A London court has approved the extradition of Kimberlee Singler, a Colorado mother accused of murdering two of her children and injuring a third before fleeing to the United Kingdom. Singler, 36, had argued that her extradition would infringe upon her European human rights protections, as a first-degree murder conviction in Colorado carries an automatic life sentence without parole. However, the judge dismissed her argument, citing precedents of similar extraditions.
The case began when Singler reported a burglary at her Colorado Springs apartment, where her nine-year-old daughter, Elianna “Ellie” Wentz, was found dead. Singler was arrested in the UK on December 30, 2023, after fleeing to London. She had initially called the police on December 19, 2023, alleging a break-in at her apartment. Upon arrival, the police discovered the bodies of her nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son.
Authorities also found Singler and her 11-year-old daughter injured. Subsequent investigations revealed that the alleged burglary was baseless, and Singler was accused of murdering her children a day before reporting the supposed break-in. The police noted the absence of footprints in the snow leading to the patio door that Singler claimed the intruder had used.
Investigators testified that the children were likely attacked on December 18. A warrant for Singler’s arrest was issued on December 26, 2023. Prior to the tragic incident, Singler had been embroiled in a contentious custody battle with her ex-husband, Kevin Wentz. She had reportedly refused to allow the children to visit their father for the holidays two days before the murders.
Singler’s legal team has maintained her innocence, criticizing the Colorado Springs Police investigation and alleging that her surviving daughter’s statement to detectives was coerced. Initially, the surviving child supported Singler’s claims of an intruder but later changed her account, accusing her mother of the crime. The child testified that Singler led all three children to their bedrooms, claiming that “God was telling her to do it or their father was going to take them away.”
Initially treated as a victim due to superficial knife wounds, Singler disappeared after briefly cooperating with investigators. Her disappearance sparked a nationwide search, which ended when she was located in Kensington by the UK’s National Crime Agency.
Singler faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and child abuse. Colorado has abolished the death penalty, a significant factor in the UK’s extradition considerations. The timeline for her return to Colorado remains uncertain.