PARK CITY, Utah (Court TV) — Attorneys for convicted killer Kouri Richins have filed a motion in an attempt to reschedule her sentencing, which is currently scheduled to take place on the victim’s birthday.
Kouri Richins sits in court during closing arguments in her murder trial. (Court TV)
Kouri Richins, 35, was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, forgery and insurance fraud in the death of her husband, Eric Richins, 39, who died in March 2022. Prosecutors convinced the jury that Kouri Richins poisoned her husband using a lethal dose of fentanyl in a cocktail because she wanted to get out of her marriage and cash in on the victim’s life insurance.
The defendant faces either 25 years to life in prison or life without the possibility of parole after her convictions. Her sentencing hearing was initially scheduled for May 13, which would have been Eric Richins’ 43rd birthday.
In a motion filed this week, Kouri Richins’ attorneys say they need additional time to prepare for sentencing to present “mitigation evidence and witnesses” at the hearing. The motion also notes that Kouri Richins’ lead attorney, Kathy Nester, recently had a death in the family, which is preventing her from being prepared for the May 13 hearing. Nester said in the motion that she is also unavailable and out of the country for the first two weeks in June. Another of Richins’ attorneys, Alexander Ramos, said he is also unavailable because he will be in a different trial in a different district that week.
Prosecutors have not responded to the defense’s request.
