Kamas mother of three Kouri Richins is scheduled to stand trial for her husband’s murder, attempted murder, drug distribution and financial crimes over three weeks in May 2025.
The case has made international news, and defense attorney Kathy Nester informed a 3rd District judge at a pretrial conference Sept. 23 she and her team plan to motion for a change of venue.
One way to keep the case in Summit County but still avoid concerns about impartiality could be to draw jurors from neighboring counties.
“Candidly, if we can keep the trial date and ask, reasonably, Salt Lake County jurors to drive up here,” 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik said, pointing out Summit County jurors may need to drive long distances regardless of the venue, “I'd rather do that than move the case to Matheson [Courthouse].”
Sometimes attorneys survey one or more counties to prove that a venue change is needed. It’s unclear what the scope of the defense team’s change of venue request will be.
Mrazik said previous high-profile cases in Summit County have taken extra steps to protect jurors’ identity. In the 2023 Gwyneth Paltrow civil suit that unfolded in the very same courtroom, jurors were afforded special parking and a separate entrance.
Richins is charged with 11 felonies in connection with the March 2022 death of her husband Eric Richins including attempted and aggravated murder, drug distribution and financial crimes.
Prosecutors claim Richins used five times the lethal dose of fentanyl to poison her husband for financial gain and to start a new life with another man.
Richins, who wrote a children’s book about grieving her husband’s death, has pleaded not guilty to each count. Her attorneys expect a jury to agree, but if convicted on the charges, she could spend the rest of her life in prison.
Her attorneys also said Sept. 23 they plan to ask the court to separate the charges into multiple trials.
Richins has been held without bail since her May 2023 arrest and June 2023 detention hearing. Her attorneys want the court to reconsider that decision. A hearing is set for Oct. 28.
