Sergeant Brandon Hauptman of the Hays Police Department vividly remembers the dark, cold Halloween morning as he arrived at Kristen Trickle's home.
And he remembers the moment he found the 26-year-old near death in bed.
Sgt. Brandon Hauptman: I could see the firearm. … From what I could tell initially, a larger caliber revolver, and laying across her abdomen … about like this.
Erin Moriarty: How was she dressed?
Sgt. Brandon Hauptman: Uh, almost fully undressed. She was just wearing underwear.
After Kristen Trickle showed signs of life, the sergeant quickly moved the revolver away from her and carried her into the living room for CPR.
Sgt. Brandon Hauptman: The only injury that I could see at that point was the entrance wound.
Erin Moriarty: And where was that entrance wound?
Sgt. Brandon Hauptman: Underneath her, uh, chin here (pointing a finger under his chin).
There was nothing the first responders could do for Kristen.
Sgt. Brandon Hauptman: I went out to Colby on the porch … and told him that she had died.
COLBY TRICKLE (police bodycam audio): Hello.
SGT. HAUPTMAN: My name is Brandon Hauptman … I'm the sergeant working today.
Hauptman's body camera was only recording audio that day.
THE TRAGIC INCIDENT UNFOLDS
In a heartbreaking turn of events, Sgt. Hauptman delivered the devastating news to Colby Trickle through police bodycam audio, saying, "She died, and I'm so sorry."
Overwhelmed with grief, Colby Trickled responded with tears, questioning, "Are you sure? Are you sure?"
THE INVESTIGATION BEGINS
After receiving the tragic news, Hauptman asked Colby Trickle to come to the police station to provide details to investigators.
Erin Moriarty: Did he seem to be cooperative?
Sgt. Brandon Hauptman: He was, yep. Agreed to go up, we got him some shoes.
During the police interview, Colby Trickle recounted that his wife, Kristen Trickle, had returned from work at Walmart, and they spent time playing video games before the tragic incident occurred. He described waking up to find his wife with a gunshot wound to her head.
COLBY TRICKLE (police interview): I (crying) — I ran up to her and — and she — she was just looking at me.
DETECTIVE #1: And what did you do?
COLBY TRICKLE (crying): I ran over to my phone and I called 911.
Colby Trickle shared that he attempted to check his wife's pulse while on the phone with 911 but felt nothing. He also mentioned moving the revolver from her body during the distressing ordeal.
DETECTIVE #1: Where was the gun at?
COLBY TRICKLE (crying): It was laying by her neck. I pulled it back.
DETECTIVE #1: What did you do with the gun?
For a moment, he says he thought about taking his own life.
COLBY TRICKLE (crying): I started to put — put it to my head and — but I was — I was on the phone — and they said they were sending people. I thought maybe they could help her.
While Colby Trickle was still at the station, Kristen's aunt and uncle, Delynn and Brant Rice — a local pastor — found out she had died.
Delynn Rice: I got a call from my mom and worst phone call ever to get. She said, Kristen is dead. … She's been shot. And it was just awful. I said, mom, that can't be right. … That can't be right. That doesn't even make sense.
But more baffling was that Colby Trickle had said his wife's death was a suicide.
Erin Moriarty: What did you tell investigators initially? … we just don't think she would do this?
Brant Rice, a pastor: Oh, a hundred percent. …I said there's no way of all the people I know in this world, the last person that I would ever think … would take their own life would be Kristen because of the joy she — she has.
Delynn Rice: It's so out of character to Kristen and how she solves problems … She's not a runner from problems.
Delynn and Brant Rice express that Kristen Trickle's family and her two dogs were her world.
Brant Rice, a pastor: The thought of her hurting herself in any way is —
Delynn Rice: Or anyone —
Brant Rice, a pastor: — is so foreign. … She would never take her life and not tie up loose ends with her family, make sure her dogs had somewhere to go.
They believed they knew her better than almost anyone else, having watched her grow up.
Delynn Rice: It is hard to find a photograph she is not smiling just fully.
Despite a tough childhood where her mother left her and her father when she was 2 years old, Kristen Trickle found a loving home with her aunt, uncle, and their three kids at the age of 17. The Rice family says she thrived in this environment.
Brant Rice, a pastor: She loved being with our family. She loved the peace in our home.
Chloe Rice, the daughter of Brant and Delynn Rice, shares the sentiment.
Chloe Rice: Kristen was my older sister figure in my life … and I really looked up to her. … she was just like always there to make me smile and feel important.
The family remembers when Kristen met Colby Trickle; they were both 18 years old.
Pastor Brant Rice: Colby attended our church. Colby, for a time, uh, was on the worship team at our church. … They are the band that plays the worship music during our services.
Pastor Brant Rice: He wowed her with his guitar playing abilities, songs that he had written.
But just five years later, Kristen Trickle was dead and Colby Trickle was saying she took her own life. Coroner Lyle Noordhoek examined the scene and looking at the wound he believed the revolver was in close range to her chin when it was fired. And in Noordhoek's experience, that was not unusual for a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Erin Moriarty: How would you believe … the revolver was being held?
Lyle Noordhoek: Close to the chin and parallel to the body.
Erin Moriarty: More like this?
Lyle Noordhoek: Yeah.
But Detective JB Burkholder had also been called to the house.
Det. JB Burkholder: We respond to suicides. They happen several times a year.
And to him, this didn't seem like suicide.
Det. JB Burkholder: Having a female with a gunshot wound, especially to the head, was unusual for us.
Erin Moriarty: Curious, isn't it? Why do you think it's more uncommon for women?
Det. JB Burkholder: Women tend to be more focused on their appearance. ...even in death, so they consider that.
And there was one more thing.
Det. JB Burkholder: When I arrived, I recall hearing an alarm.
Kristen Trickle's cellphone alarm can be heard repeatedly in the audio captured by the first responders.
Det. JB Burkholder: I believe I turned it off. ...She had set an alarm to wake up, to prepare for work, and had plans for that day. Often, individuals contemplating suicide... They don't set alarms. It doesn't matter when they wake up.
Det. JB Burkholder: ...there was candy laid out in the kitchen.
Det. JB Burkholder: She and Colby had arranged for Halloween to proceed as usual with... trick or treating.
And nothing troubled him more than the weapon discovered at the scene. Burkholder wasn't certain if Kristen Trickle was the one who discharged it.
Det. JB Burkholder: The gun … was a … full-size .357 revolver, a large-caliber weapon. … approximately 11 to 12 inches. … It can be hard to handle. … and so being able to … place that gun under your chin … and discharge that firearm just didn't seem very likely … for a smaller female … in what was described as a dark bedroom.
Det. JB Burkholder: This wasn't … an open-and-shut suicide case. There was questions.
COLBY TRICKLE'S ACTIONS RAISE SUSPICIONS
After his wife Kristen Trickle died in the early morning hours on Halloween, Colby Trickle spoke with investigators for more than 11 hours. He was asked over and over again to recount the events of the night before.
OFFICER #1 (police interview): Do you, guys have any fights, anything like that yesterday?
COLBY TRICKLE: No.
Colby Trickle also told investigators about his job with the U.S. military as part of human intelligence.
COLBY TRICKLE (police interview): There's some interesting places they send you with being intel, but they sent me to Middle East, and they sent me down into Central America.
OFFICER #1: Sounds like some movie stuff right there.
Det. JB Burkholder: First impressions of Colby Trickle … is that he was a guy who … was in the military. He had a, I guess, a decorated past of overseas tours. … And then also Colby Trickle was a guy who loved his wife.
But Burkholder says he had questions about Colby Trickle's account of the morning his wife died. After finding Kristen, Colby Trickle says he called 911, and as he later told police, he picked up the gun and thought about ending his life. What troubled Burkholder is where Colby Trickle put the gun after he changed his mind: back on Kristen's stomach.
Det. JB Burkholder: Just very odd. Um, it doesn't seem as though if I'm calling 911, if my wife's dying, um, on — on the bed that I would place the gun back down … on her body.
Colby Trickle was asked if there was any life insurance on Kristen Trickle.
COLBY TRICKLE (police interview): I have some on me (crying) from military, but that's it.
No insurance on his wife, he said, and then was asked if he had anything to do with Kristen Trickle's death.
DETECTIVE #1 (police interview): Uh, did you, in fact, kill her?
COLBY TRICKLE: No.
Sgt. Brandon Hauptman: Your wife's inside and here she is, you know, bleeding out … dying and you're on the porch.
Colby Trickle left the police station that day, but first responder Hauptman was increasingly suspicions about Trickle's actions at the scene. He wondered why Colby didn't demand to be by his wife's side as they tried to save her life.
While first responders were administering CPR, Colby Trickle was chatting with officers about video games. That conversation was recorded by a police bodycam.
OFFICER (police body cam audio): What kind of games do you guys like to play, "Counter-Strike"?
COLBY TRICKLE: Uh, everything from "Call of Duty" to "Minecraft" …
That day, as investigators got a search warrant for Colby Trickle's cellphone, an autopsy for Kristen Trickle was underway. At the scene, Coroner Noordhoek, who suspected suicide, had looked for any evidence that someone else was involved — like signs of a struggle.
Erin Moriarty: Were there any signs of defensive wounds or any signs that she had fought with anyone before she died.
Lyle Noordhoek: No.
Noordhoek says he also examined Kristen Trickle's body for signs of past physical abuse.
Lyle Noordhoek: Typically … there's … a series of progressive injuries over a period of time, so you can tell that they've been beating on each other. In this case, I wasn't really seeing that. … So, I'm going, well, I have to take the husband's statement at word value that he was there and the gun went off, and she is dead.
Noordhoek says three days after Kristen Trickle's death, based on the information he had at the time, he determined the manner of death was a suicide.
But Brant and Delynn Rice say the more they learned about the facts of the case, the more questions they had.
Delynn Rice: When I heard that it was a gun, I thought there's no way. … We knew Kristen was scared of guns. … Kristen was also very, very, private in her body, very modest. … when I found out she was not dressed, that was shocking to me.
Reflecting on Kristen Trickle's relationship with Colby Trickle, the Rice's told authorities that for years they were bothered by what they say was Colby's controlling behavior.
Pastor Brant Rice: If she didn't immediately respond to a text or wasn't able to answer her phone, he would get very frustrated with her. … he wanted her at his beck and call.
At the time, the Rice's say they told Kristen they had serious concerns about Colby Trickle.
Pastor Brant Rice: We know that she was not happy with us … I believe he convinced her that we were against her. … and therefore she separated herself somewhat.
Kristen decided to marry Colby Trickle and eventually moved almost 300 miles away to Kansas City.
But life for the couple was difficult says Brant Rice. Colby Trickle enlisted with the Army Reserve and did odd jobs. Kristen Trickle worked at a vet clinic; money was tight.
In early 2019, the couple moved back to the Hays area, and the Rice's say Kristen Trickle was coming to their church again.
Delynn Rice: Oh, we were thrilled.
The Rice Family Reconnects with Kristen: The Rice family was overjoyed to reconnect with Kristen, and it felt just like old times when she lived in their home.
As she made plans for her future, Kristen was excited about launching her pet boarding business.
Delynn Rice: She had already chosen a quaint house south of town with a barn, which she envisioned transforming into the boarding area.
Despite her apparent happiness, after Kristen's tragic death, the Rice family began to question Colby Trickle's involvement and potential for violence.
INVESTIGATING CELLPHONE RECORDS
Authorities delved into Colby Trickle's cellphone data and uncovered flirtatious conversations with another woman.
Det. JB Burkholder: There were a couple of significant discoveries that raised red flags.
Det. JB Burkholder: He engaged in explicit conversations with her, suggestive of sexting.
Additionally, investigators found evidence on the cellphone that contradicted Colby's initial statements regarding his wife's life insurance.
During a police interview, Colby Trickle broke down, admitting to having military life insurance but denying any other policies.
Cellphone data revealed that not only was Colby Trickle aware Kristen Trickle was covered by a life insurance policy called SGLI for spouses of military members, in the days before her death, they say he Googled the amount the policy would pay out.
Det. JB Burkholder: Detective Ridgeway was able to find a, well, I believe it was a screenshot of a search that he had conducted 10 days prior to Kristen's death … asking … what his spouse's life insurance would be.
On Nov 4, 2019, investigators asked Colby Trickle to return for more questioning.
INVESTIGATOR #1: Ten days ago you looked up a life insurance issue?
COLBY TRICKLE: When? When? I never did?
INVESTIGATOR #1: You did.
COLBY TRICKLE: I never did. If I died?
INVESTIGATOR #1: No. If your spouse died.
Colby Trickle, who agreed to talk without a lawyer, suggested that Kristen Trickle might have done the search herself on his phone.
COLBY TRICKLE (police interview): We always gave each other access to each other's phones and stuff.
Investigators also asked Colby Trickle about his online relationship. He admitted that it had started a few months prior to his wife's death after he met the woman on a group chat while playing video games.
INVESTIGATOR #1 (police interview): Did Kristen find out about that relationship?
COLBY TRICKLE: Not that I know of.
Virtual Relationship Unveiled After Woman's Death
During the investigation into Kristen Trickle's death, Colby Trickle revealed that his relationship with another woman was purely virtual, claiming he had never met her in person. However, investigators uncovered text messages exchanged between them just hours after Kristen's passing, while Colby was still at the police station.
Aaron Cunningham: I guess to his credit, he said that he was busy and couldn't talk right now. Uh, but then he said, I wish I could …
Aaron Cunningham, assistant Ellis County attorney, expressed his thoughts on the situation, highlighting the questionable nature of Colby's actions.
Aaron Cunningham: ... which is probably the last thing that you should say to a woman you're having an online affair with when you're being investigated about your wife's death.
After Colby Trickle's second interview, Detective JB Burkholder looked into his claim that Kristen had used his phone to search for life insurance policies.
Det. JB Burkholder: We were able to, uh, get video surveillance from the Walmart store.
Surveillance footage revealed Kristen Trickle was at work at Walmart when the alleged cellphone search took place, contradicting Colby's statement.
Inconsistencies Arise in Statements Regarding Revolver
Det. JB Burkholder: We were able to see she didn't have access to a phone.
Detective Burkholder noted the mounting inconsistencies in Colby Trickle's statements, such as his claim that Kristen kept a revolver by her side of the bed.
COLBY TRICKLE (police interview): She keeps the revolver on her side.
However, evidence at the scene did not align with Colby's statement, raising further suspicions about the circumstances surrounding Kristen Trickle's death.
Det. JB Burkholder: When we looked at the scene … we saw multiple firearms on what was described as Colby's side of the bed.
There were also photos of the couple's bedroom found on Colby Trickle's phone.
Det. JB Burkholder : So, this picture was taken, I believe, a month prior to Kristen's death. … you see a large-framed revolver … on the side of the bed where Colby Trickle's, uh, described as being his.
Erin Moriarty: And do you think that's the .357?
Det. JB Burkholder: That's the only .357 … in the house that we found.
Det. JB Burkholder: That tells me that … this was Colby's gun.
Still, the investigation stalled.
Erin Moriarty: You have all these investigators who are uncovering more and more evidence that there's something really wrong with this case. … and you've got the coroner who calls this a suicide. I mean, that's a problem, isn't it?
Aaron Cunningham: Uh, it is and it isn't.
Erin Moriarty: It was initially, wasn't it?
Aaron Cunningham: Sure. It was certainly, as — as far as their ability to investigate as efficiently as they normally would.
Cunningham says that the coroner's determination that Kristen Trickle had died by suicide limited the investigators' ability to obtain search warrants.
Aaron Cunningham: There was still elements of the investigation law enforcement wanted to follow up on.
In the winter of 2020, Colby Trickle embarked on receiving payouts from two insurance policies: $23,000 from Walmart and $100,000 from the U.S. military. As this unfolded, investigators delved deeper into his military background.
Det. JB Burkholder: He served as a reserve officer in the military but was never deployed.
Erin Moriarty: So, he never went to Central America on deployment?
Det. JB Burkholder: The United States military did not report any overseas deployments to us.
Erin Moriarty: Did he have any experience interacting with informants as part of his role as an intelligence analyst?
Det. JB Burkholder: No.
Despite the apparent fabrications and a suspected motive to harm his wife, Colby Trickle was not apprehended by the police. In the year following Kristen Trickle's passing, authorities monitored Colby as he carried on with his life.
Aaron Cunningham: It was incredibly frustrating for me. ... I would see him in public.
Performing music at a local restaurant ...
Aaron Cunningham: It made me shudder.
COLBY TRICKLE (Facebook video): So, no matter the storm you're facing, keep moving forward.
He also shared self-help videos on Facebook:
COLBY TRICKLE (March 2021 Facebook video): Step into the open where you're unrestricted and savor life.
However, almost two years after Kristen Trickle's demise, a newly appointed county attorney opted for a novel approach that he believed could result in a life sentence for Colby Trickle.
AN AUTOPSY OF THE MIND
County attorney Robert Anderson was just days into his new job in January 2021, when Cunningham and Burkholder pulled him aside.
AARON CUNNINGHAM: JB and I cornered him and said … "This is something that's clearly a homicide … help us to get the nails put in this coffin."
After reviewing the file, Anderson believed that the coroner got it wrong, and that this was a homicide. On July 14, 2021, he charged Colby Trickle with the murder of his wife Kristen Trickle.
Robert Anderson: … certainly the insurance money … provides motive. … But in addition … being in bed next to your husband, naked, shooting oneself in the face … after having set alarms, uh, to get up the next day for work … after setting out candy for Halloween. … These circumstances don't point to a woman who was planning a suicide.
When police arrested Colby Trickle, he didn't seem surprised.
OFFICER: Hey, uh, I need you to step out of the car and come to the back of the car with me.
OFFICER: Uh, detectives have some questions for you.
COLBY TRICKLE: Sure.
OFFICER: … place you under arrest. Turn around and put your hands behind your back.
COLBY TRICKLE: Sure.
And he denied killing Kristen Trickle.
COLBY TRICKLE (police interview): I didn't do it. And I know you — I know many people don't believe that, and I respect that.
Cassy Zeigler: I believe him.
Erin Moriarty: You don't believe that he would shoot his wife?
Cassy Zeigler: I do not.
Cassy Zeigler is one of Colby Trickle's defense attorneys.
Cassy Zeigler: Colby … He cares about his spiritual life. He's a devoted Christian. … I don't see that in him, this ability to connive and plan all of this.
Instead she says, Kristen Trickle had suffered from depression since childhood.
Cassy Zeigler: I think that Kristen dealt with a lot more pain in her life than people acknowledged. … I don't think there's any worse rejection in life than to be rejected by her biological mother at an early age. That's exactly what happened …
Colby Trickle's attorney felt confident. Going into the trial, the coroner was standing by his assessment that Kristen Trickle's death was a suicide.
Erin Moriarty: You had the ability, you had the power to change this determination if you wanted to, prior to trial.
Lyle Noordhoek: Yes, but —
Erin Moriarty: You could have —
Lyle Noordhoek: — but —
Erin Moriarty: — but you didn't.
Lyle Noordhoek: — if a determination has been made, will it be changed to homicide based on an accusation before a court proceeding? No.
So Anderson realized he needed to take action to convince a jury that Kristen Trickle's death was not a suicide. This led him to pursue a unique approach — a psychological autopsy, delving into the mind. To conduct this, Anderson enlisted the help of forensic psychologist, Dr. Ashley Christiansen. Her task was to assess Kristen Trickle's mental state prior to her passing.
Robert Anderson: … unable to directly communicate with the deceased, we have to rely on insights from their family, friends, and acquaintances. We examine their social media, diaries, journals, and any other available sources …
Christiansen's findings would later become pivotal in Colby Trickle's trial. In September 2023, Prosecutor Cunningham opened by alleging that Kristen Trickle was murdered for classic motives.
AARON CUNNINGHAM (in court): this case is as simple as A, B, C.
AARON CUNNINGHAM (in court): A, an affair. B, a breakdown of control, and C, cold hard cash.
Colby Trickle's lawyer challenged this narrative. Cassy Zeigler argued that the alleged affair was merely an online flirtation.
Cassy Zeigler: I don't believe there was a premeditated intent … for a prolonged intimate relationship.
According to Cassy Zeigler, she doesn't believe Colby Trickle planned to kill Kristen Trickle for money. As for the Google search related to life insurance payout, Zeigler mentioned that Colby Trickle doesn't recall conducting that search. However, she noted that he was in the process of completing paperwork for his own military life insurance around that time, which could explain the search if it was indeed done.
During the trial, it was revealed that Colby Trickle not only received over $120,000 from two life insurance policies on his wife but had already spent all of it within eight months. One particular expenditure that raised eyebrows was a $1,942 payment to True Touch Dolls, a company that manufactures and distributes life-size sex dolls.
Colby Trickle's attorney explained that Colby was having difficulty sleeping alone and was open about his purchase of the sex doll, even discussing it with his mother. This revelation left many, including Pastor Brant Rice, feeling disgusted by the situation.
Erin Moriarty: It was described at trial that he needed this doll for comfort.
Pastor Brant Rice: … for comfort and warmth. … We have electric blankets that we use for that.
When Brant Rice took the stand, he told the jury that his niece had become more assertive in her relationship with her husband in the months before her death.
PASTOR BRANT RICE: (in court) I feel that she had really begun to stand up for herself. We were proud of her for that.
And there were texts, says Cunningham, that seem to support that Colby Trickle feared he was losing control over Kristen Trickle. On April 8, 2019, when Colby texted that Kristen seemed different and pushy with things, she responded:
Aaron Cunningham (reading text): I'm just deciding to stick up for myself … Just like you, I'm taking control of the situation.
And then prosecutors called their star witness, Dr. Ashley Christiansen.
DR. ASHLEY CHRISTIANSEN (in court) Right around the time of her death, there was a lot of data suggesting that she had a lot of hope.
Christiansen testified that Kristen Trickle talked to family members about future plans and seemed optimistic.
DR. ASHLEY CHRISTIANSEN (in court): She desired to start her own pet boarding or dog grooming business and had talked about ... this aspiration for opening her business.
But remember, in his police interview, Colby Trickle had informed investigators that he didn't believe his wife knew.
DETECTIVE: Did Kristen find out about that relationship?
COLBY TRICKLE: Not that I know of.
Erin Moriarty: So, which is it, did she know? ... Or she didn't know?
Cassy Zeigler: I believe she knew.
Whether or not Kristen knew, Dr. Christiansen told the jury she believed that at the time of her death, Kristen was at a low risk for suicide.
DR. CHRISTIANSEN (in court): It is my opinion ... that it is relatively less likely that her death was the result of suicide.
Cassy Zeigler: I love those words. Relatively less likely. ... that doesn't tell me anything ... we can't know the mind of someone who's going to end their life.
Cassy Zeigler: That is a long time to go back and talk to people about Kristen.
But prosecutors thought there was another piece of evidence that could bring them a guilty verdict.
A JURY RULES
Nearly four years have passed since Kristen Trickle died from a gunshot wound to her head.
Erin Moriarty: How would you describe the last four years?
Pastor Brant Rice: Hellish.
On Sept. 22, 2023, it was Colby Trickle's last chance to convince a jury that he had nothing to do with his wife's death.
He decided not to testify, but his attorney Cassy Zeigler called his mother Tina Kreutzer to the stand.
JEESY ZEIGLER (in court): Is it fair to say that Kristen was pretty reserved at first when you met her?
TINA KREUTZER: Yeah … very to herself.
Kreutzer described her daughter-in-law as a woman who rarely revealed her feelings.
TINA KREUTZER (in court): I couldn't read her, very, um, emotionless.
It's a drastically different Kristen — says attorney Zeigler — than the one her family describes.
But in his final argument to the jurors, prosecutor Aaron Cunningham shows them the weapon that killed Kristen, and says she couldn't have fired it.
AARON CUNNINGHAM (in court): Members of the Jury, this doesn't add up. And the state is going to demonstrate it to you.
Cunningham showed "48 Hours" with a similar gun.
Cunningham showed "48 Hours" how he believes Colby Trickle shot his wife while she slept next to him.
Aaron Cunningham: It would be consistent with the placement of the site mark … that he would have grabbed the gun from his nightstand, rolled over in bed and placed the gun just underneath her chin and pulled the trigger.
Erin Moriarty: So, if you keep it here (the gun at chest level coming from the right side), then this then would explain why it appears on her neck here (pointing to the left side of her chin).
Aaron Cunningham: Correct.
Erin Moriarty: How significant is it — the fact that the coroner went to trial, still saying it was a suicide when the prosecutors are saying it's a homicide?
Jessy Zeigler: Yeah, it's huge.
Jessy Zeigler: We have to show doubt that's reasonable. And I think there's plenty of that.
That's what Kristen Trickle's family feared as well.
Pastor Brant Rice: All they have to do is convince one of those 12 that they have a reasonable doubt. … What are we going to do? … if he walks out a free man …
They don't have to wait long. Less than two hours later, there was a verdict.
JUDGE GLENN BRAUN: Count one, we, the Jury, find the defendant guilty of premeditated murder in the first degree of Kristen Trickle …
Interview Excerpts:
Erin Moriarty: What do you remember of the verdict? What did you hear?
Pastor Brant Rice: … just feeling like I could breathe.
Delynn Rice: Yeah. I felt just the —
Brant Rice: Just feeling of breath.
Delynn Rice: — the relief for safety for our family.
Brant Rice: I feel like we got our life back.
Coroner's Decision:
Delynn Rice: Yeah.
After the verdict, "48 Hours" spoke with coroner Lyle Noordhoek who said he planned to amend Kristen Trickle's death certificate to now read: homicide.
He admitted he had decided on suicide before talking to anyone in Kristen's family or seeing the weapon used to kill her.
Erin Moriarty: But I'm a little surprised. … Wouldn't that have been important for you to make –
Lyle Noordhoek: Well, the police should know.
Erin Moriarty: — to know the size of the weapon, to be able to make your death — investigation determination.
Lyle Noordhoek: The police should have all that information and it's usually correlated with the pathologist, but it wasn't in this case.
Insurance Research:
Erin Moriarty: … the fact that he had done research on insurance. Were you aware of that?
Lyle Noordhoek: No.
Erin Moriarty: Were you aware that they found evidence that he was having an online affair?
Lyle Noordhoek: No, they didn't share that with me, either.
Erin Moriarty: If you had known that, would you have left that as suicide?
Lyle Noordhoek: No.
Investigators acknowledge they should have done a better job keeping him informed.
On Nov. 20, 2023, Colby Trickle returned to court for sentencing admitting only that he could have been a better husband.
COLBY TRICKLE: Something that I cannot apologize for is harming Kristen that morning because I cannot apologize for what I didn't do … Regardless of that fact, I still take partial blame for that morning. I always wonder if she would still be here, had I been a better husband.
Judge Glenn Braun sentenced Colby Trickle.
JUDGE: The court will sentence you to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 50 years …
With Colby Trickle in prison, the Rice's say their family is finally beginning to grieve the young woman gone way too soon.
Kristen's cousin, Chloe Rice, who grew up with Kristen, wrote a song for her.
Chloe Rice (singing): "Sometimes I think about how my world changed …. I thought we'll never say goodbye… until the end of time … I never had the chance so now I'm telling you goodbye."
Erin Moriarty: How often do you think about Kristen?
Delynn Rice: All the time. Every day.
Pastor Brant Rice: Oh, every day. You know, we drive by that little house.
The house where Kristen Trickle one day hoped to start her dream business.
Erin Moriarty: You call it Kristen's house, don't you?
Pastor Brant Rice: Yeah. … She had a future. She had found her faith again.
Delynn Rice: When you were with her, you felt loved … A beautiful heart, a gentle, gentle spirit. … And she was just an amazing girl.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence hotline www.thehotline.org at 1-800-799-7233.
Produced by Asena Basak. Michelle Sigona and Tami Weitzman are the development producers. Iris Carreras is the field producer. Marlon Disla, Grayce Arlotta-Berner, Joan Adelman and Michael Vele are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer.
