Kristal Reisinger: Part 3 - Dead Men Still Talk

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1:53listening.

2:19From Tinderfoot TV in Atlanta, this is Up and Vanished. I'm your host, Payne Lindsey.

2:27In the last episode, I dropped a few bombshells on you there at the end. The two main suspects in this case are now deceased. Dready Brian, a.k.a. Brian Otten, has died, and Catfish John, John Keenan, has also died. On the evening of May 16th, 2020, a man named Lance walked up the winding staircase of the starlit hostel just 15 minutes outside Creststone. That's when he saw him. Brian Otten, better known as Dreadie Brian, was lying on the roof deck. His body was still, his skin was purple, and he wasn't breathing. There was a dog leash wrapped around his wrist, Lance's dog, and next to him, a mix of orange peels, vomit, and a strange white foam seeping from his mouth.

3:14Immediately panic set in. Lance bolted down the stairs, yelling for someone to call 911, screaming, I think he's dead. The hostel owner, named Doug, eventually made the call. Another guest also went up to check on him. Around 20 minutes later, an ambulance arrived, but it was already too late. Two sheriff's deputies showed up soon after, and EMS confirmed that Brian was gone. At 7.52 p.m., the time of death was officially called. Three days later, the autopsy report came back. Heroin, oxycodone, kratom, nicotine, and marijuana. No fentanyl, no meth, no signs of choking or asphyxiation. The official cause of death, heroin, and metragynine intoxication.

4:02It was a cocktail of depressants and a mix that can be lethal. And that's when all the speculation began. Brian wasn't just some guy in Crestone. He was one of the key figures in Crystal Reisinger's disappearance. One of the last people known to have seen her alive. And now, he was dead. Just two days earlier, Brian cashed his$1 ,200 stimulus check. Typically broke, he had been working odd jobs at the hostel. Mopping floors, washing dishes, just to have a place to stay. But when he got that money, he went on a bender. He and Lance had driven to nearby Salida. Brian drank heavily, rum, beers, 40s, more than usual.

4:44He got belligerent, kicked in a windshield, and eventually passed out in a sleeping bag. The next morning, hungover and sick, he needed something to, quote, feel better. That's when he got on Facebook Messenger, using his friend's phone, and messaged a guy for heroin. The next day, Brian stayed behind while his friends went to town. From morning until late afternoon, he was alone. No one checked on him. Then around 6 p.m., Lance returned. At first he just thought Brian was laying there, but something fell off. He stepped closer and realized his dog was still tied to Brian's wrist. Then he saw that Brian's skin was purple and he wasn't breathing.

5:27Later that night, after the sheriff's deputies and EMS left, Lance and a friend went back upstairs. And that's when they found it. Brian's heroin spoon and his needle, still sitting in the bathroom. Somehow the deputies had missed them. Then Lance checked the old phone Brian was using, his cell phone, and he was still logged in. The one that Brian was communicating with me on. Right when I thought I was about to meet one of the number one suspects in this case, just like that, he was gone. Brian Otten, one of the last people to see Crystal Rising or alive, was dead. And whoever sold him that heroin, still out there.

6:15Andretty Brian isn't the only person to die in this case. For years, John Keenan, better known as Catfish, was the shadow lurking behind the disappearance of Crystal. He was a known drug dealer, a violent presence, a man accused of holding women captive, and now he's dead too. On September 22, 2022, the police in Raleigh, North Carolina, found Catfish John unresponsive in an apartment. His friend Tyler was on the scene. According to witnesses, the place was littered with drug paraphernalia. Lieutenant Morrison of the Raleigh Police Department officially confirmed his death. There weren't many details, just that it ended the way a lot of people expected it to.

7:01Six months earlier, on March 29, 2022, Catfish was arrested in Raleigh. Possession of a stolen vehicle, felony drug charges, with intent to distribute. The drugs likely included cocaine, meth, fentanyl, Xanax, Ambien, Valium, all things Catfish was used to using. And this wasn't his first run-in with law enforcement. Back in 2019, he was also arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and meth possession. And in 2020, during my own bizarre confrontation with him, where I met him at a bar, the man threatened me, tried to attack me. Literally threw a punch. Missed though. Crystal Reisinger had told several people that she was drugged and raped at Catfish John's house in Crestone in July of 2016.

7:48And just a few days later, she vanished. And Catfish, well, he was always at the center of it. Then there were more women. After my investigation into Catfish, another survivor came forward. I'm going to keep her name anonymous, but she had filed a police report in Raleigh, North Carolina back in 2013. Rape by force. She didn't know his name then. She had met him at a bar, didn't drink, was completely sober, but she kept seeing him at every bar she went to that night. Catfish was following her. Later, when her friends went back to her place, Catfish tried to tag along. He offered to make her a drink.

8:30It was the only drink she had that night. The next thing she remembers, she woke up in her bed. Catfish was on top of her, naked and raping her. She fought him off, screamed at him for 15 minutes on the balcony. before he finally left. She called the police, but like so many cases, it went nowhere. This sparked a snowball of more women coming forward. Other women who said that Catfish had abused them, held them captive, drugged them. One of them told me that Catfish had locked her inside his house for three days, and when she finally got out, he bragged to her boyfriend that they had been together sexually.

9:10She had no memory of that at all. describe similar experiences, being trapped inside Catfish's house, even held at gunpoint. For years, the people of Crestone truly feared Catfish John, and, well, for pretty good reason. This guy was awful, evil. And all these years later, even though Dreddy Bryan and Catfish John are dead, the most important question still remains, where is Crystal? When it comes to what your family eats and drinks, you know your choices matter. You're the expert because you know what fits your life. And getting it right starts with good information. That's why America's beverage companies are sharing more information about our ingredients at GoodToKnowFacts.org.

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11:20Just sort of the element of surprise kind of gets your adrenaline going. Was there a lot of people that were willing to talk, willing to speak out? Surprisingly, yes. I actually think that some people knowing the podcast made them a little more comfortable with us as a team. In a lot of ways, people were open to talking. It's true. It's funny. I'm not just a bright side of the road friend. Like, I am a bright side of the road person, but I'll be on the shady side too, right?

11:45There's something very unsettling about reading a dead man's messages, like a ghost reaching out from beyond. Just a couple days ago, I got access to something that I never expected. Direct messages from Dready Brian. Not just old screenshots, but his real conversations. Exactly as they were, completely untouched. A local woman, someone deeply embedded in this community, reached out and gave me her Facebook login. She wanted me to see what she saw. And what I found was chilling. In these messages, Brian wasn't just talking. He seemed to be confessing, lashing out, threatening, and hinting at something much darker.

12:31Something only he and a handful of other people probably knew. And now, for the first time, you get to hear them too. How you holding up? I'm good. I'm in Cresto now. I'm at Nate's house. Don't remember much of last night. Got a fat lip, gnarly nose, slightly crooked smile. But life goes on. How funny. I'm in Moffat heading to Crestone later. Josh is getting a place in Salida and he's making payments on my RV. Once he moves in, I can get my RV back. You looking for a temporary roommate? Did you just message me? Yeah. Did you read it? Should I have my secretary fax it to you? Hello, El. You still in Crestone?

13:20Yeah. Not enough work here. Wish I had wheels. I got a place in Salida. It's temporary until HUD helps me get something bigger. By the library. Small, but I like it. I could probably grab your stuff when I make it to the hospital. You at Nate's now? I can't go there. Got a restraining order on James. Don't know if he still hangs around, but I'm not taking chances. Good call. Fuck all the violent, toxic bullshit. Love and light. Who's Catfish? Catfish? He stalks people on Facebook. Dude needs a hobby. Oh. Catfish was the last person Crystal talked about before she disappeared. She told me and others she thought he drugged and raped her.

14:08Still don't know if it's true, but that's what she said. Hmm. Yeah. Jesse's staying with me. Fuck. So that's a no-go for me staying with you? James said I'd end up homeless in Salida with you if I left him. Not letting him be even half right. Yeah, I hear you. Been testing people. Feeding misinformation to see who it gets back to. Shauna blocked me real quick. That's all I needed to know. I don't talk about you. Don't worry. Tell James to call me. What? Tell that bitch-ass pussy to be a man and own his shit. He threatened my family. Excuse me? Tell James to hit me up. Now. I swear, if he's hiding, I will find him.

14:57You're threatening me now? No. Just need to talk. Try calling Nate. Nate lied. Said James was with you. We are not together. Fuck him. Tell him I said he's a f***er. You are threatening my life. You're expendable. I'll end you. Brian, stop. Biker gangs collect on this shit. I will ruin you. These messages will be used against you. I'm forwarding them. Go fuck yourself, hillbilly c***. Fuck James. Fuck you. Brian, you need help. I will murder you.

15:40I don't remember last night at all. Apparently, you and James are part of a white power biker gang. But if you were, you'd never call the cops. Good to know you're both full of shit. You need help. Tell the cops to call me. I'll tell them everything I know. You have a warrant now. You're just a junkie meth dealer. Josh is probably getting evicted because of you. I'm clean as a janitor. You? Good job, Brian. If you thought Dready Brian's messages were disturbing, these are something else entirely. This same woman, who gave me her Facebook login, also had messages with Catfish John, the man at the center of everything.

16:32Now Catfish wasn't just paranoid. This guy was unraveling. His words read like the ramblings of someone who knew their time was running out. Someone who knew way too much. And yet, he still couldn't stop talking. What he says in these messages is the kind of thing that makes you stop scrolling. Makes you re-read it. Makes you wonder, is he confessing? Is he warning us? How many things are wrong with this guy? Either way, it's dangerous. Want company? I handled the car and flight change. Are you okay? You got quiet. I went to see my kid. She wouldn't see me. Then I saw Bree. She was kind to me.

17:17So were you. And then suddenly, I'm alone again. Every time I get happy, I get slapped down. Like I'm banned from Disneyland. Without love. Without real friends. Is this even a life worth living? I don't know what happened. I didn't turn on you. You flipped on me. It's not about blame. Just trying to find my people again. Me too, John. Me too. Fucking Katie's mom came banging on my door, freaking out. Everyone is afraid of you. Why am I not? Have you even asked yourself that? I know why Crystal had to run. I could expose it, but that wouldn't help anyone. Wait, what? Do not make me state the adjacent street name, IP address, and proof of her life today.

18:16Respectfully, fuck the global powers. If I die, contingency files drop across every major server. What are you talking about? They told me to stay quiet. FBI said don't mention her real name. John, slow down. Payne's friends killed her. But south of Mexico, they think she took the weight. Wait, what? They are watching me. Watching you now too. I have names, but you don't need to know them. If they kill me, I promise you, I'll still get the truth out. I shot the deputy, not the sheriff, and he covered for me. That's real love. Jesus, John. Do you hear yourself? I know my people. I know my enemies.

19:07And I see you choosing sides. I haven't chosen anything. You're either with me or you're against me. You need help. I need revenge.

19:20I am a soldier with no gun. They don't understand me. I am the last line of defense. Who is they? The ones who took Crystal. The ones who took everything. They think they're safe. They're not. You're scaring me. You should be scared. I'm done.

20:15are most certainly still alive and capable of talking. Back in 2017 and 2018, when I was deep in this case, I had phone calls with dozens of locals, and two men in particular stood out. They weren't just speculating. They weren't just repeating rumors. They claimed to have direct knowledge of Crystal's murder. And when I finally got the chance to speak with them, I thought I was about to hear everything, finally get to the truth. but let's just say that didn't go as planned.

21:12The Hand That Rocks the Cradle on Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus. For bundled subscribers, terms apply. Can you tell me what you know about how she was killed? I don't know. I don't know. Like, when he's talking about it on the phone, kind of like I told you last time, man. You said what? I said, I don't really want to talk about it on the phone like I said last time. I know that your brother was taken advantage of in some way, and I know more about Catfish's involvement in that. And I also know that you had nothing to do with this. And so I have no interest in trying to bring anybody else into this, just trying to figure out how to close this thing out.

22:07And so it would help me. Why don't we start with, like, why don't you tell me what you know? and then we'll see if I feel comfortable enough to tell you whether you're right or wrong. Catfish dosed your brother. Yeah. They did that to a lot of people for the past 20 years. It's fucked up, man. Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, that's what they would do. And fucking Catfish would pay people to dose people or he'd, you know, set things up. Set like, he would dose like some pills or something and leave them out and then someone would take those pills from him because his loss was a fucking mess and basically, you know, fucking people would find shit and take it because he wouldn't know the fucking difference.

23:13Yeah, exactly. He wouldn't fucking know shit. But he's laced those drugs with, I mean, all kind of shit. And, like, it's permanently fucked people up, man. Yeah. And so, yeah, they were poisoning people for a long time. And it wasn't just with, like, acid. You know, there's other chemicals they use. I mean, I know the story. Could you tell me your version of the story? I'll tell you if it differs from mine. Nope. Why not? Because, man. The fucking... Like, I'm... Listen, I'm... I'm only trying to help, bro. My story... My story is... People already know my story. And that's why I'm asking you what you gathered.

24:09I mean, if you want to hear what happened, And then, I mean, tell me what you got. That's basically it, man. Like, tell me what you got. I'll tell you if you're right or wrong. And if I feel comfortable enough, I'll tell you right now. Okay, okay, okay, okay. I've heard that there was some sort of incident where she was shot. And in some way or another, they burned her body.

24:41Yeah. What caliber? You take all that gas, man. What caliber have you heard? I heard it was a revolver. I don't know. I don't know. It probably wasn't even a fucking real gun. Was it a high caliber airsoft gun? It could be.

25:12Like a$1 ,700 nice one? Yeah, more than likely. Sounds about right. Okay. Did it occur at Catfish's house?

25:28Maybe. So what else you got? You said her body got burnt, huh? That's what I heard.

25:40Yeah. Is that true or no? Who knows? Who knows? I mean, like, is that what you heard or no? That kind of leaves room for fucking, you know, finding bones and ashes. I also heard that something about a hot tub. Hot tub?

26:06Oh, yeah, I don't think anybody around here has a hot tub, no. Robert, can you help me or can you not? Yeah, I can, but I mean, like I told you a couple times already. We've been talking for like 30 minutes and you haven't told me anything. What do you know, what's the story that you know about what happened to Crystal? Well, I know I have told you space. Indirectly. Who killed Crystal? Just tell me. Please. Who killed her? Yes.

26:44Which one you want?