PARK CITY, Utah (Court TV) — After years of motions and arguments in court, Kouri Richins now has a trial date to face charges that she murdered her husband.
Children’s book author Kouri Richins, who is accused of fatally poisoning her husband, appears in court Monday, June 12, 2023, for a detention hearing. (Court TV)
Richins is charged with felony murder and homicide charges in the death of her husband, Eric Richins, who died from a lethal dose of fentanyl in 2022. Prosecutors say Kouri laced a Moscow mule with the drug in a plot to murder Eric for his life insurance. Kouri also faces financial charges, including mortgage and insurance fraud.
MORE | State accuses Richins’ defense of ‘manipulation,’ ‘putting on a show’
Kouri was charged with Eric’s murder in 2023, but has waited to stand trial after a series of delays, including one caused by her own attorneys abruptly withdrawing from her case. The latest delay came in April, after Judge Richard Mrazik denied a motion to move the case out of Summit County, which Kouri’s defense had requested due to pervasive media coverage. At that point, the case was put on hold so Kouri could appeal that decision to the Utah Supreme Court.
The higher court denied the appeal, allowing Kouri’s case to move forward. Now, her trial is scheduled to begin on February 23, with jury selection starting on February 10. Both Kouri’s defense and prosecutors had asked Judge Mrazik to expand the jury pool and conduct in-person questioning of the jurors, but Mrazik denied the request, and the appeals court upheld his ruling.
In a statement to Court TV, Kouri’s attorneys, Kathy Nester and Wendy Lewis said they were pleased to have a trial date. “After two years in jail, we are relieved Kouri has a trial date. She is ready for the truth to come out — and for the false narratives that have defined this case to be confronted in a court of law. We are confident that once the facts are heard, it will be clear to all that Kouri is innocent.”
