Killer buys sex doll with wife's life insurance payout

Early connected Halloween greeting 2019, Colby Trickle called 911 saying his 26-year-old wife, Kristen Trickle, changeable herself successful their location successful Hays, Kansas. Sergeant Brandon Hauptman from nan Hays Police Department was nan responding officer.  After speaking pinch Colby Trickle, and looking astatine nan scene, he was suspicious. Hauptman wondered if Colby Trickle had thing to do pinch his wife's death. But 3 days later, nan coroner, Dr. Lyle Noordhoek, ruled Kristen Trickle's decease a suicide. Colby Trickle was free to spell connected pinch his life, but investigators kept moving nan case. 

Colby Trickle, who was successful nan Army Reserve, cashed successful connected 2 life security policies for his woman totaling much than $120,000. Investigators opportunity he spent astir $2,000 connected a life-size activity doll conscionable 2 days aft receiving an security payout.  

Kristen and Colby Trickle Kristen Trickle/Facebook

Detective Joshua "JB" Burkholder tells "48 Hours" analogous Erin Moriarty, "There's a mourning process that I deliberation everyone needs to spell done — should spell done erstwhile a loved 1 dies —  and to person him ordering this type of doll conscionable months aft his wife's decease was concerning." The investigation into Colby Trickle's spending is portion of this week's all-new broadcast, "Kristen Trickle: Autopsy of nan Mind," airing Saturday, April 27, astatine 10/9c connected CBS and streaming connected Paramount +.

When Kristen Trickle's 's aunt, Delynn Rice, heard astir nan doll, she told Moriarty, "I was conscionable appalled that he would usage Kristen's life security money for a activity doll. It conscionable was for illustration he bought a replacement of her pinch her money."

Assistant Ellis County Attorney, Aaron Cunningham told "48 Hours" that Colby Trickle spent each $120,000 of nan security money successful astir 8 months. In summation to buying nan life-size activity doll, he besides spent thousands of dollars connected video games, paying disconnected debts, and buying euphony instrumentality successful hopes of becoming a performer.

Colby Trickle would beryllium free for almost 2 years while investigators built a lawsuit against him. Hauptman told "48 Hours" astir seeing Colby Trickle correct aft he reported that Kristen Trickle had changeable herself successful nan head. Hauptman says moreover though Colby Trickle appeared to beryllium grieving his wife's death, location were definite aspects astir nan segment he thought were unusual. Kristen Trickle was only wearing underwear and he told "48 Hours" that though it happens, it is different for women to complete a termination that causes wounded to nan face. Hauptman added that nan weapon recovered astatine nan segment seemed ample for her to person fired. 

Another reddish emblem for constabulary was Kristen Trickle's telephone siren that kept going disconnected astatine nan segment that morning. Burkholder remembers silencing it. "She had group an siren to get up, to get fresh for work, and had plans for that day. A batch of times, individuals who are reasoning astir termination and do perpetrate termination — they don't person immoderate plans for nan day. They're not mounting alarms. It doesn't matter erstwhile they get up," he said.

Colby Trickle agreed to beryllium down and talk to investigators without a lawyer connected respective occasions. He shared elaborate stories astir intel activity he claimed he did for nan subject and his tours to nan Middle East and Central America, but erstwhile investigators inquired pinch nan military, they were told Colby Trickle had ne'er been deployed overseas aliases retired of nan country. Investigators opportunity his lies, on pinch nan inconsistencies astatine nan scene, made them much suspicious astir Colby Trickle's relationship of really Kristen Trickle died.

On July 14, 2021, 21 months aft Kristen Trickle's death, Colby Trickle was charged pinch execution successful nan first grade and interfering pinch rule enforcement. At his proceedings successful September 2023, prosecutors told jurors astir Colby Trickle's activity doll purchase.  His mother Tina Kreutzer took nan guidelines arsenic a defense witness. She told jurors Colby Trickle was having nightmares and problem sleeping aft his wife's decease and says nan doll was for warmth and comfortableness — and she didn't deliberation it was for sex. 

After proceeding Colby Trickle's mother testify, Kristen Trickle's uncle, Brant Rice, told "48 Hours" he was, "Disgusted.  Just disgusted."  And arsenic acold arsenic needing nan doll for warmth and comfortableness he said, "We person electrical blankets we usage for that. "

Eventually jurors would perceive from Dr. Ashley Christiansen, a scientist hired by nan prosecution to behaviour a psychological autopsy of Kristen Trickle, fundamentally to look into her authorities of mind earlier her death.  Christiansen concluded Kristen Trickle was improbable to person taken her ain life.

A assemblage recovered Colby Trickle guilty. In November 2023, much than 4 years aft Kristen Trickle died, he was sentenced to life successful situation pinch nary anticipation of parole for 50 years. 

In:
• 48 Hours
• True Crime