An American mother accused of murdering her two young children during a bitter custody dispute has been extradited from the United Kingdom to face justice in the United States.
The Tragic Discovery and Initial Deception
Kimberlee Singler, 37, was arrested in London in December 2023, little more than a week after the bodies of her nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son were discovered at the family home in Colorado Springs. Initially, Singler was treated as a victim herself, having sustained superficial knife wounds. She told police that an intruder had broken into the property and attacked the family.
Her account was initially supported by her eldest child, an 11-year-old girl who also survived the incident. However, the girl later changed her story dramatically. According to court documents, she informed investigators that her mother had said "God had made her do it." By the time authorities moved to arrest Singler on these new grounds, she had vanished.
International Manhunt and Legal Resistance
Singler was located and arrested four days later in Kensington, west London, by the National Crime Agency on 30 December 2023. The reasons for her presence in the UK remain unclear. She had resisted extradition vigorously, with her lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, arguing that she faced a potential sentence of life imprisonment without parole if convicted on the most serious charges. He submitted that such a punishment would contravene European human rights laws.
Her legal challenges were ultimately unsuccessful. A bid to halt her extradition was rejected by a judge in January, and an appeal against that decision was denied in November, paving the way for her removal to the United States.
Mounting Evidence and a Custody Dispute
Court hearings revealed a fraught background to the tragedy. A day before the children's bodies were found, Singler had been ordered by a court to grant custody of the children to their father for the holidays. She was warned to either hand them over voluntarily or attend a hearing where the exchange would be mandated.
On the day of that hearing, Singler requested a delay from the judge, stating she needed to "gain my bearings" following the alleged attack. However, police evidence began to undermine her intruder narrative. GPS records placed the children's father approximately 80 miles away at the time of the killings. Furthermore, investigators noted there were no visible footprints in the snow outside the home to suggest an outsider had entered.
In a January ruling, Judge John Zani noted that Singler had told police her ex-husband "had previously dreamt about killing his family" and was attempting to frame her.
Charges and a 'Momentous Day' for Justice
Singler now faces a series of grave charges in Colorado, including:
- Two counts of first-degree murder
- One count of attempted murder
- Three counts of child abuse
- One count of assault
Announcing the extradition, Colorado Springs District Attorney Michael Allen described it as a "momentous day." He confirmed Singler was back in the US and in custody, marking the "first step in the criminal justice process for this defendant and the victims in this case."
Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez told reporters the extradition was a significant milestone, acknowledging the "unthinkable act" Singler is accused of and the deep impact on the community. Singler is being held without bond and is expected to make her first US court appearance in the coming days.
