The years-long pursuit of justice for 64-year-old Kristal Forest, who disappeared back in 2009, has finally ended with a confessed killer and the discovery of her remains. The persistent sleuths of the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office cracked this cold case wide open, leveraging state-of-the-art tech and old-fashioned detective work.
Forest was reported missing in March of that year, after embarking on a journey to Texas, purportedly with the help of Robert Reed—her once-trusted acquaintance. His facade crumbled over the years, as relentless detectives pieced together a trail of deceit that led to a confession. The perseverance of the investigative team shone through, despite myriad obstacles and Reed’s intricate web of lies, as reported by ABC15.
In a twist straight out of a procedural drama, it was Google Earth that became the linchpin in locating Forest's final resting place off Interstate 10 in El Paso. Reed was already serving time for an unrelated arson case when he finally pointed detectives to her body, according to BNNBreaking.
Though Reed has since died in prison, the resolution of this 15-year-old case offers a semblance of peace to Forest's family and friends. “And again, I don't know if you’re telling me things because… I understand why you don't want to be found out but my concern, my personal concern is about Kristal Forest,” said Det. Brown with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office in a statement obtained by ABC15, emphasizing the emotional gravity at the heart of their pursuit. Reed’s counter was a simple denial, “I don't know a thing about Kristal other than like I said, I bought a truck from her, worked for her for one day, and that’s it.”
