Krystal Anderson’s family continues search 1 year after death

WAGENER, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - A local family still grieving a year after a mother of four disappeared without a trace.

Krystal Anderson’s missing person’s case turned into a death investigation last August, but her body still hasn’t been found.

Anderson went missing, last seen outside her home in August 2022. Her boyfriend’s car was found burned in a wooded area, and her remains have yet to be found.

After we dug deeper and pressed Aiken County for answers, Anderson’s longtime boyfriend Tony Berry was arrested and charged with her disappearance. His son, Darius Berry, was arrested as an accessory to murder.

The family feels like this has been an injustice all along. A judge refused to set a bond for Tony. The judge did allow Darius to be out on bond with the condition he wear an ankle monitor.

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Anderson’s family feels Tony nor his son cooperated with the investigation.

Anderson’s four children had just started the 2022 school year when investigators believe Berry kidnapped her.

Now they are starting school this year for the first time without her.

Meanwhile, investigators are still keeping hope alive, for any kind of development.

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.

Instead, it brings a year of painful ‘firsts’.

“I can going into her house last year when this happened. She had all of these happy back-to-school notes on the refrigerator and told the children that she loved them. This is now another year that you know, the kids don’t have her around,” said Smother.

Along with unwanted separation from Anderson’s four children, now being raised in separate homes by their fathers.

“The biggest thing is having them separated. Serenity misses them, she wants to see them all the time, she tells me all the time, how she misses her sister, because sisters have a bond just like me and Krystal, and they’re not too far apart in age,” said Smother.

For 7-year-old Serenity, the loss of both parents.

“She misses both her parents. As sad as it is, she misses my sister as well as Tony,” said Smother.

Leaving a Krystal-size hole in the hearts of the rest of Anderson’s family.

“I hear stories of people who 90 years they haven’t found their family , 10 years, they haven’t found their family . You don’t want that to be your story. And that’s my biggest fear. I don’t want to be sitting here 10 years from now talking to you and we still have not found Krystal. I don’t want her story to end like that,” said Smother.

On August 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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