Utah woman Kouri Richins, accused of fatally poisoning her husband, is scheduled to appear in court Monday to determine whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to move forward with a trial.
Richins, 34, faces multiple felony charges for allegedly killing her husband, Eric Richins, by lacing his Moscow Mule drink with drugs, at their home in Park City on March 2022. The hearing is expected to last several days before a decision is made.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, prosecutors said she mixed five times the lethal dose of the synthetic opioid into a Moscow mule cocktail that her husband, Eric Richins, 39, consumed.
Additional charges filed in March accuses her of a previous attempt to kill him by spiking a sandwich on Valentine’s Day.
“After one bite, Eric broke into hives and couldn’t breathe,” an arrest affidavit read. “He used his son’s EpiPen and Benadryl “before passing out for several hours.”
Richins, a mother of three children, has maintained her innocence.
ABC News reports that Utah state Judge Richard Mrazik postponed the hearing in May after prosecutors requested three days to present their evidence. More delays happened when Richins’ attorneys withdrew from the case.
Mrazik then determined Richins could no longer afford private counsel and appointed public defenders Wendy Lewis and Kathy Nester to handle her case.
Before her arrest in May 2023 and after her husband’s death, Richins self-published a children’s book titled “Are You with Me?” about a father, depicted with angel wings, watching over his young son after his death.
Prosecutors also accused Kouri Richins of making secret financial arrangements and purchasing illegal drugs as her husband began to suspect her actions.
A few years before his death, Eric took a trip to Greece with his wife, where he “became violently ill” after his wife served him a drink, an arrest affidavit stated. He survived that particular incident and told his sister about it.
Two months before his death, Kouri Richins allegedly logged into Eric’s life insurance policy and changed the beneficiary from his business partner to herself. She also changed the business partner’s policy, removing Eric Richins as beneficiary and changing it to herself.
The insurance company reversed the changes after contacting the two men and inquiring about the switch.
Eric told his business partner about the sandwich incident afterward. Eric then changed his life insurance policy, named his sister as beneficiary, and removed the suspect from his will, with an estate estimated at around $3.6 million.
An arrest affidavit indicated that Eric did not tell his wife about the will and policy changes.
Meanwhile, KUTV reports that Richins’ attorney asked for her handcuffs to be removed during the hearing so she can take notes for her defense, claiming there is no indication she presents any risk in the courtroom.
The judge plans to consult with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office before ruling on the request. A final decision is expected by Monday morning.
In addition to charges of aggravated murder, assault, and drug-related offenses, Kouri Richins faces charges of mortgage fraud, forgery, and insurance fraud for allegedly forging loan applications and making fraudulent insurance claims.
After the hearing, Judge Mrazik will decide whether the prosecution has provided enough evidence to proceed to trial.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Kouri and Eric Richins/Facebook]
