Kryst was a complex litigation attorney who helped free a man who was sentenced to life in prison for a drug offense. After winning the crown, Kryst became a correspondent for “Extra” and was nominated for two Daytime Emmy awards.
Her death in January 2022 shocked the tight-knit pageant community. Kryst’s posthumous memoir, “By the Time You Read This,” was published by her mother, April Simpkins, in 2024.
“My hope is that as people read your book — especially the parts where you shared what you were thinking and feeling behind the scenes of your work life and some of your most iconic achievements — they find themselves understanding and empathizing with you,” Simpkins wrote in the book’s preface.
