Early on Halloween morning 2019, Colby Trickle called 911 saying his 26-year-old wife, Kristen Trickle, shot herself in their home in Hays, Kansas. Sergeant Brandon Hauptman from the Hays Police Department was the responding officer. After speaking with Colby Trickle, and looking at the scene, he was suspicious. Hauptman wondered if Colby Trickle had something to do with his wife's death. But three days later, the coroner, Dr. Lyle Noordhoek, ruled Kristen Trickle's death a suicide.
Kristen Trickle was only wearing underwear and he told '48 Hours' that although it happens, it is unusual for women to complete a suicide that causes injury to the face. Hauptman added that the gun found at the scene seemed large for her to have fired. Another red flag for police was Kristen Trickle's phone alarm that kept going off at the scene that morning. Burkholder remembers silencing it. 'She had set an alarm to get up, to get ready for work, and had plans for that day.