A judge in London has ruled against a U.S. mother, Kimberlee Singler, who challenged her extradition to face murder charges in Colorado concerning the deaths of her two young children. This decision, made by Judge John Zani on Friday at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, paves the way for the British authorities to extradite Singler back to the United States, although a timeline for this process remains unclear.
The 36-year-old Singler faces serious allegations, including two counts of first-degree murder related to the tragic December 2023 shootings and stabbings of her 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son. She is also charged with attempted murder for allegedly attacking her 11-year-old daughter, in addition to three counts of child abuse and one count of assault.
In court, Singler’s legal representative argued that extraditing her to the U.S. would contravene European human rights laws. The argument centered around the severity of a potential life sentence without parole should she be convicted for first-degree murder, which they claimed would be inhumane as it entirely dismisses any possibility of eventual release, even if she were to undergo rehabilitation.
Attorney Edward Fitzgerald expressed that while a Colorado governor has the option to potentially commute her sentence, it would pose significant political risks, thus making it highly unlikely. Initially, the defense team stated that life sentences in Colorado had never been commuted, but prosecutors pointed out that Governor John Hickenlooper had, in fact, commuted the sentences of five murder convicts in 2018.
However, the defense clarified that only three of these commuted sentences were relevant, as the other two involved younger offenders who might receive leniency due to their age. Fitzgerald claimed that his client, Kimberlee Singler, would have no realistic chance of release regardless of her progress while incarcerated.
Prosecutor Joel Smith contended that the judge’s focus should be on the existence of any potential mechanism for release, rather than the likelihood of that happening in practice. In his ruling, Judge Zani acknowledged that there was indeed an option for inmates serving life sentences in Colorado to be released, which he found significant.
Following the ruling, Fitzgerald indicated that he intends to appeal the decision to a higher court. Meanwhile, the Colorado Springs Police Department stated they could not provide an estimate for when Singler might be extradited back to the United States. Their spokesperson noted the continuous investigations and legal considerations in play surrounding the case.
The incidents leading to the charges occurred on December 18, 2023, in an apartment where Singler had been staying with her mother amidst a custody dispute with her ex-husband, who had recently gained more parenting time. At the time of the tragedy, her mother was not present.
Just prior to the alleged murders, Singler had refused to let her husband’s sister pick up the children for a holiday exchange. Subsequently, her husband obtained a court order requiring her to exchange the children two days later.
Singler has consistently denied causing harm to her children, suggesting to authorities that either her ex-husband was responsible for the killings or that he had hired someone else to do it. She claimed he had often expressed violent thoughts about their family and had a history of framing her with the intent of losing custody of their children, per the judge’s ruling.
Law enforcement officials, however, confirmed that Singler’s husband had a validated alibi corroborated by GPS data that indicated he was about 80 miles away during the time of the murders. During her police interview, Singler stated that an unknown intruder had entered the apartment through a patio door she had left unsecured, resulting in her loss of consciousness.
Singler later described being too weak to seek help and claimed she couldn’t locate her phone. However, she eventually discovered her children’s bodies and reportedly cared for her surviving daughter throughout the day. When she finally managed to reach her phone, which was playing Christmas music, she contacted the police for assistance.
Initially treated as a victim due to her superficial knife wounds, Singler’s status changed following testimonies from her surviving daughter, who eventually revealed that her mother attempted to kill her. The investigation shifted focus and sought Singler’s arrest after the child altered her account of the event.
Singler was briefly located on December 30 in a wealthy area of Chelsea, London, and arrested. The surviving daughter recounted that her mother had prepared a drink for the children containing a powdered substance before guiding them to a bedroom, where the assault allegedly took place.
The horrifying event resulted in the deaths of Aden Wentz, aged 7, and Elianna “Ellie” Wentz, aged 9, who were found deceased due to gunfire and stabbing injuries in their Colorado Springs home.
