Army reservist murderer who shot dead his wife, 26, used her life insurance payout to buy life-sized SEX DOLL - and then made his mom defend debauched purchase in court

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An Army reservist - who murdered his wife and told cops it was suicide - used her life insurance money to buy a life-sized sex doll worth $2,000.

Colby Trickle, of Hays, Kansas, was convicted last year of his wife Kristen Trickle and was sentenced in November to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 

Prosecutors say that Trickle 'feloniously and intentionally with premeditation' shot his wife in the head with a revolver before lying to investigators that she did it herself. 

The incident happened on Halloween morning in 2019, with CBS recently uncovering that Trickle cashed in on insurance policies totaling more than $120,000. 

Investigators say he then spent $2,000 on a life-size sex doll just two days after he received the payout. 

Colby Trickle, of Hays, Kansas, was convicted last year of his wife Kristen Trickle, pictured here

Prosecutors say that Trickle, seen here, 'feloniously and intentionally with premeditation' shot his wife in the head with a revolver before lying to investigators that she did it herself

Detective Joshua 'JB' Burkholder told 48 Hours: 'There's a mourning process that I think everyone needs to go through, should go through when a loved one dies.

'To have him ordering this type of doll just months after his wife's death was concerning.'

Kristen's aunt Delynn Rice told the outlet: 'I was just appalled that he would use Kristen's life insurance money for a sex doll. 

'It just was like he bought a replacement of her with her money.'

According to 48 Hours, Trickle went on to spend all of the $120,000 insurance money in around eight months. 

As well as the sex doll, he also spent thousands on video games, paying off debts, and buying music equipment with the hope of becoming a performer. 

Trickle went two years without being arrested after a coroner ruled the death as a suicide. Despite that ruling, investigators continued to build a case. 

Sergeant Brandon Hauptman was the responding officer, and told CBS that when he responded to the scene there were certain aspects that were unusual. 

The incident happened on Halloween morning in 2019, with CBS recently uncovering that Trickle cashed in on insurance policies totaling more than $120,000

Trickle went two years without being arrested after a coroner ruled the death as a suicide

As well as the sex doll, he also spent thousands on video games, paying off debts, and buying music equipment with the hope of becoming a performer

He said that Kristen was only wearing underwear and although it does happen, it was unusual for a woman to complete a suicide that injuries the face. 

Hauptman also said that the gun found at the scene was too large for her to have fired. 

Another thing he mentioned was her phone alarm that kept on ringing at the scene at that morning. 

Detective Joshua 'JB' Burkholder added: '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.'

After Trickle was interviewed with investigators without a lawyer he shared stories of military he did and tours of the Middle East and Central America.

The responding officer said that the gun found at the scene was too large for Kristen to have fired

After investigators approached the military, they were told he had never been deployed overseas our out of the country. 

His lies and the inconsistencies in the scene made investigators more suspicious of Trickle's account of how his wife had died. 

In July 2021, 21 months after his wife died he was charged with murder in the first degree and interfering with law enforcement. 

During his trial last September, his mother Tina Kreutzer took the stand as a defense witness after prosecutors told jurors about the sex doll.

She testified that Trickle was having nightmares and trouble sleeping following the death of his wife and the doll was for warmth and comfort and not for sex.

Hays Post also reported that investigators had uncovered that Colby had googled how to collect insurance money and was engaged in an online affair at the time.  

While he was being sentenced, the outlet reported that he apologized for being a bad husband and son but continued to claim he never shot his wife.