Kumari Shreya
When Kristen Trickle was found dead, there was little to indicate any sort of foul play. Despite what the crime scene seemed to suggest though, those behind the investigation were not content with taking things at face value, especially after seeing an odd pattern of behavior of their suspect. CBS’ ’48 Hours,’ titled ‘Kristen Trickle: Autopsy of the Mind,’ explores just how each and every facet of the case was examined in depth in order to ensure that a possible murder was not ignored and that justice was meted out as needed.
Kristen Trickle Was Found Dead in Her Home
Hailing from Hays, Kansas, Kristen Tickle celebrated her 26th birthday on August 20, 2019. She was the beloved daughter of Daren Guy and Christine (Cameron) Guy. She also had two sisters named Kaili and Kori Guy, while her brother, Stephen Guy, had passed away before her. Though she was born at Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital in Camp Pendleton, California, Kristen spent most of her life in Kansas.
In fact, Kristen ended up graduating from Hays High School in 2013 and went on to get a Business Administration certificate from the North Central Kansas Technical College by studying there for one year. At the age of 20, she got married to Colby Trickle on April 25, 2014. For the most part, she was loved by those around her. She split her time between working at Walmart and spending time with animals when doing her work at veterinary clinics. Additionally, she was a part of the Celebration Community Church and could often be seen enjoying the company of friends and family.
As such, it shocked many when the news of her death on October 31, 2019, became known to others. In the early hours of the tragic Halloween morning, Kristen’s husband Colby had called the police and told them she had taken her own life using a gun. He said he found her dead in their home and rushed to call the police. When the police arrived at the scene, they found Kristen in her underwear with a gunshot wound in her head. The investigators also found her mobile phone ringing with one of Kristen’s alarms. Three days after she was found dead, Kristen’s death was ruled as a suicide by the coroner, though it wasn’t enough for the investigators, who continued to work on the case to see if things were indeed how they seemed to be.
Kristen Trickle Was Killed By Her Husband For Money
For the investigators, Kristen Trickle’s husband, Colby Trickle, had been a suspect from the very start. Though it had been Colby himself who had called the police, those in charge of the case felt things might not exactly be what they seemed like. This apparently came about after the police looked at the crime scene and talked to Colby. Not only did the officers find it odd that Kristen had been in her underwear, but they also stated that women often tend to avoid injuring their face if they decide to take their own life, as opposed to the headwound that Kristen was found with.
Additionally, the gun found at the crime scene was considered to have been too large for Kristen to have used on herself. The alarms that she had on for the day she was found dead added to the disbelief of the investigators when it came to considering the death to be a self-inflicted one. “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,” Detective Joshua “JB” Burkholder explained.
Positive that Kristen had not taken her life, the police turned toward Colby, who had gotten $120,000 from two life insurance policies in his wife’s name. What struck odd to almost everyone who heard about it was the fact that he had bought a sex doll worth $2,000 two days after he had received one of his insurance payouts. At that time, Kristen had been dead for only a few months. Some of his other purchases and payments included the money spent on video games that were in thousands and clearing off his debt. He had also bought music equipment in apparent hopes of becoming a professional in the field.
A part of the army reserve, Colby had claimed he had gathered intel for the military and served in the Middle East and Central America. However, the army confirmed that Colby had never been sent out of the country as a serviceman. Given his suspicious behavior, the investigators felt that the man had indeed been involved in the death of his wife, Kristen. Hence, on July 14, 2021, Colby was arrested for first-degree murder and two charges of interfering with the work of law enforcement. The latter was because investigators were given false information at least twice, which hampered the investigation.
The trial against Colby took place in September 2023, where a psychologist even claimed that Kristen’s apparent state of mind prior to her death did not seem to be of someone planning to take their own life. This postpartum psychological analysis of the victim was referred to as a psychological autopsy. Colby’s actions with the insurance money and his alleged lies about his army experience seemed to work against him. It was also revealed that Colby had searched about how to collect insurance money about ten days before Kristen was found dead. He was also believed to have been involved in an affair through the internet.
Ultimately, Colby was found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and interference with law enforcement in September 2023. On November 20, 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison without a possibility of parole for 50 years for the charge of premeditated first-degree murder. Additionally, he was given a six-month prison sentence for interfering with the law enforcement investigation. As of writing, Colby is a resident of Ellsworth Correctional Facility, having been admitted to the facility on November 30, 2023.
