In July of 2016, a 29-year-old woman named Kristal Anne Reisinger disappeared from the remote Colorado town of Crestone, sparking a search for clues about her whereabouts that’s lasted for nearly a decade with the case drawing international attention after being featured on popular podcast series Up and Vanished. On August 7, 2025, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation provided an unexpected update in the case.

A native of Arizona, Kristal’s story in Colorado started with a move to Denver that was followed by a brief stint in Gunnison before she landed in Crestone in 2015. She became involved in the local community and worked at a brewery, but by July of the following year, she was never seen again.

Her prolonged absence was initially noticed by her landlord, who notified the local sheriff’s office. Upon investigation, it was determined that she wasn’t in her apartment, though her phone and medication were still inside. As the search for Kristal continued, various clues related to her disappearance surfaced, with some claiming to have seen her at a ‘full moon drum circle’ in mid-July of 2016 and others claiming that the last person to have contact with her was a local man with a criminal past. Despite an intensive search effort and her case being thrust into the public eye in a major way, her disappearance remains unsolved.

In 2018, authorities would state that foul play was suspected in her disappearance, around the same time that the initial Up and Vanished podcast episodes related to Kristal’s case aired.

Despite the increased public awareness of Kristal’s case, it went unsolved and without many official updates for years. That changed on August 7, 2025, when the Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced that a K-9 search was conducted in a “specific location” in Crestone “believed to be connected to the case” on August 6. Four human remains detection dogs were involved, and at this time, no information about potential findings has been released due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

This might not seem like much of an update to some, but for those who have spent years hoping for answers in Kristal Reisinger’s disappearance, it’s something – at the least, it’s evidence that the effort to solve the case continues.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has requested that anyone with information related to the case reach out via their tipline at 720-741-7410.

“Authorities emphasize that no tip, regardless of how insignificant it may seem, will be discounted and tipsters can remain anonymous,” reads a press release on the matter. “The public is urged to come forward with any information related to Kristal Reisinger’s disappearance.”

Those interested in learning more about Kristal’s case can find coverage at length in season two of the Up and Vanished Podcast here.