After surrendering, suspect makes bond in Aiken County missing mom’s case
WAGENER, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - One of the suspects involved in the disappearance of an Aiken County mom has turned himself in, according to jail records.
Darius Berry was charged with accessory after the fact to felony arson, according to records. He surrendered late Thursday.
He was granted a $20,000 surety bond at a hearing Friday, which he made. There are no conditions other than to show up for all required court proceedings.
Investigators were able to make with Berry by phone to tell him of his arrest warrant, after an unsuccessful attempt of serving him in person.
Officials say his hearing was to begin at 10 a.m. Friday.
The family of an Aiken mother of four is still waiting for investigators to find her body, a year after she disappeared.
Krystal Anderson went missing back in August of last year.
Her boyfriend, Tony Berry, was charged with her murder in December.
Tony Berry’s son Darius was also charged in her death with accessory murder after the fact in Aiken County.
Investigators say the two of them burned a car that was part of evidence in the woods in Newberry County.
EARLIER COVERAGE:
- Krystal Anderson’s family continues search 1 year after death
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- Bond denied for boyfriend accused in disappearance of mom
- Family desperate for information as search continues
- Family fears for Aiken County mom who’s been missing
Last year, Darius Berry gave a statement to investigators that placed him in Newberry County.
New reports from the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office say he picked his father up from a Love’s truck stop just miles away from where his father’s car was set on fire on St. Phillips Church Road.
Felony accessory charges against him didn’t stick in Aiken County and he was released because it was out of Aiken County’s jurisdiction.
While Anderson’s family waits for answers, communication could be a factor holding up the case.
Investigators in Newberry County told News 12 when it comes to homicide cases like this, where different parts of the crime happen in different counties, information doesn’t all come out at the same time.
On Aug. 28, Newberry County investigators found a Cadillac on fire, burned so badly they didn’t know where to start.
“When you have something like this, you know, a car hadn’t been entered as missing or stolen. Once we got the VIN, we were able to find out all that information,” said Maj. Robert Dennis with the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office.
It led them to Tony Berry.
“Once we run Tony Berry, you know, he’s attached to a missing person file, as well as Krystal. They (Aiken County) sent us the fliers, the report, and gave us a of the investigator that was handling it,” said Dennis.
Details began flooding in of a mom missing without a trace that was last seen eight days before the car was found burning.
“We coordinated with Aiken doing technology with phone, technology with forensics and just trying to triangulate any area that we could we could locate and maybe find where Tony had disposed of Krystal,” said Dennis.
Newberry County investigators searched a four-mile radius around the car with dogs, but couldn’t find any trace of Krystal.
When Aiken County authorities questioned Tony Berry after his arrest, his son came up in conversation.
“They placed themselves here in Newberry County, and could not give a legitimate explanation of why they were here. I found Mr. Berry even told that while he was here, the car had been stolen. But through other interviews, we found that was not the case,” said Dennis.
Reports from that night in Newberry show Darius Berry itted to investigators he picked his father up at the Love’s truck stop, just miles away from where Tony Berry’s car was burned.
So Aiken County authorities charged Darius Berry with accessory after the fact, but so did Newberry County.
“We went ahead and charged him with the accessory after the fact. Because of information that he’s given and Tony’s given. We feel like Tony was the one that come up here and did that. And then made the call to Darius to come and pick him up and get him back to Aiken,” said Dennis.
Aiken County dropped the charges on Darius two weeks ago.
Newberry County authorities say they’d been waiting since December with a warrant to arrest him.
But as of Monday morning, investigators in Newberry County didn’t know Darius was free until News 12 gave them a call.
“Matter of fact, we thought he was still in jail and or still out on that bond. Right now, we have an active warrant on him for the kind of conspiracy accessory after the fact of a felony with arson. And, you know, once we take him into custody, he’ll be housed here at Newberry County Detention Center,” Dennis said.
Earlier this week, News 12 talked with Anderson’s family. They say they feel Tony nor his son cooperated with the investigation.
It all hinges on DNA testing. In the past few months, investigators swabbed Anderson’s sister, Shadira Smother, and their mother for DNA, to hopefully help identify Anderson’s remains if they’re found.
But even with testing and Tony Berry behind bars facing a murder charge, the family says the pain runs even deeper.
“People get whatever sentencing they get. It still doesn’t make the pain go away. To me, there’s no complete justice. It’s never going to bring back Krystal,” said Smother.
On Aug. 20, the family will be hosting a balloon release and candlelight vigil in Columbia, S.C., in Anderson’s honor. News 12 plans to be there.
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