A Kansas man was sentenced to 50 years in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife and subsequent misuse of her life insurance funds.
Colby Trickle of Hays, Kansas, reported to authorities in 2019 that his wife, 26-year-old Kristen Trickle, had died by suicide in their home. However, further investigation and an autopsy led by Dr Lyle Noordhoek determined she had died three days before her husband claimed she shot herself.
Months after her death, it was revealed that Trickle had collected over $120,000 from two life insurance policies taken out in his wife’s name. Authorities discovered that he spent $2,000 of this money on a life-sized sex doll shortly after her death.
According to a report, the remainder of the funds was used to purchase video games, pay off debts, and buy music equipment.
The details of how Trickle spent the insurance money emerged during the trial. According to CBS News, police detective Joshua Burkholder expressed concern over Trickle’s actions.
“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,” he said.
During the trial, the suspect’s mother, Tina Kreutzer, defended her son’s purchase of the doll, suggesting it was for comfort and not for sexual reasons. She claimed he was suffering from nightmares following his wife’s death.
In contrast, Trickle's uncle, Brant Rice, expressed his disgust with the situation, highlighting other means of comfort, like electric blankets, that do not involve such extreme measures.
The court convicted Trickle of first-degree murder and obstructing the investigation.
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