Summit County

Kouri Richins will stand trial for murder, pleads not guilty to all charges

KPCW | By Connor Thomas

Published August 27, 2024 at 6:14 PM MDT

Kouri Richins, a Kamas mother of three who wrote a children's book about coping with grief after her husband's death and was later accused of fatally poisoning him, looks on during a court hearing Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Silver Summit.

Jury selection is scheduled for the end of April 2025.

The mother who went on to write a children’s book about grieving faces aggravated murder, attempted murder, drug distribution and financial charges in connection with the March 2022 death of her husband Eric Richins.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik ruled Aug. 27 she’ll stand trial for each one.

“We are not determining in any degree guilt at all,” Mrazik said Aug. 27. “Ms. Richins was presumed innocent of all charges yesterday, she is presumed innocent of all charges today and she will remain presumed innocent of all charges through trial.”

Richins pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges after thre ruling.

The two-day hearing began with witness testimony Aug. 26. On Aug. 27, both sides made their oral arguments.

Kouri Richins, center, a Kamas mother of three who wrote a children's book about coping with grief after her husband's death and was later accused of fatally poisoning him, looks on during a court hearing Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Silver Summit.

The judge pressed Summit County prosecutors about the attempted murder charge, connected to an alleged medical emergency Eric Richins suffered on Valentine’s Day weeks before his death.

Prosecutors allege that’s when Richins first tried to poison her husband with fentanyl, but defense attorney Kathy Nester said they don’t have the evidence to show Richins caused his reaction.

“To stand trial for attempted aggravated murder, which is about the next-most serious charge you can ever be charged with, because he went to take a nap, is pushing it, your honor,” the defense attorney said.

But the state proffered evidence including a sworn statement from Richins’ alleged drug dealer and a message Richins sent her later that month asking for something stronger—“some of the Michael Jackson stuff.”

“She doesn't check on him for two hours [Valentine’s Day]. She doesn't come home, she doesn't text, she doesn't call, she doesn't check on him,” Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth said. “Their next communication is two hours later, when Eric Richins checks in with the defendant.”

Judge Mrazik said Utah law requires that he give prosecutors the benefit of the doubt during a preliminary hearing. It’s up to the jury to consider alternative theories of what happened at trial.

Third District Judge Judge Richard Mrazik looks on during a hearing for Kouri Richins, a Kamas mother of three who wrote a children's book about coping with grief after her husband's death and was later accused of fatally poisoning him Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Silver Summit.

Nester and fellow defense attorneys Wendy Lewis and Alex Ramos said in a statement after the hearing they respect the court’s decision. But they’re confident a jury will find Kouri Richins innocent.

“Our focus now is on ensuring that justice is served through a fair trial,” they said. “These past 15 months have taken a heavy toll on Kouri and her three children. It’s time to bring this ordeal to an end, restore her life and allow her and her family to move on.”

Richins’ mother Lisa Darden declined to comment, and Eric Richins’ family spokesperson Greg Skordas did not give a statement.

A pretrial conference is set for Sept. 23, where the parties will discuss jury selection, which was tentatively scheduled for the end of April.

That means the earliest Kouri Richins could stand trial would be May 2025, two years after her arrest. She’s being held without bond in the Summit County jail.