A painful four-year search in South Carolina has come to a tragic end. The Aiken County Solicitor’s Office announced that the human remains found buried near Highway 37 outside of Blackville belong to Krystal Anderson, a mother of four who disappeared in August 2022.
From the beginning, her family knew something was wrong, insisting the 30-year-old would never just leave her kids. Her sister, Shadria Smothers, talked about how close they were, stating, “She was a great mom, a great sister. She’s my baby sister. She’s always looked up to me and called me for everything when it came down to things that she wanted to do.” Smothers knew her sister wouldn’t just vanish, adding, “Even if she had issues, she would contact me. She would contact maybe her friends. Somebody always knew her whereabouts. She has never done anything like this before.”
The investigation quickly pointed to Anderson’s boyfriend, Tony Berry. He was arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder after police found his car burned in the woods in Newberry County, with Anderson’s DNA inside the trunk.
Waiting years for answers was incredibly hard on the family. On the three-year anniversary of her disappearance, Smothers made a desperate plea for help, saying, “If you know anything, please, I’m begging on behalf of her children. I know they say life is not fair, but it’s really unfair to a family that’s in the dark and is grieving over a loved one.”
The break in the case came when investigators uncovered the burial site. Private investigator Chandra Cleveland said personal items found with the body made it clear it was her, stating, “There were belongings found on those remains that were identical to Krystal’s belongings.” Cleveland admitted the news hit hard, noting, “It was devastating … it’s just like the first day it happened when she went missing.” But she hopes this brings a sense of peace, adding, “Maybe now we can give her a final resting place, and her children will be able to deal with the fact that their mother is not coming back.”
Because of the discovery, the legal case is now on hold. Berry was supposed to go on trial next week for the murder, but the court has postponed it so the new evidence can be processed.
The situation has been especially tough on Anderson’s four kids, who have been split up and living with different relatives since she vanished.
Smothers explained how they try to stay connected, sharing, “I think the hardest thing for them is being separated. They do FaceTime each other a lot during the week, and they are able to talk to each other.” The separation has been a huge adjustment for the youngest child, with Smothers adding, “I can say for the youngest one I have, who’s 6, it’s hard for her because she went from being raised with siblings to being raised like an only child.”
