COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — It may take a while for Colorado to extradite a mother from the United Kingdom after police said she killed two of her children and injured a third in Colorado Springs.
Authorities arrested Kimberlee Singler in London on Dec. 30 and now extradition proceedings begin. Singler took off overseas after her nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son were found dead in a home on Dec. 19 in Colorado Springs.
Police said around 12:30 a.m. Dec. 19, they were called to a home on Palomino Ranch Point to investigate a report of a burglary. When officers arrived, they found the two children dead inside the home. They also found a woman, later identified as Singler, and an 11-year-old girl who had been injured. They were both taken to the hospital.
Police said officers determined the initial report of a burglary was unfounded. On Dec. 26, police issued a warrant for Singler's arrest.
"Colorado has to do a lot of work and thankfully the feds will help them," said Denise Mowder, a professor of criminal justice at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Mowder is also a former district attorney so she knows the extradition process isn't a quick one.
"The rules say once she has been arrested there are 60 days in order for them to get all the information, get over there, prove it to the judge," she said.
She expects during that time a detective from Colorado Springs will travel to London and show a judge the evidence against her. She thinks it's possible Singler may not be back in the states for another two months.
Mowder said investigators from the United States must prove there is a "reasonable belief" that Singler committed these crimes.
"Would a reasonable person after looking at all the affidavits, seeing all of this evidence, listening to the detective believe she committed this crime," she said.
Mowder believes this process would have been much harder if Colorado still had the death penalty. Singler does have the chance to appeal the extradition. Mowder thinks winning an appeal would be much harder than Colorado getting her back.
"It is very rare to appeal it, and even if she did I am sure that prosecutor in Colorado Springs has put all this together," she said.
The children's father, Kevin Wentz, identified the victims as seven-year-old Aden Wentz and nine-year-old Elianna "Ellie" Wentz.
Jennifer Darby, an attorney for Wentz, said he and Singler had been in a contentious divorce and custody dispute since September 2018. Singler and the children were ordered to appear in person for court on Dec. 20, according to Darby. The call to 911 came the day before.
The BBC reports Singler is due back in court in the UK on Jan. 29.
"Regardless of the timeline, we will continue to work closely with local, national, and international agencies during the extradition process," said in part of a statement from 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen.
Court documents with more details about the case remain sealed. They will likely remain sealed until Singler appears in a Colorado Springs court.
Colorado Springs police declined to answer additional questions about the case.
"Our detectives, lab personnel, and victim advocates continue to work tirelessly, in partnership with the District Attorney’s Office, to bring justice for these victims," said part of a statement from Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez. This incomprehensible act understandably raises a lot of questions and has an impact across our community. We will provide answers, to the extent we can, as soon as it is appropriate for us to do so.”
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