London judge clears way to extradite Colorado mom accused of killing 2 of her children

A judge in London has cleared the way for extradition for the Colorado mom accused of killing two of her children. Kimberlee Singler, 36, is accused of two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting and stabbings of her 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son. She also faces one count of attempted murder in the slashing of her 11-year-old daughter with a knife, along with three counts of child abuse and one count of assault.

Judge John Zani said in Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday that it would now be up to the British Home Secretary to order Singler returned to the U.S.  

Singler has denied killing 7-year-old Aden and 9-year-old Elianna "Ellie" or harming her 11-year-old daughter.  

Colorado Springs police say they were called to a burglary case on Dec. 19 and found the two children dead, with Singler, and the other child injured. Investigators claim that Singler killed them on Dec. 18 and didn't call police until the next day.

Singler had superficial knife wounds and was initially treated as a victim. That changed with the surviving daughter, who first told police she had been attacked by an intruder, eventually told police her mother tried to kill her. Police tried to arrest Singler on Dec. 26 but she had already traveled to England and was found four days later in London and arrested. 

According to investigators, the girl said her mother gave the children milk with a powdery substance to drink and told them to close their eyes as she guided them into a bedroom. That's when Singler cut her neck and as she begged her mother to stop, she slashed her again. She also told police her mother had a gun.

Investigators said Singler and her ex-husband had been in a contentious divorce and custody battle at the time of the murders. 

Investigators said Singler blamed her husband, but authorities said he had a solid alibi backed up by GPS records that showed he had been driving a truck at the time of the killings.

In Friday's hearing, Singler's attorney had argued that sending her back to the U.S. would violate European human rights law, in part, because she faces a sentence of life in prison without parole in Colorado if convicted of first-degree murder. Such a sentence would be inhumane because it offers no prospect for release even if she is rehabilitated, attorney Edward Fitzgerald said.

"This defendant, Kimberlee Singler, has no real prospect of release no matter what progress she makes" behind bars, Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said he planned to appeal.