NEW DELHI: On the morning of Halloween in 2019, Colby Trickle, a resident of Hays, Kansas, called 911 to report that his wife, Kristen Trickle, aged 26, had shot herself in their home. Sergeant Brandon Hauptman from the Hays Police Department responded to the call and, after speaking with Colby Trickle and examining the scene, became suspicious of Colby’s involvement in his wife’s death.
However, three days later, the coroner, Dr. Lyle Noordhoek, determined Kristen Trickle’s death to be a suicide, allowing Colby Trickle to continue with his life. Despite this, investigators persisted in their investigation of the case, reported CBS News.
Colby Trickle, a member of the Army Reserve, received payouts from two life insurance policies for his wife, totaling over $120,000. Investigators discovered that he spent nearly $2,000 on a life-size sex doll just two days after receiving the insurance money. Detective Joshua “JB” Burkholder expressed his concern to ’48 Hours’ correspondent Erin Moriarty, saying, “There’s a mourning process that I think everyone needs to go through — should go through when a loved one dies and to have him ordering this type of doll just months after his wife’s death was concerning.”
Delynn Rice, Kristen Trickle’s aunt, was appalled upon learning about the sex doll purchase, telling Moriarty, “I was just appalled that he would use Kristen’s life insurance money for a sex doll. It just was like he bought a replacement of her with her money.” According to Assistant Ellis County Attorney Aaron Cunningham, Colby Trickle spent the entire $120,000 insurance payout within approximately eight months, not only on the life-size sex doll but also on video games, debt repayment, and music equipment to pursue his aspirations of becoming a performer.
Colby Trickle remained free for nearly two years as investigators built a case against him. Sergeant Hauptman shared his observations about Colby Trickle’s behavior immediately after reporting Kristen Trickle’s self-inflicted gunshot wound. Although Colby appeared to be grieving, Hauptman noted unusual aspects of the scene, such as Kristen being found wearing only underwear and the gun seeming too large for her to have used.
Hauptman also mentioned that while it does occur, it is uncommon for women to complete a suicide that results in facial injuries.
Another suspicious detail for the police was Kristen Trickle’s phone alarm, which kept going off at the scene that morning. Burkholder recalled silencing it, stating, “She had set an alarm to get up, to get ready for work, and had plans for that day. A lot of times, individuals who are thinking about suicide and do commit suicide, they don’t have any plans for the day. They’re not setting alarms. It doesn’t matter when they get up.”
Colby Trickle willingly spoke with investigators on multiple occasions without legal representation, sharing detailed accounts of his alleged military intelligence work and deployments to the Middle East and Central America. However, when investigators inquired with the military, they were informed that Colby Trickle had never been deployed overseas or outside the country. These lies, combined with the inconsistencies at the scene, heightened investigators’ suspicions about Colby Trickle’s version of events surrounding Kristen Trickle’s death.
On July 14, 2021, 21 months after Kristen Trickle’s death, Colby Trickle was charged with first-degree murder and interfering with law enforcement. During his trial in September 2023, prosecutors presented evidence of Colby Trickle’s sex doll purchase to the jury.
Tina Kreutzer, Colby Trickle’s mother, testified as a defense witness, claiming that her son was experiencing nightmares and sleep difficulties following his wife’s death and that the doll was intended for warmth and comfort rather than sexual purposes.
Brant Rice, Kristen Trickle’s uncle, expressed his disgust.
However, three days later, the coroner, Dr. Lyle Noordhoek, determined Kristen Trickle’s death to be a suicide, allowing Colby Trickle to continue with his life. Despite this, investigators persisted in their investigation of the case, reported CBS News.
Colby Trickle, a member of the Army Reserve, received payouts from two life insurance policies for his wife, totaling over $120,000. Investigators discovered that he spent nearly $2,000 on a life-size sex doll just two days after receiving the insurance money. Detective Joshua “JB” Burkholder expressed his concern to ’48 Hours’ correspondent Erin Moriarty, saying, “There’s a mourning process that I think everyone needs to go through — should go through when a loved one dies and to have him ordering this type of doll just months after his wife’s death was concerning.”
Delynn Rice, Kristen Trickle’s aunt, was appalled upon learning about the sex doll purchase, telling Moriarty, “I was just appalled that he would use Kristen’s life insurance money for a sex doll. It just was like he bought a replacement of her with her money.” According to Assistant Ellis County Attorney Aaron Cunningham, Colby Trickle spent the entire $120,000 insurance payout within approximately eight months, not only on the life-size sex doll but also on video games, debt repayment, and music equipment to pursue his aspirations of becoming a performer.
Colby Trickle remained free for nearly two years as investigators built a case against him. Sergeant Hauptman shared his observations about Colby Trickle’s behavior immediately after reporting Kristen Trickle’s self-inflicted gunshot wound. Although Colby appeared to be grieving, Hauptman noted unusual aspects of the scene, such as Kristen being found wearing only underwear and the gun seeming too large for her to have used.
Hauptman also mentioned that while it does occur, it is uncommon for women to complete a suicide that results in facial injuries.
Another suspicious detail for the police was Kristen Trickle’s phone alarm, which kept going off at the scene that morning. Burkholder recalled silencing it, stating, “She had set an alarm to get up, to get ready for work, and had plans for that day. A lot of times, individuals who are thinking about suicide and do commit suicide, they don’t have any plans for the day. They’re not setting alarms. It doesn’t matter when they get up.”
Colby Trickle willingly spoke with investigators on multiple occasions without legal representation, sharing detailed accounts of his alleged military intelligence work and deployments to the Middle East and Central America. However, when investigators inquired with the military, they were informed that Colby Trickle had never been deployed overseas or outside the country. These lies, combined with the inconsistencies at the scene, heightened investigators’ suspicions about Colby Trickle’s version of events surrounding Kristen Trickle’s death.
On July 14, 2021, 21 months after Kristen Trickle’s death, Colby Trickle was charged with first-degree murder and interfering with law enforcement. During his trial in September 2023, prosecutors presented evidence of Colby Trickle’s sex doll purchase to the jury.
Tina Kreutzer, Colby Trickle’s mother, testified as a defense witness, claiming that her son was experiencing nightmares and sleep difficulties following his wife’s death and that the doll was intended for warmth and comfort rather than sexual purposes.
Brant Rice, Kristen Trickle’s uncle, expressed his disgust.