In a quiet Denver neighborhood, the life of 44-year-old Kristine Kirk came to a tragic and violent end on the evening of April 14, 2014. The harrowing events of that night unfolded while she was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, a call that began as a plea for help and ended in her murder.
Earlier that evening, Kristine had become increasingly alarmed by the erratic behavior of her husband, Richard Kirk.
She told the 911 operator that he was hallucinating, talking about the end of the world, and was scaring their three young children. She mentioned that he may have consumed a marijuana-infused edible. During the approximately 12-minute call, a sense of growing dread was palpable as she described his disturbing actions.
The situation escalated horrifically when Richard Kirk retrieved a handgun from a safe. While still on the line with the dispatcher, a scream was heard, followed by a gunshot. When police arrived at the home on South St. Paul Street, they found Kristine dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Her husband, Richard Kirk, was arrested at the scene and was later charged with first-degree murder. Without being questioned, he reportedly admitted to killing his wife while in the back of a patrol car.
The legal proceedings that followed saw Richard Kirk initially plead not guilty by reason of insanity, with his defense focusing on the effects of the marijuana edible he had consumed. However, he was ultimately deemed competent to stand trial. In February 2017, he accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Nearly three years after her death, in April 2017, Richard Kirk, then 50, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, he also relinquished his parental rights to their three children. At his sentencing, he expressed remorse, stating that if he had not ingested the marijuana edible, his wife would still be alive.
