Children's Author Kouri Richins to Stand Trial Over Husband Eric Richins' Murder Case

Kouri Richins is headed to court. 

A Utah judge ruled on Aug. 27 that the children's author will stand trial over the charges she faces in connection to her husband Eric Richins' death, according to NBC News.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik declared, per the outlet, that prosecutors showed probable cause to try Kouri, who is accused of attempting to kill her partner with a poisoned sandwich on Valentine's Day 2022 before allegedly murdering him with a fentanyl-spiked drink one month later.

And that's not all that the judge determined during the hearing. Mrazik also scheduled a date, with the month-long trial set to begin April 28, 2025.

As for Kouri, the 34-year-old pleaded not guilty during the Aug. 27 court date to 11 charges, including aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, mortgage fraud, insurance fraud and forgery.

Following the hearing, Kouri's lawyers Kathy Nester, Wendy Lewis and Alexander Ramos shared that they "respect" the judge's decision to take the case to trial. 

"We firmly believe the charges against Kouri do not withstand thorough scrutiny and are confident that a jury will find the same," read an Aug. 27 statement to E! News from the defense. "Our focus now is on ensuring that justice is served through a fair trial. We are committed to defending Kouri against these charges, firmly believing that the truth will prevail."

Noting that the "past 15 months have taken a toll" on the author and her family, the statement added, "It’s time to bring this ordeal to an end, restore her life, and allow her and her family to move on."

Kouri—who shares three kids with Eric—was arrested in May 2023 in connection with his 2022 passing. A charging warrant obtained by E! News at the time revealed police had responded to a 911 call from the Richins' home in the early hours of March 4, 2022, about an unresponsive male, and after attempting life-saving measures, declared him dead.

Shortly after, an autopsy showed that Eric died from an overdose of fentanyl and that it was ingested orally, per the document. Investigators further alleged that Kouri—who published the children's book, Are You With Me?, about dealing with grieving a loved one two months before being taken into custody—had exchanged text messages with an acquaintance identified as C.L. to ask "specifically for fentanyl." 

Additionally, Summit County Sheriff's Office Detective Jayme Woody said that Eric allegedly spoke to his family about Kouri trying to poison him, alleging that he "warned them that if anything happened to him, she was to blame," per an April 2022 search warrant obtained by NBC News.

After being charged, a judge ordered the mother of three to remain detained without bail.

Since her arrest, Kouri has vehemently denied all the allegations, saying in a series of audio statements obtained by NBC's Dateline: True Crime Daily podcast in May, "I'm anxious to prove my innocence."

"I've been silent for a year, locked away from my kids, my family, my life, living with the media telling the world who they think I am, what they think I've done or how they think I've lived," Kouri continued. "And it's time to start speaking up."

(E! News and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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