Georgia woman found guilty on all counts for citizen's arrest murder
Hannah Payne, 25, was found guilty on Tuesday of felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and three weapons possession charges in the death of 62-year-old Kenneth Herring.
The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) issued a new statement Wednesday after authorities in the United Kingdom arrested Colorado woman Kimberlee Singler, who is accused of killing two of her children and injuring a third on Dec. 18 before she apparently fled overseas.
Singler, 35, is currently charged with four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of child abuse and one count of assault after she allegedly killed her 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son and injured her 11-year-old daughter. U.K. authorities took Singler into custody on Dec. 30.
"Three weeks ago, two innocent lives were tragically taken from our community. Young lives that were filled with hopes and dreams for a bright future. I am heartbroken over this loss," CSPD Chief Adrian Vasquez said in a Wednesday afternoon statement. "The Colorado Springs Police Department stands with the victims, family members, and others in our community who are grieving."
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Kimberlee Singler, 35, is currently charged with four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of child abuse and one count of assault after she allegedly killed her 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son and injured her 11-year-old daughter. (CSPD)
He added that the police department's detectives, lab personnel and victim advocates, as well as the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office, are working to "bring justice" to the victims.
"This incomprehensible act understandably raises a lot of questions and has an impact across our community," he continued. "We will provide answers, to the extent we can, as soon as it is appropriate for us to do so."
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It is unclear exactly how authorities were able to track down Singler in another country weeks after police found her two dead children in her Colorado Springs home. CSPD told Fox News Digital that they cannot share any more information about their investigation at this time.
Police tape marks a crime scene where Colorado Springs police found children dead inside a condo of the Palomino Ranch Point complex after responding to a 911 call reporting a burglary on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Parker Seibold/The Gazette via AP)
"Singler, like all persons accused of a crime, is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and the extradition process is an important step in ensuring due process is afforded to her," said 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen. "The loss of two young children in a case like this is a tragedy and demands the full support of my office and we stand ready to be their voice in our search for justice."
CSPD said Singler's extradition will likely "take a considerable amount of time," and U.S. officials do not have control over the "pace of the extradition process." Her arrest warrant will remain sealed until she appears in Colorado court.
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Chief Vasquez noted that extradition of U.S. citizens from the U.K. "is controlled by a treaty between the United States and the United Kingdom that was signed in 2003."
CSPD officers initially responded to reports of a burglary just past midnight on Dec. 19 at Singler's home on the 5300 block of Palomino Ranch Point. When police arrived, they located the two deceased children and the wounded 11-year-old girl.
CSPD officers initially responded to reports of a burglary just past midnight on Dec. 19 at Kimberlee Singler's home on the 5300 block of Palomino Ranch Point. When the police arrived, they located the two deceased children and the wounded 11-year-old girl. (GoFundMe/The Wentz Family)
The 11-year-old and Singler, who were in the residence at the time police arrived, were transported to a hospital and received treatment.
The CSPD Homicide Unit then responded to the scene and began an investigation during which they determined that the initial burglary report was "unfounded." On Dec. 26, police established probable cause and obtained a warrant for Singler's arrest, though her whereabouts became unknown after she was last seen on Dec. 23.
Attorneys for Singler's husband, Kevin Wentz, told FOX 31 Denver that the couple initiated the divorce process in 2018. Singler has made multiple abuse accusations against her now-ex husband, which the court determined to be unfounded, his attorneys told the outlet.
On Oct. 14, Singler obtained a temporary protection order against Wentz, claiming that he threatened her with a knife. The court later determined that there was no imminent threat and rescinded the protection order, saying Singler had to cover Wentz's legal expenses and make up for his lost parenting time.
Singler failed to comply with an order to bring their children to court on Dec. 16 so that she could exchange them with Wentz, and Singler apparently ignored attempts from Wentz's attorney to contact her.
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On Dec. 18, the day Singler allegedly attacked her children, the court granted an Emergency Motion for Law Enforcement Assistance to Enforce Parenting Time filed by Wentz's attorneys and scheduled a status conference for Dec. 20, according to the statement shared with FOX 31.
A GoFundMe for the victims titled "The Wentz Family" seeks to "help the family cope with the loss of these children, and to help fund the survivors expenses as they move forward."
