US man who killed wife, bought sex doll with insurance money sentenced to 50 years life imprisonment

In a shockingly untoward incident, a man from Kansas in US purchased a life-sized sex doll using the insurance money of his wife, after allegedly killing her in 2019, for which he has been sentenced to 50 years life imprisonment.

The suspect identified as one Colby Trickle dialed 911 in 2019 and informed the operator that his wife— Kristen Trickle (26) had shot herself in their home at Hays in Kansas. However, according to a report in CBS News, a coroner identified as Dr Lyle Noordhoek discovered that Kristen died by suicide three days after Colby claimed that she shot herself.

Months after her death, ongoing investigation into the matter revealed that Colby who wished to be a performer, had cashed in on two life insurance policies for Kristen. Both policies amounted to more than $120,000 (~Rs 1 crore). He spent $2,000 i.e., around Rs 1.6 lakh and bought a life-sized sex doll.

Colby is said to have spent the entire insurance money he received in eight months. Apparently, he spent the remaining sum in purchasing video games, paying off his debts while he also bought music equipment.

"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," CBS News's 48 Hours quoted Detective Joshua "JB" Burkholder as saying.

The prosecutors in September 2023 apprised the jurors about Colby Trickle's sex doll purchase after which the latter's mother Tina Kreutzer claimed that her son purchased the doll for warmth and comfort, and not for sex. She also claimed that Colby was unable to sleep due to certain nightmares as a result of his wife's death, and so he bought the doll.

However, the suspect's uncle identified as Brant Rice reacting to the development said, "(I am) disgusted. Just disgusted. We have electric blankets for that." Around two years after his wife's death— on July 14, 2021, Colby Trickle was charged with first-degree murder and obstructing the investigation by the law enforcement agencies.

The court heard the matter and on the basis of the findings, sentenced Colby Trickle to 50 years life imprisonment without any possibility of an early parole.