In October, Kouri Richins asked a Summit County judge to grant her bail on the grounds that new case evidence supports her claim of innocence.
Monday, 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik disagreed, rejecting her pretrial release for the third time.
Richins has been in the Summit County Jail since May 2023, when she was arrested in connection with the fentanyl overdose death of her husband Eric Richins the year before.
Summit County prosecutors claim Kouri Richins’ housekeeper sold her fentanyl and that she used it to poison her husband.
But the defense said a witness had recanted his claim that he sold fentanyl to the housekeeper, which they say “goes to the heart of the state’s allegations.”
Mrazik’s ruling says the prosecution still has substantial evidence to support an aggravated murder charge.
He acknowledged that the “ambiguity” regarding where the housekeeper got fentanyl could “poke holes” in prosecutors’ theory. But, he says “the holes are not substantial enough” to warrant pretrial release.
Mrazik’s eight-page ruling cites other evidence that he says a reasonable jury could use to convict Richins.
That includes the housekeeper’s sworn statements about selling Richins fentanyl, the state of the former real estate agent’s financial affairs and her understanding that she could get more from Eric Richin’s estate if he died, rather than in a divorce.
Kouri Richins is scheduled to go to trial on five felonies, including aggravated murder and attempted criminal homicide, in February. She has pleaded not guilty on all counts and maintains her innocence.
Prosecutors argue her motive was partly financial, and in a separate case, brought 26 additional financial felony charges against her this summer. Richins’ initial appearance before Mrazik on those is scheduled for Dec. 5.
