An American mother-of-three wanted in the US for the murder of two of her children will appear in court in London today after being arrested in one of the capital’s most salubrious suburbs, can reveal.
Kimberlee Singler, 35, is in custody in the UK after she fled 5,000 miles to Britain but failed to outrun the police and will be in the dock at Westminster Magistrates later.
She was last seen in Colorado Springs on December 23, after she allegedly killed nine-year-old daughter Elianna and seven-year-old Aden Wentz just before Christmas.
Britain’s FBI, the National Crime Agency, arrested her in Kensington, West London, on Saturday and have already started proceedings to extradite her back to the US. The case raises questions about how she managed to leave the US while wanted for murder.
A NCA spokesman told : ‘Officers from the National Crime Agency’s National Extradition Unit arrested a 35-year-old female wanted in the United States of America for offences including two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
‘She will appear before Westminster Magistrates Court today for commencement of extradition proceedings’.
Kimberlee Singler, the Colorado mother who allegedly killed two of her children and was on the run has been taken into the custody thousands of miles away in the United Kingdom, according to police
Singler is accused of murdering two of her children: 9-year-old Elianna and 7-year-old Aden Wentz on the same day she learned a Larmier County judge ordered police to locate the children after she failed to drop them off to their father
Singler’s ex-husband Kevin Wentz released a statement on Sunday identifying his two deceased children
Singler had been in a long legal battle with her ex-husband Kevin Wentz over the custody of their three children.
Police were called to her apartment in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains on December 19 to reports of a burglary. Officers found an injured Singler and her still-living daughter, 11, lying next to the dead bodies of her other daughter, nine, and son, seven.
But a Colorado Springs Police Department investigation found that the initial burglary report and 911 call was ‘unfounded’. It apparently 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.
Detectives, who wanted her for alleged murder, attempted murder and child abuse, said she had last been seen on December 23 and believed that she had fled the state.
But last night it emerged that she was arrested in the UK ‘without incident’.
If convicted when she is returned to America she faces life in prison. In 2020, Colorado abolished the death penalty.
Nearly two weeks after the original killings and a week after she was last seen or heard from, Singler was taken into police custody ‘without incident’ in the United Kingdom on Saturday, though it wasn’t specified where and no photos were given.
Colorado Springs Police Department said last night that they will announce more details at a press conference.
A spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Police Department told DailyMail.com they are not releasing any further information about her arrest at this time.
Singler was also involved in a lengthy custody battle with her ex-husband, and was just days away from losing the kids.
Police, responding to a 911 report of a burglary at an apartment complex on the 5300 block of Palomino Ranch Point, in the northeast of the city, at around 12.30am on December 19, found Singler and her still-living daughter, 11, lying next to the bodies of her other daughter, nine, and son, seven.
On Sunday, Wentz released photos of his two children and their names: Daughter Elianna ‘Elie’ Wentz, 9 and Aden, 7.
Wentz put out a press release Sunday that both revealed the names of his two deceased children and also told his side of what happened leading up to their deaths.
He claims the incident is related to his divorce to Singler, which dates back to September 2018.
Wentz claims that Singler made allegations of both domestic violence and child abuse against him, which a Larimer County court found unsubstantiated, with Wentz deemed not a threat to the kids.
The tense battle had continued well into 2023, however, as Singler obtained a Temporary Protection Order in El Paso County against Wentz after she alleged he brandished a knife at her.
Wentz denies the charge but the order stood until January 24 with an appeal hearing scheduled.
Singler filed another emergency motion in county court on November 17 to try and restrict Wentz’s parenting time based on those same allegations, but the court rescinded the order after they found there was no imminent threat.
On Sunday, Wentz released photos of his two children and their names: Daughter Elianna ‘Elie’ Wentz (pictured left), 9 and Aden Wentz (pictured right), 7
Wentz claims that Singler made allegations of both domestic violence and child abuse against him, which a Larimer County court found unsubstantiated, with Wentz deemed not a threat to the kids
Larimer County Court even ordered Singler to pay Wentz’s legal bills and give him makeup time to cover what he’d lost from the order.
Singler, Wentz claims, did not comply with those directives and did not bring the kids to Wentz on their scheduled December 16 exchange date.
Both he and his legal representatives tried to contact his ex-wife but got no response.
Wentz was granted an Emergency Motion for Law Enforcement Assistance to Enforce Parenting Time on December 18 and scheduled a Status Conference for two days later, ordering Singler to appear with the children.
But by December 19, two of the three children were dead.
He argues that he has cooperated fully with the police investigation into the killings.
On Sunday evening, Wentz celebrated Singler’s arrest in a Facebook post, writing: ‘She’s been found!!’
A Gofundme has been started to help raise funds for the surviving family.
In September 2018, authorities were called when Wentz allegedly pulled a knife on the accused killer and called her insulting names when he came to pick up his children
Colorado Springs Police arrived at the scene and spoke with Wentz, who denied all allegations
A spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Police Department said at the time the 11-year-old was recovering from her injuries and being cared for. It is unknown where she is being cared for or by whom
Singler and her 11-year-old daughter, both injured, were treated at the scene by emergency responders before being taken to local hospitals for further treatment.
But police said that upon investigating, they found that the 911 call was fake.
The Singler family said in a statement of their own Saturday: ‘Following the statement made by the Wentz family attorney we decided to release a similar statement.
‘We are cooperating fully with the police in their efforts to locate Kimberlee and we ask for the publics help in finding her. We are grieving deeply over this horrific tragedy and we ask for privacy and prayers as we navigate this storm.
‘Our focus is on God and His glory and our surviving niece. We hope everyone remembers the innocence involved in this and our sole goal is protecting her. Please pray for all involved for healing and peace as we seek answers, and grant us our privacy. Thank you.’
A spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Police Department said at the time the 11-year-old was recovering from her injuries and being cared for. It is unknown where she is being cared for or by whom.
Singler is currently wanted on four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of child abuse and one count of assault.
A Colorado court has set a $10 million bond.
Singler is currently wanted on four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of child abuse and one count of assault
Authorities had told the New York Times they had ‘reason to believe’ Singler, last seen on Christmas Eve, was no longer in the state.
They have cordoned off the apartment she lived in, and are still investigating her disappearance, despite the FBI joining the manhunt.
It is still not known whether she went on the run on her own or with another person, nor is it known whether there was another parent who helped raise Singler’s children.
Do you have any information about Kimberlee’s time in the UK? Email [email protected]