A Colorado woman, Kimberlee Singler, is back in the United States after being extradited from the United Kingdom, where she had been held for nearly two years in connection with the alleged murder of her two children. Singler, 37, is now in custody at the El Paso County Jail, facing charges after a tragic incident that unfolded in late 2023.

The disturbing case began on December 18, 2023, when authorities allege that Singler shot her three children, resulting in the deaths of two. Initially, Singler reported a burglary at her home, claiming she awoke after midnight on December 19 to find her 11-year-old daughter injured and her two younger children deceased. Despite the gravity of the situation, Singler vanished shortly thereafter.

Her disappearance led to an international manhunt, culminating in her arrest on December 30, 2023, in the United Kingdom. Extradited back to the U.S. on December 23, she is currently held without bond at the El Paso County Jail, awaiting further legal proceedings.

Further insight into the investigation was obtained through court documents by local CBS affiliate KKTV. These documents outline the factors that led police to suspect Singler was responsible for the tragic event, rooted in a bitter custody dispute with her ex-husband.

According to the affidavit, when Colorado Springs Police responded to Singler’s report of a burglary, they found no evidence of forced entry at her home. Singler’s oldest daughter, before being hospitalized, recounted that a man entered the side door, allegedly under the pretense of a Christmas gift exchange. This detail added another layer to the complex case that investigators continue to unravel.

Police said Singler blamed the attack on her ex-husband. When police contacted him to inform him of his children’s deaths, he said his ex-wife had been “acting weird,” and she “was trying to frame him” because she was not handling the custody agreement well. According to police, the ex-husband was working at the time of the attacks.

Aden Wentz, Kimberlee Singler, Ellie Wentz (pictures of children via GoFundMe; photo of suspect via Colorado Springs Police Department).

After Singler was treated at the hospital, police interviewed her and she claimed that she had a medical condition that caused her to feel faint and lose consciousness. She told police this was what happened to her when she and her children were attacked on Dec. 18, 2023. When it came to the suspect, she told police he was “[j]ust a man,” and no one she had ever seen before.

According to the affidavit, 9-year-old Elianna “Ellie” Wentz and 7-year-old Aden Wentz were both found deceased on a bed. Near the bed, police found a bloody firearm and ammunition with blood on it. A knife was also found in the living room, also with blood on it.

An autopsy determined that both children were shot in the head and had lacerations to their necks. police said the then-11-year-old was placed with a foster family after she was released from the hospital.

Days after Singler reported the attack on her family, investigators determined that the blood found on the knife and on the gun belonged to Singler. On Dec. 25, 2023, police spoke to the surviving child again, who told them that Singler told her to lie about what happened. The 11-year-old added that “she had been feeling awful about the lie.”

Singler was reported missing on Dec. 24, 2023, and found in the United Kingdom less than a week later.

Singler was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of child abuse, and one count of assault. She is being held at the El Paso County Jail without bond. Her next court date is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2026.