The decision returns the long-running case of Kimberlee Singler to Colorado, where prosecutors have filed murder and related charges.
LONDON — A Westminster magistrate has ruled that Kimberlee Singler, the Colorado Springs mother accused in the 2023 deaths of two of her children and the wounding of a third, can be extradited to the United States, clearing a key hurdle in a case that has stretched across two countries and nearly two years.
The ruling matters because it shifts the venue from a series of hearings in the United Kingdom back to Colorado’s El Paso County, where prosecutors charged Singler with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, three counts of child abuse and an assault count. British courts weighed arguments that extradition would violate European human-rights protections due to Colorado’s potential life-without-parole sentence for first-degree murder. The court determined that Colorado’s abolition of the death penalty and the availability of executive clemency meant the case could proceed in the jurisdiction where the killings occurred.
Police were called at 12:29 a.m. on Dec. 19, 2023, to an apartment on Palomino Ranch Point after a report of a burglary. Officers found a nine-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy dead and an 11-year-old girl and an adult woman injured, according to earlier police statements. Investigators initially explored the reported break-in but later said the evidence did not support it. On Dec. 26, 2023, a judge signed an arrest warrant for Singler listing first-degree murder among the counts. She left the country and was arrested in London on Dec. 30, 2023, by British authorities. “This decision allows the case to return to the community where the alleged crimes occurred,” Colorado Springs police said in a written statement after the ruling. Defense attorneys have said Singler denies the allegations.
In court this year, lawyers for Singler argued that a whole-life term would breach the European Convention on Human Rights, which bars inhuman or degrading punishment. Prosecutors replied that Colorado’s sentencing scheme includes gubernatorial clemency and that the state ended capital punishment in 2020, removing the death penalty from consideration. The magistrate agreed with prosecutors and authorized extradition. Previous hearings featured detailed summaries of medical and forensic reports, statements by first responders and references to prior family court filings. The identities of the two children have been reported by officials in filings; the surviving child was treated for injuries and is in the care of relatives, authorities have said. A precise timetable for transport has not been released.
The case resonated in Colorado Springs because it began as a familiar midnight call that unfolded into a homicide investigation. Detectives collected blood evidence, examined digital location records and interviewed neighbors. City records note that the early suspicion of a home invasion was dropped as physical evidence, witness accounts and timelines were compared. By the end of December 2023, local and federal agencies coordinated with British police as the search moved overseas. Community members held a vigil during the winter break, teachers shared remembrances and residents along Palomino Ranch Point described floodlights and police tape before dawn. The apartment complex increased security patrols in the weeks after the incident, according to tenants.
Colorado case law outlines several steps once a defendant returns from abroad. After booking into the El Paso County jail, Singler would make an initial appearance where a judge advises her of the charges and addresses counsel and custody status. Prosecutors can request that she remain held without bond pending a preliminary hearing on probable cause. If the court finds sufficient evidence, the case proceeds to arraignment and trial scheduling. Discovery typically includes police reports, body-camera footage, lab results and any expert notices. Homicide calendars often stretch months due to motions over evidence, witness availability and mental-health evaluations. Separate civil protective orders or sealed records tied to the family’s prior court matters may be revisited as the criminal case advances.
Reaction to the ruling was restrained but pointed. A spokesperson for the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office said the decision “moves the matter to the forum where the events occurred and where the charges were filed.” A neighbor who watched officers work at the scene recalled quiet streets turning busy before sunrise. “It was still dark and suddenly there were cruisers everywhere,” the neighbor said. Advocates who organized a candlelight vigil said they hope the surviving child continues to receive support as the case enters its next phase. Faith leaders who attended the vigil noted that the community has marked anniversaries of the deaths with small gatherings and that teachers have kept in touch with extended family.
The British Home Office must now complete a surrender order and coordinate with U.S. authorities for transport. Once returned, a Colorado judge will set the first hearings and address filings that were sealed during the extradition process. Officials in both countries have not announced a travel date. The next milestone is the issuance of the formal surrender warrant and notification that U.S. marshals will assume custody for the trip to Colorado Springs.
Author note: Last updated November 29, 2025.