes in his mind helped him focus and provided him with insights into possibilities he wouldn't have otherwise seen. He liked to create dialogues and move men and watch as the actors went through the motions. Predator and prey, killer and victim. He imagined scenarios of last thoughts and last actions.
Speaker 1:Detective Knott shivered and thought of the last warmth Crystal had felt. She had not taken her coat on the ride to her death so she probably felt comfortable enough with her assailant to adjust his car heater. He had heard she was a fiddler, always messing with the radio, the mirror, even in someone else's car. She shivered and tried to stick her cold nose on the killer's cheek. Last the killer told her to stop playing with the heater so she rolled down her window, laughing. That was probably the last time she rolled down a window. It may have been the last time she laughed. It wasn't the last time she felt cold. As he drove down during the per-bay road, oblivious to the lingering colors of a late fall, detective Knott shivered again. He didn't question why he was so cold. He knew why. After what he had been through the last couple of weeks, he felt like he might not be warm again for a long time.
Speaker 1:Profiling, often seen movies and on television, involves developing a demographic and behaviour profile of a person who committed a crime based on known characteristics of criminals, victims and, most importantly, on evidence available after the crime is committed. David Caldwell, a behaviour analyst from Sled, was about. Sorry it was brought in. It was brought in to develop a profile of the person responsible for Kristos death. This was one of 90 criminal cases David Caldwell worked in 1991. He would more than earn his keep as an integral part of the Todd Homicide team and Caldwell explained what he did. He said well, I tried to. What I tried to do is paint a picture of possible suspects that would give investigators a starting point. Many investigations proceed, as did the Kristos-Tuck murder case, by systematically eliminating those with no involvement in the crime. Given that investigators had to start somewhere, profiles can shorten the list of persons to contact. The profile is not a substitute for an investigation, interviewing people, knocking on doors and looking at physical evidence as what solves problems. The extensive profile produced by Caldwell was used by the detectives in the Todd case but was not released to the general public. This is what the profile read. It says the following it says predicted characteristic of Kristos-Face Todd's killer. These characteristics are probable. However, the investigators are cautioned not to rule out any good suspect because he does not fit this description White male between 20 and 25 years of age.
Speaker 1:Recklessness is probably a noticed characteristic. He has some social skills, can smile, can converse. He is not too scary. The murders that suggestive of a lot of forethought or planning. We will expect that he transfer blood to his automobile after the crime. He is an angry man with generalized anger towards most people. Many people have noticed that something is not quite right with him. He is probably episodically employed. He is not a businessman or professional person. He probably has trouble with policies and coworkers and consequently has not had long term employment. His performance generally at work would be cynical, sorry, cyclical. He may work well one weekend, not so well the next. We will expect cyclical social performance as well. He may be nice one day or not read the next. People that know him may say that one never knows what to expect from him.
Speaker 1:He has no tremendous need for money. He is not chronically unemployed. He is not worried about where he is going to get his next meal. He is able to make ends meet. There is probably another person, perhaps a family member, on whom he is partially financially dependent. He is not a cocaine addict who steals money or valuables thinking about his next fix.
Speaker 1:He is not the product of a wholesome, nurturing family environment. In his formative years he had no solid male role model. He probably had a missing father, almost certainly an emotionally missing father, perhaps divorced Father worked all the time travel a lot, was dead, was an alcoholic. He probably is a local person from Horry County familiar with the site of the body recovery. Either he lives near there or a family member lives near there, or perhaps he hunts, fishes or works in that area. At any rate he has been there before. He is impulsive and is angry at the world. He has a large chip on his shoulder. Life has not been easy for him and deep down he feels someone must pay for his way his life has gone.
Speaker 1:The 11.30pm rendezvous with the victim could be the result of having gotten off a second shift or perhaps a result of having left a party earlier that evening. He feels fairly confident that he will not be a suspect. He does not believe he will be associated with her that night. He would probably best be described as not an intimate acquaintance but a peripheral acquaintance. He sees himself as a social outcast, and probably rightly so. He probably is not widely accepted by his peers. He is unable to sustain a warm, nurturing relationship. If he was ever married, there were lots of problems. Whether or not he had a specific plan to kill that night is equivocal. One hallmark of his life would be frustration. The stress of everyday life is tough on him. He projects his problems like I'm not the problem they are.
Speaker 1:When he was in school, he was not the type to say whoa, yeah, the teacher is right, I should have. He is the type to say they are full of it. He does not enjoy the reputation of being particularly smart. He regularly carries a knife, shows it off, consider it to be part of his image. He likes to think of himself as macho and tries to pose himself as macho. He probably drinks the long neck butts and ducked animals. He probably cannot take protracted pressure. However, he probably handles acute, immediate pressure very well.
Speaker 1:He probably does not have a lot to make him attractive to peer females. From the most part, females from his peer group do not have a lot to do with him. He is not witty. He is not charming. He would probably be attractive to younger girls simply because he is older. Perhaps what he could offer peer females would be drugs or maybe money, although it's not expected that he would have much money. He has come to the attention of law enforcement before, as when he was 12 or 13 he was torturing animals, starting fires, committing random acts of vandalism. He is probably not doing much dating. He is not a ladies man. He may have some date rapes in his history, maybe rape the cousin, but he is not doing stranger slash kidnapped rapes. He is not doing burglary rapes.
Speaker 1:Following intoxication on the night of the murder is a good bet. It is possible that two perpetrators were involved. After the commission of the murder, this perpetrator probably would have gone straight to a safe haven, either to his home or to a relatives house, as opposed to going out and setting up in Allah by somewhere. He should be considered that this safe haven might be the same direction from the crime scene as the crime scene is from her abandoned car. It should be considered that after staying in town for a few weeks, he will leave for an ostensibly good reason, such as to visit or live with a relative or for some employment opportunity in another town.
Speaker 1:There was a girl named Sophia. She could not help but notice the young man who came into the store every morning, always had the crack of dawn. He seemed so friendly and he sometimes chatted with her about the weather, and he always had to ask her for help with his purchases. The items he wanted to buy were kept behind the counter, away from children. Sophia had worked the night shift on till December 13, when she became day manager of the convenience store in downtown Conway. From then until sometime in February, ken registered stuck by the storage morning on his way to work and purchased adult magazines. Sophia noticed that he bought all of the new editions of over two dozen different magazines. One morning, when curiosity overcame her, sophia casually asked Ken what he was doing with others magazines. She said he was buying them for his boss, who reimbursed him at work. Sophia didn't know, though. She might have suspected that he was buying them for himself. Let's see where this is going to take us Now.
Speaker 1:The Christmas season was a time of grief and depression for Bonnie Faye. Of course, sitting at home she stared at the collection of Christos jewelry. She had planned to give Christo a pink ice ring and bracelet for Christmas. Christo had picked out the items early in November. On a weekend trip she and her mother had taken to a department store at the beach. After Christos death, bonnie Faye went back to the store and took the items off the layaway. Her daughter would not be getting any new jewelry for Christmas that year, in 1991. The only gift she had for Christo was a Christmas tree for her grave. She said it's awful, you can't buy your young and nothing but a Christmas tree. She's got no business being dead. She's supposed to be here with me. Christo didn't have any enemies that I know of. It was somebody the devil sent down here to kill her. I just hope they will catch him. I'd rather have her back than anything I got. The investigators placed a hidden camera near Christos grave, knowing killers frequently visit the final resting places of the victims. When the film was viewed later the detectives watched in silence. The only person they saw was a grieving mother bent and weeping over the grave of her only child.
Speaker 1:On January 6, 1992 officer Dale Long and sled agent Campbell Streeter wrote out to Kenny and Shirley registers home to talk with their son Ken. Nobody was home so Long left his card in the door jam with a note asking Ken to call headquarters. Two days later Shirley called the police department and asked what the police wanted with her son. One explained to her, the concerned mother, that Ken wasn't a suspect but he was needed to help develop leads in the tot case. Shirley registered, said she would contact Ken and pass along the message. The police has spoken briefly with Ken early in the investigation but saw no reason to conduct a detailed interview. He apparently had a solid alibi and, as a friend of the family and a pole bearer at Christos funeral, had presented no reason for suspicion. He had even talked with the victim's father the night Christos was missing. The second interview was being arranged as standard procedure to produce and develop information that might have been missed and to request samples of hair and blood for forensic analysis. Today's, after Shirley spoke with the police, can call and agree to the interview.
Speaker 1:That evening Ken went to Bunnyface House and expressed concern over the upcoming interview and Bunnyface said well, why do you think it's going to be so terrible? Ken, sit down to make me nervous. And he said well, I'm just worried because they have not found anybody yet to blame it on. And he was anxiously pacing in the small living room. He said everybody says they're looking to blame it on somebody and I don't want it to be me. And Bunnyface said well, lord, it ain't going to be you, ken. You didn't do it, did you?
Speaker 1:And Ken lit a cigarette as he mashed out another in the ashtray and he said it don't matter, now they can find anybody, so they'll pull your blog and blood and rig it to make it look like you did. Bunnyface said what Well, I never heard of such. And he said it's true. Everybody's talking about it. How, now ain't the time to be giving blood because they are getting desperate? And Bunnyface said well, how do you even know they're going to pull your blood? They probably just want to ask you things about crystal, like who the ones are that could have done this to her. And Ken said well, they told me on the phone they're getting it from everybody now. Everybody I know, practically, has given blood.
Speaker 1:And she said I told Bill Knowles the whole time, honey, that you ain't the one you see, ashtray Ken and she in, because Ken had this irritating fingertip and he was not put in the ashes in the ashtray. And he said well, those tests ain't perfect, you know. He said Lord, don't burn up the house. And she got up. She said let me get you something, ken. I hate to see you like this. He said I don't want nothing now.
Speaker 1:And he followed Bonnie Frage into the kitchen and she said well, I just think you all worked up over nothing. You have been in my source of support, ken. I don't know what I would done without you. Now let me get you some tea. He said no, ma'am, I just wanted to get the one that done it and leave me alone. And she said and she was getting impatient, bonnie Frage and she said Ken, you're acting like they're picking on you. He said well, don't be surprised when they arrest the wrong one. He replied defiantly, following Bonnie Frage back into the living room where she plopped back on the couch and she said you got to calm down.
Speaker 1:Nobody's going to be arresting you. And he said I wanted to see them tomorrow, but now I got to worry all weekend over this. She said you're making me nervous. I wish you would sit down. He said I can't miss Bonnie. I got it to figure this out. He said figure what out. I don't see there's anything to figure out. He said the blood pool. He said oh, that you don't. He said it can be beat, you know? And she passed.
Speaker 1:She look at Ken. But then this means what he had said. He said you're talking crazy now he said I'm not. It can't be done. You know you could fake it out. He said fake him out. Well, you have gone crazy now, boy. He said I haven't either. I have to think on this. And, bonnie, they say why is that? Why are you even worried over that? He said you could take somebody else's blood to give him. And, bonnie, they said what if you took the real murderers, then where would you be? And he said dang, no joke. And she said oh, come on, ken, you're the one supposed to be cheering me up.
Speaker 1:And then she saw that her niece, dina, was arrived. He said oh, thank the Lord Dina's here, maybe she can talk some sense into you. And Ken said well, I got to go anyway. He said no, you need to wait a few minutes and talk with Dina. And Ken said no, I'm sorry, miss Bonnie, I got things to do. She said you ain't got nothing to do, you know. And he said yes, ma'am, it's Friday night and I got a date.
Speaker 1:And Bonnie, they say well, don't be talking that crazy. Talk to her or she will drop you. And she hugged Ken as Dina entered the house. And Dina asked what crazy talk. Are you leaving, ken? And he said yes, ma'am. And Bonnie said talk to her, tell her. And he said okay, all right.
Speaker 1:And so he told Dina they're getting ready to put it on the wrong man now so that they can get somebody arrested for this case. And Dina said what? And Dina looked at Bonnie Faye, like what is he talking about? Look. And Bonnie Faye said oh, ken's got this crazy idea that the police are after him. And he said I told you, ain't no joke. And Dina asked for what? And Bonnie Faye said well, he thinks the police are going to get him for Crystal's murder.
Speaker 1:And Dina was starting Ken's face and said what? That is crazy talk. What will they be after you, son? And Ken said I got to go on Monday. I know they're going to pull my blood and if it comes out to be me, they're framing the wrong one.
Speaker 1:And Dina said you serious, are you angry? He said he's in Boniface. He's been talking like that ever since he got here, about to drive me crazy. And Dina said son, what do you think the police are after you? They're not after you.
Speaker 1:And Bonnie Faye said I told him that he don't want to listen. And Ken said they can get anybody. And everybody says they're going to pull up a frame job on somebody. And Dina said well, bless your heart, we will let him get you, honey. And she smiled and she wrapped her arm around him. He said ain't it funny? She said well, you're serious, I can't believe it. So, ken, let's look at it. You ain't done nothing wrong, have you? He looked down and shook his head and she said no, you haven't. So we know you wouldn't do that. You're just too close, you're like family. And Bonnie Faye snapped and she said it don't do no good to tell him that. He said that's not going to matter to them and said it does.
Speaker 1:Ken? I have been sitting right here when Bonnie Faye told Detective Nald that you are our best friend. You got yourself all worked up over nothing. Why don't you stay and I'll get you something to drink. We'll help you calm down? And Bonnie Faye said he don't want nothing. He said no, ma'am, I gotta go. And he stood quietly for a moment. Look at the two women and then step out the door. And Dina watched him cross the yard and she said well, what do you reckon that was about? And Bonnie Faye said I told you he's been like that the whole time, him talking about beating the blood test, taking somebody else's blood. And Dina said for what she says, to fool the police, fool them. That doesn't make sense. Why does he think they need fooling? And Bonnie Faye said I don't know. But then she start thinking and then she said sounds like it's suspicious to me.
Speaker 1:A Monday morning Bill Knowles pulled officer along aside and he said Dale, are you going to interview Ken register today? And Long checked his calendar. He said yes, it's around 3 30 after he gets off work. And Detective Knowles said well, I got a strange call over the weekend. Seems Bonnie Fay is now suspicious of him Suspicious how so? And and she said well, registers nervous about coming in.
Speaker 1:According to Bonnie Fay, he was acting as she says we are suspicious and she wants us to check him out. And Longs, detective long said well, most of them are nervous. He's been close to the family, hasn't he? He said yes, seems. He told her that he was worried about the blood test. Something about is possible to beat it. And and detective long said beat it. So yeah, that's what I thought.
Speaker 1:How did he sound on the phone that other day? And detective long said well, nothing unusual. Are you suggesting anything else? And Detective knows it. I don't know. I don't think so. He's been there all this time comforting Bonnie Ray, they regarding us family. I'm sure it's nothing. It's not the first time Bonnie Fay has caught in suspicious of somebody.
Speaker 1:And Detective long said, well, what do you want us to do? He said, well, just what you were doing, and you, you were going to see him today. So I thought I'll said something. So well, you want me, we should mention it to him. He said, yeah, why not? That's a good idea. Ask him if he said those things Bonnie Fay say. He went on and on about how somebody's else's blood could be used to fool us and he said he doesn't know anything about how it works, does? He is apparently not. It's probably nothing, but you might as well throw it in, and that detective long so yeah, I'm gonna do that.
Speaker 1:So Ken, show App, show up at the police department Monday morning, several hours before his scheduled appointment. He said calmly in the interrogation room and I did, detectives sitting across the table. The detectives casually examined Ken for sides of nervousness. Detective long and Streeter knew that many of the teens they have interview had limited experience with the police. So nervousness was normal and by that definition Ken appeared normal. So detective long said well, cake, and as I'm sure you know, the reason we asked you to come in again today is to try and help us with the murder investigation of crystal Todd, I Understand you knew the victim, crystal, and she was a good friend of yours. And Ken said yeah, she was. I have known crystal and her family all my life. Her cousin Kevin is my best friend. Her cousin Kevin is my best friend. Crystal and I used to hang out together, just friends.
Speaker 1:And detective long asked do you and crystal ever date? He said for about a month, two and a half years ago, about a month in 1988. So did you ever had sex with her during that time or any other time? And he asked that question and they in him and detective Streeter and we're watching Ken as he answered and he responded like a matter of fact type of thing. He said no, I never had sex with crystal. Todd said at any time. And Ken shook his head as was reminded to speak up, he cleared his throat, he said no and then they asked him do you know who crystal might have been involved with at the time of murder and and he said I think she was seeing some guy named Tony. And the detective said Tony, anyone else you know of? He said well, crystal.
Speaker 1:One stated a boy name from ainer named Todd, but I don't know his last name Do you know any of her close friends? And came name nine girls. He remembered being close to crystal and Detective long asked him Did she ever mention using drugs? And Ken said well, one time, when crystal was drinking, she told me about the time she was with her friend and they smoked some dope. I don't know if this was true or not because I never actually saw her use any type of drugs. I did hear about the time she got drunk and ended up shitting over things. That's how she got the name shitter.
Speaker 1:The joke broke the tension a little for Ken and he sat back in his chair. So how would you describe her personal reputation among your friends? You know, what did the guy say about her? And Ken said well, I guess I would have to describe her reputation as loose. That's what all my friends said, but I don't really think she did as much as the guy said she did. People like to brag about stuff. That never happens, and so they asked him Ken, when was the last time you saw crystal? And he said I saw her only two or three times in the past six months.
Speaker 1:And Detective long rephrased the question and he said how close to the night she was killed had you seen her? And Register said I saw her about three or four days before the and Pause. And he said she wanted me to take her to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get her driver's license back, but I couldn't. The detective counted back from Saturday, the day of the murder, and he said so the last time you saw crystal was on what? Wednesday? And he said yeah, and then her mother called me Saturday night to go help look for her. And he said why do you think Mrs Tatco, you can, and not any other, any of her friends, her other friends? And he said I think she did call some of the others, but I had helped her find crystal once before, when she was late coming home from a party.
Speaker 1:And Detective long asked did you go out and help Mrs Tatco Look for her said no, I had a cold, and my mama said I shouldn't go out in the night air. I had already been out at the go-kart track that night with my girlfriend. That's how I got the cold. So, ken, what time do you leave the go-kart track that night? And he said around 11 30. So where do you go from there? He said I drove straight home. Did you talk to anyone when you got home? Maybe your girlfriend on the phone? He said my mama was in the kitchen when I got home. We talked before I went to bed. What time would you say you arrived home that night? And he said a little after midnight because Bonnie Faye called me at 1 15. All things consider.
Speaker 1:Ken handle himself remarkably well. He was forthright, passing appropriately before answering and ostensibly eager to help. And agent Streeter said before you go, ken? And this is the first time that agent Streeter opened his mouth, he has been just watching and that letting detective long asked all the questions. He said what in your opinion, should happen to the person who killed Crystal Todd? And Ken said I'm not sure, jail, I guess.
Speaker 1:The interview lasted almost 45 minutes Long and Streeter had no reason to think Ken had anything to do with the murder. Then they asked him to take a blood test. I can't hesitate it for the first time in the interview Said what do you want my blood for? So for DNA comparisons this is Streeter now talking, so it's a standard. We're asking a lot of people for blood and Ken said what is DNA? And they explained to him it's a genetic fingerprint that we'll use to compare to other evidence taking at the crime scene. No two people have the same DNA. We're using it with a lot of other white males that were associated with Crystal Todd.
Speaker 1:Detective long and agent Streeter finally asked Ken if he had says anything to Bonnie Faye about beating the test. Ken suddenly became wary and hesitated, but he admitted he had said something to Bonnie Faye. When asked how he could beat the blood test, he said oh, all you have to do is just to carry someone else's blood with you and give them that as the sample. And and detective long said well, that's not the way it works. You will go personally to the hospital, a company by a police officer. At the hospital, a Doctor or nurse will take the samples and it's all supervised. There's no way anyone could fake the test.
Speaker 1:And Agent Street Streeter asked the question again. He said will you submit to a blood test? And he said can I talk to my mother about it first? He said sure, you can talk to anybody you want your mother, your father, a lawyer, anybody and detective long said you're an adult, you're 18 years old and if you want to consent, you can go ahead and do that now, or you can leave and talk to whoever you want to and then come back. And Agent Streeter said it's a voluntary thing and it's up to you. You'll be the one signing the form. A lot of people have been asked to do the same thing and Ken asked what did they do? He said everybody that has been asked to this date has consented. So well then, I guess I will too.
Speaker 1:Horry County officer JJ Costello immediately transported Ken to come to the Conway Hospital and Ken said to Costello you know I don't have to do this. In fact, I shouldn't be doing this at all. My mama warned me and told me not to say anything or do anything until she talked to a lawyer First. And Costello said you can talk to anyone you want to. It doesn't matter to us. To Costello, ken seemed very nervous and asked a lot of questions about DNA. He wondered how the test could lead to the arrest of someone for murder and how long it took to get back the results. Costello explained that DNA was a very important thing. And the results? Costello explained that DNA was like fingerprints no two people have the same pattern. And Costello said son, we have an expensive piece of equipment for blood samples and whatever's in the blood will show up.
Speaker 1:At Conway Hospital, under the watchful eye of the police officer, a phlebotomist drew three vials of Ken's blood. The vials were sealed and signed by both the phlebotomist and Ken. An emergency physician at Conway Hospital took the head public care sorry, public care and saliva samples. The doctor had to tell Ken to relax so that he could get the samples. The physician sealed the samples in the suspect evidence kit and handed the package to Costello, who drove to the police department. Officer Kim West entered into evidence. The blood, hair and saliva samples of Johnny Kenneth Register, the second Registered sample, along with 47 others, was sent to select headquarters in Columbia, south Carolina, where the DNA testing was being conducted.
Speaker 1:Ken left the hospital and drove directly to James Tyre's where Kevin James worked, and Ken said Kevin, the police were awful, they were just awful. And Kevin said what did they do to you? He said well, they told me Bonnie Fay had called and told them I had said something about rigging the test. Then they took me to the hospital and took my blood. They make me feel like a criminal. They talked to me something awful, treated me like a dog and Kevin said man, that sounds awful what you do. He said, well, nothing I could do. What I could think about was I wanted my mama.
Speaker 1:Ken had always been a frequent visitor to the town hall, but after the murder he visited and called more often than before, and a cousin of Bonnie Fay's her name is Winnie Dale's she said he was the person most interested in what was going on in Christos investigation. He was real interested in helping Christos mom. He would hug her neck and tell her they will soon find the person they kill her. He would pat her on the back and assure her that things would be okay. Once, according to Winnie Dale, when Bonnie Fay was very upset, ken stood there for approximately two minutes and just held his arms around her and she was crying and said Ken, I just don't think I can live without her. Ken kept rubbing her up and down her back and patting her and saying yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Two days after he gave blood, ken again visited Bonnie Fay. He paced agitately around the house, never sleeping, his cigarette ashes. He wouldn't sit even when offered a seat and he complained to Bonnie Fay. He said they treated me terrible. They kept asking me if you could find who killed Christos, what would you do for her? What would you do to the person? And Bonnie Fay? I said what do you say? He said I said I guess put them in jail. And Bonnie Fay said they deserve a heap worse than that. And then he said when I got to the hospital all I could think about was I wanted my mama. They're fixing to arrest the wrong one. Now I know if they said I did it, they have rigged my blood. And with that Ken left Bonnie Fay's house and he never again called or went back. Thank you for listening to the murder book. Have a great week.
