Kimberlee Singler, the Colorado Springs mother accused of killing her two young children and attempting to kill a third in December 2023 — and who fled the country soon after the crime — was back in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing to determine whether the evidence in the case is enough to proceed to trial.

After the better part of a day of testimony and presentations, arguments and cross-examinations, 4th Judicial District Court Judge William Bain ruled that legal proceedings against Singler, 37, may proceed. 

Bain also denied a bond request Tuesday from Singler’s defense team. She will remain in custody at the El Paso County jail, where she has been held since late 2023 after being extradited from the United Kingdom.

The prosecution presented its arguments Tuesday, pointing to evidence and follow-up investigations. Bain ultimately agreed they show “probable cause” to charge Singler in the killings of her 7-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter, as well as the injuries to her 11-year-old daughter, who survived the attack. 

The crimes most likely took place sometime during Dec. 18, 2023. However, the carnage wasn’t discovered until the early morning hours of Dec. 19 by Colorado Springs police officers who responded to a 911 burglary report at the Palomino Ranch Point condo in eastern Colorado Springs where Singler and her children were living with Singler’s mother, who was not home at the time of the crimes. 

Responding officers discovered the two deceased children, according to previous Gazette reporting. Investigators later found evidence indicating Singler, who was in a custody battle with her ex-husband at the time, was allegedly responsible for their deaths and the injuries to the surviving child. 

In the days after the killings, Singler was reported missing and soon after was discovered to have fled to the United Kingdom. In late December 2023, the FBI obtained an arrest warrant and, after an extradition hearing, Singler was escorted back across the Atlantic Ocean by authorities.

At a hearing in May, attorneys for Singler requested a continuance due to the late receipt of a vast trove of documents from the prosecution that needed review. Bain granted that request and a request from prosecutors to obtain additional evidence from Singler, including DNA swabs, photos and fingerprints.

A request by the prosecution in May, to confirm Singler’s identity via DNA after her transport back to the States did not come up at Tuesday’s hearing. 

Bain scheduled Singler’s arraignment hearing for 11 a.m. on Aug. 26.