A Colorado Springs mother accused of killing two of her children and injuring a third is officially headed for trial, after an El Paso County judge found probable cause in a closely watched homicide case that spans two continents. Kimberlee Singler, extradited from the United Kingdom earlier this year, remains locked up in the El Paso County Jail with no bond and is set to be arraigned at 11 a.m. on Aug. 26.
Judge William Bain spent a full day Tuesday hearing testimony and reviewing case documents before ruling that prosecutors had met the low bar required at a preliminary hearing, according to The Colorado Springs Gazette. The court also turned down a defense bid for bond, keeping Singler in custody as the case moves toward the next phase.
Prosecutors argued that toxicology tests found sedative-type medications in the children’s systems and said investigators later recovered empty prescription bottles at the family’s Palomino Ranch Point home, including one prescription they contend was Singler’s. Defense attorneys countered that lab results cannot pinpoint when any medication was taken and highlighted DNA they say ties Singler’s ex-husband to a gun and a knife collected in the case. The parents’ contentious custody battle and a disputed remark attributed to the ex-husband also came up in court; those details were outlined by KKTV.
What investigators say
Investigators believe the killings most likely took place on Dec. 18, 2023, and were uncovered early the next morning after officers responded to a 911 call reporting a burglary at the home, according to AP News. Police and prosecutors say the surviving 11-year-old initially repeated that “intruder” story but later told detectives she had been instructed to stick to that account, a change that investigators cited when they sought an arrest warrant.
Defense raises chain-of-custody questions
Singler’s legal team told the court they needed more precision on when any drugs could have been ingested and raised chain-of-custody concerns about evidence gathered before Singler left the country, according to KKTV. Defense attorneys also pressed the issue of the disputed DNA findings and complained that hundreds of pages of discovery arrived only this spring, arguments that helped narrow what was addressed during the preliminary hearing.
Court orders and next steps
Judge Bain has scheduled Singler’s arraignment for 11 a.m. on Aug. 26 and has again declined to set bond, keeping her jailed while the case proceeds, as reported by The Colorado Springs Gazette. The court has also sharply limited expanded media coverage of pretrial hearings under a written order on file in the 4th Judicial District. That order, available through the Colorado Judicial Branch, states that requests for additional camera or recording access beyond advisement and arraignment will be summarily denied.
Legal implications
Singler is charged in the 4th Judicial District with multiple felonies, including two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, and several child-abuse counts, according to AP News. Under Colorado law, first-degree murder is a class 1 felony that can carry a life sentence; the exact potential punishment depends on fact-specific sentencing rules and recent statutory changes. Background on sentencing for class 1 felonies is available in the Colorado Revised Statutes (Justia).
The upcoming arraignment will formally bring the charges before the court and could include early decisions about scheduling and discovery that determine if and when a trial date gets locked in. For now, the key date for anyone following the case is Aug. 26 in an El Paso County courtroom.
