Crystal disappeared just weeks after filing for divorce from her husband, Sean Grebinger, after years of reported abuse. The couple had been married for sixteen years and lived in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, but at the time, Crystal was staying at a women’s shelter. In November 2012, she obtained a protective order against Sean, which he reportedly violated multiple times. She officially filed for divorce on January 14, 2013. On February 8, she left the shelter and was never seen again. She had upcoming custody hearings but failed to appear. At the time, her four children were living with relatives, and she was actively seeking full custody. Sean vanished two weeks later. Authorities later found he had fled to Brazil, where he falsely claimed to be an American Special Forces agent facing political persecution. On January 31, 2020, he was arrested in Brazil for assaulting his wife. Initially granted release, he was re-arrested weeks later when authorities announced his extradition to the U.S. to face murder charges in Crystal’s disappearance. Days later, before he could be extradited, Sean was found hanged in his cell.