Colorado woman suspected of killing 2 of her children is extradited from the UK
DENVER (AP) — A colorado A woman suspected of killing her two young children during a custody dispute with her ex-husband two years ago has been extradited from the UK to the US to face accusationsofficials said Tuesday.
Kimberlee Singler, 37, has been extradited on charges including two counts of first-degree murder ahead of her first court appearance in the coming days, Colorado Springs-based District Attorney Michael Allen announced.
Singler was arrested in London in December 2023 after his 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son were found dead in their Colorado Springs home. His 11-year-old daughter survived with injuries. The girl eventually told an investigator that her mother told her God made her do it, according to U.K. court documents.
Singler, who had superficial stab wounds, told police that a man who entered the apartment was responsible for the incident. He was initially seen as a victim.
The surviving girl initially supported Singler’s claim, but police attempted to arrest Singler on December 26, 2023, after the girl said she changed her story. By then Singler was gone. She was Found after 4 days He was arrested in London’s posh Chelsea district. It is unknown why he went there.
“Today is a really important milestone in this criminal investigation,” Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said at a news conference. “Singler is accused of committing an unthinkable act. … I know these actions have deeply impacted this community, and our hearts go out to the victims.”
Singler will be held without bail at least until a preliminary hearing on whether there is enough evidence to proceed with the trial, Allen said. That hearing, he told the court, will usually be scheduled within 30 days of the initial hearing, with some exceptions.
Allen and other officials declined to discuss details of the prosecution’s case beyond procedural steps.
The FBI and Colorado Springs police traveled to London to gain custody of Singler, who opposed extradition and denied attacking his children.
London defense attorney Edward Fitzgerald argued that he should not be extradited because he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted of first-degree murder in Colorado; this was a punishment that violated European human rights law.
Fitzgerald was represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in his long fight against extradition to face espionage charges in the United States.
Singler did not yet have a U.S.-based attorney representing him in court documents, according to the court clerk’s office.
A judge rejected Singler’s appeal in January 2025, and his appeal was denied in November.
Singler also faces one count of attempted murder, three counts of child abuse and one count of assault.
The children’s bodies were found by police shortly after midnight on December 19, 2023, according to UK court documents. Police found no footprints in the snow leading to the porch, where an intruder entered through an unlocked door and attacked her, causing her to lose consciousness, Singler said.
Judge John Zani told police that her ex-husband had “previously dreamed of killing his family, that the children’s father was always trying to plot against him”, “arrest” him and take the children away from him” in his ruling against Singler at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in January.
Police said GPS records showed her ex-husband was driving a truck about 130 kilometers away at the time of the murders.
The family was staying with Singler’s mother during the custody battle, but she was away at the time, according to court documents in the United Kingdom.
The day before the bodies were found, a judge in Colorado ordered Singler to comply with an earlier order allowing the father to have custody of the bodies during the holidays, according to state court records. She was told to either give the children to her ex-husband alone or bring them to the hearing on December 20, 2023 for a custody exchange.
On the day of the hearing, Singler asked the judge to postpone the hearing, saying that she and her children were attacked and two of her children were killed. He asked for time to grieve and “get myself together after this incident.”
