Kouri Richins’ trial is now scheduled for five weeks, from Feb. 23 to March 26, 2026.
Richins is the former Kamas real estate agent accused of fatally poisoning her husband Eric Richins in 2022. The mother of three would go on to write a children’s book about grieving and was arrested in 2023 in connection with his death.
She’s charged with nine felonies, including aggravated murder, attempted murder and financial crimes. Richins pleaded not guilty to each count and maintains her innocence.
She was set for a trial in April and May, but 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik delayed proceedings to allow her to ask the Utah Supreme Court for a Salt Lake County jury to hear the case.
Last week, justices declined to hear her appeal, and Mrazik set the new trial at a hearing June 13. She’s been twice denied bail, and will have been in custody for almost three years by the time the Summit County jury sits down to deliberate.
The afternoon of June 13, Richins’ defense attorneys told Mrazik they’d like six days to select jurors. The judge says his team will send questionnaires to 2,000 Summit County residents, and 240 can be called in for questioning.
The juror questioning, which attorneys call “voir dire,” will be Feb. 10 through Feb. 13, plus Feb. 17 and Feb. 18.
Utah requires a panel of eight, with four alternate jurors.
Defense attorney Kathy Nester says she proposed an extra week, stretching the trial to five weeks, in part because of prosecutors “massive” potential witness list. She says there are over 100 names.
Kouri Richins herself is among those. Her attorneys say she may or may not take the stand in her own defense.
She’ll be in court next on Aug. 1 for a hearing to restart trial preparations. That will include preparing for jury selection and deciding which evidence will be admissible at trial.
