The information provided does not pertain to a Crystal Faye Smith who died on February 21, 2021, in Roswell, NM, but rather to a Crystal Faye Smith from Carlsbad, NM, and another individual named Crystal Faye Todd, whose case is detailed below.
# Crystal Faye Todd
Crystal Faye Todd, a teenage girl, was brutally murdered in a case that shocked the community.
Her body was discovered by hunters in a ditch, wearing a class ring with a shiny purple gemstone and “Crystal Faye Todd” engraved inside. The murder scene was particularly horrific, with Crystal suffering from 31 cut and stab wounds, including an ear-to-ear gash across her throat, bruises, and abrasions. A defensive injury on her left hand indicated she had attempted to defend herself against the attacker, who was believed to have used a 3.5-inch knife with a locking blade.
Initially, the police investigated a promising suspect named Andy Tyndall, a grown man who had been hanging around teenage girls and had a crush on Crystal. However, despite his suspicious behavior and a felony charge against him in Alabama, he was quickly cleared as a suspect after fleeing and being pursued by tracker dogs in South Carolina.
The investigation then turned to criminal profilers, who predicted the killer would be an angry young white male, confident he would not be caught, and likely a friend of the victim. Local homicide detective Bill Knowles suggested using DNA testing, a relatively new science at the time. DNA samples were collected from 51 of Crystal's male friends and acquaintances, all of whom agreed to provide samples. The DNA from the rape kit matched Ken Register, also known as Johnnie Kenneth Register II, who was a blond-haired, blue-eyed former varsity football player and someone Crystal considered her best friend.
Ken Register was arrested in February 1992. Despite his sterling reputation in the community as a helpful and friendly individual, the evidence against him was compelling. During the interrogation, police used tactics such as telling him they had found his footprints at the murder scene and misinterpreting a note from his mother to get him to confess. Ken eventually cracked under the pressure and provided a confession, although his account of the events differed significantly from the evidence. He claimed to have had consensual sex with Crystal and then panicked and stabbed her when she threatened to accuse him of rape. However, investigators found severe wounding consistent with rape, and the medical examiner confirmed that the sex was not consensual.
Ken Register was convicted of Crystal Todd's sexual assault and murder in a trial that drew significant public attention. The case highlighted the deceptive nature of Ken Register, who had maintained a 'Great Kid' persona in the community despite his darker actions.
