Mum facing extradition to US for 'shooting children' appears in court

A woman facing extradition to the US for allegedly shooting dead her two children has appeared in court in London.

Kimberlee Singler, 36, is wanted in Colorado Springs for the first degree murders of her daughter Elianna, nine, and son Aden, seven, on December 19 last year. She is also accused of attempting to murder her third child, who was then aged 11.

Police were called to her apartment in Palomino Ranch Point, Colorado Springs to reports of a burglary and found an injured Singler and her daughter lying next to the dead bodies of her other two children. 

But an investigation later found that the initial burglary report and 911 call was 'unfounded' and came on the same day Singler learned that a judge had ordered police to locate the children after she failed to drop them off to their father.

Singler then fled 5,000 miles to Britain, where she went on the run for several days before being arrested in Kensington, London, by the National Crime Agency on December 30.

Wearing a teal cardigan with a red top underneath, Singler appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court for her latest hearing. She sat in the dock busily taking notes during the hearing.

Edward Fitzgerald KC, defending, said Singler denies responsibility for the horrific crimes.

Her extradition is being challenged on the grounds that if convicted, Singler would face a life sentence without the option for parole, which represents a breach of her human rights.

Mr Fitzgerald argued that a ‘mandatory imposition’ of a life sentence would create ‘massive problems’.

David Kaplan, a criminal lawyer from Colorado, earlier said it was ‘highly unlikely’ Singler would receive a ‘commutation’ of her life sentence.

Appearing via video-link for the latest hearing Mr Kaplan said: ‘I stand by what I said. I do not believe there is a realistic prospect for her release.’

He was asked about two cases in Colorado involving men who received life terms without parole for first-degree murders in the 1990s but have since had their sentences commuted.

‘If you have over 900 people serving life without parole and the only examples of people who have received commutation are 2, you are looking at.2 or.3 of 1%,’ he said.

‘If you look at the ages of (Bruce) Mingo and (Dwight) Anderson, they were 19 and 21 when they committed their offences.

‘Given Ms Singler’s age and circumstances she would not fall into the very small number of people that were commuted.’

Police had responded to a report of a burglary at an apartment complex in Palomino Ranch Point, Colorado Springs on December 19.

Elianna and Aden were found dead inside the flat. An autopsy recently revealed they had died from gunshot wounds.

Singler and her 11-year-old daughter were also injured.

The mother had initially cooperated with police but vanished, triggering a US-wide hunt.

She was arrested by NCA officers for offences including two counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

She is also accused of two counts of class two felony child abuse, one of class three felony child abuse, and one of assault.

Singler was involved in protracted a legal battle with her ex-husband Kevin Wentz over parenting time and other issues after divorcing in 2020.

Mr Wentz had shared a picture of himself with his three children in a Facebook group dedicated to the case.

He wrote: ‘Hello group. I’m the father. I also want to say she has been arrested.’

District Judge John Zani is expected to deliver a written judgement on the 24 January 2025.