Did She Die the Way They Say?

"One October morning in 2019 in Hays, Kansas, Colby Trickle reported that his 26-year-old wife, Kristen, had shot herself. The responding officer was suspicious of Colby's account. The weapon used, a .357 revolver, seemed too large for Kristen to handle, her phone alarm kept sounding, and she'd shot herself in the face-rare for women. Still, there were no signs that she'd fought back. The coroner ruled the death a suicide. Investigators continued to watch Colby's behavior."

"He took payments from two insurance policies and quickly purchased an expensive sex doll, video games, and music equipment. Investigators also found that he'd lied about his military deployments. In addition, those who knew Kristen well provided ample reasons why she wouldn't take her life. Some said Colby had been controlling, had debts, and had been flirting with someone online, giving him motive to stage a suicide. Photos showed that the gun used was his."

Psychological autopsy helps determine the manner of death when circumstances are ambiguous. In Hays, Kansas, a reported suicide raised investigator suspicions due to the weapon, scene details, and the decedent's phone alarm. The coroner ruled suicide, but subsequent inquiry revealed insurance payments taken by the spouse, rapid purchases, false claims about military service, witness statements about controlling behavior, and photographic evidence linking the weapon to the spouse. A forensic psychological autopsy concluded suicide was unlikely, contributing to a murder conviction and life sentence. The method currently lacks standardized protocols, producing reliability and admissibility challenges despite its value for forensic mental-state assessment.

Read at Psychology Today