A mother suspected of murdering her two young children during a bitter custody battle has been extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States to face charges. Kimberlee Singler, 37, is accused of the first-degree murder of her nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son in their Colorado home.
The Tragic Discovery and Initial Deception
Police discovered the bodies of Elianna and Aden Wentz in their apartment in Colorado Springs, Colorado, shortly after midnight on 19 December 2023. Their 11-year-old sister was injured but survived the attack. Initially, Singler presented herself as a victim, telling officers that an intruder had entered the home and assaulted her, leaving her with superficial knife wounds.
The surviving child initially supported her mother's story. However, the investigation quickly uncovered inconsistencies. Police found no footprints in the snow leading to the patio door where Singler claimed the assailant had entered. Furthermore, according to UK court documents, the young girl later changed her account, telling an investigator that her mother had said "God made her do it."
International Manhunt and Legal Fight in London
By the time authorities sought to arrest Singler on 26 December 2023, she had vanished. She was located and arrested four days later in the Chelsea area of west London. It remains unclear why she travelled to the UK. Singler fought her extradition through the British courts, with her defence led by prominent lawyer Edward Fitzgerald KC, who also represents Julian Assange.
Fitzgerald argued that extradition should be blocked because a conviction for first-degree murder in Colorado carries a mandatory sentence of life without parole, which he contended violates European human rights law. A judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court, John Zani, rejected Singler's challenge in January 2025, and a subsequent bid for an appeal was denied in November.
Custody Dispute and Mounting Evidence
The tragedy unfolded amidst an acrimonious custody dispute. The day before the children were found, a Colorado judge had ordered Singler to comply with a previous order to allow the children's father to have them for the holidays. She was instructed to hand them over either voluntarily or at a court hearing scheduled for 20 December 2023.
Instead, on the day of that hearing, Singler filed a motion to delay it, stating she and her children had been attacked and two were murdered. Judge Zani's ruling noted that Singler had told police her ex-husband had "dreamt about killing his family" and was trying to frame her. However, GPS records placed the father driving a truck approximately 80 miles away at the time of the killings.
Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez stated the extradition marked a "significant milestone" in the investigation. Singler also faces charges of attempted murder, child abuse, and assault. The surviving daughter, now 13, is expected to be a key witness at trial. Singler is being held without bond and is due for a preliminary hearing in the US within the coming weeks.
