On May 5, a Utah judge postponed a hearing to determine if prosecutors have enough evidence to proceed to trial in the case of a woman charged with fatally poisoning her husband before she released a book for children dealing with grief.

Judge Richard Mrazik rescheduled the hearing to June 18-20 following prosecutors' request for three days to present evidence against Kouri Richins, defended by her lawyer claiming innocence.

Charges Against Kouri Richins

Kouri is on trial for aggravated murder and any related offense in her husband's death due to fentanyl, which occurred at their home in March 2022 in Park City. The prosecution claims that she gave her husband, Eric Richins, a cocktail mixed with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl. She also tried to kill him with a spiked sandwich on Valentine's Day, prosecutors alleged.

Court documents showed that in December 2021, Kouri expressed frustration to a friend about her difficulties divorcing her husband. She was concerned that Eric would influence their three boys against her and that his wealthy family would use their financial resources to take the children away from her. Prosecutors claimed that Kouri mentioned it would be better if Eric were dead.

Katie Richins, Eric's sister, filed a petition claiming Kouri had financial motives, alleging she opened life insurance policies worth nearly $2 million without Eric's knowledge. Kouri was found guilty of assaulting another sister-in-law after Eric's death. Amy Richins testified that Kouri punched her during a dispute over access to Eric's safe.

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Prosecutors alleged that at the time of Eric's death, Kouri owed over $3.1 million on real estate investments. They claimed she believed she could cover this debt with life insurance claims on Eric's estate, estimated to be worth $5 million. Despite financial troubles, Kouri was close to finalizing a $3.2 million loan for an unfinished mansion in Midway.

In addition to aggravated murder, assault, and drug charges, Kouri faces accusations of mortgage fraud, forgery, and insurance fraud. These include forging loan applications and falsely claiming insurance benefits after Eric's death.

Alleged Affair and Reluctance to Divorce

At the time of her husband's death, Kouri was having an affair and desired to end her marriage but feared losing custody of their children and facing financial difficulties in a divorce, prosecutors alleged in court documents. They claimed she murdered him due to financial motives and because she envisioned a future with her affair partner.

Prosecutors asserted that the day after Kouri's conversation with her friend, she allegedly texted her lover, confessing her love for him despite being married. She expressed reluctance to end her marriage. Additionally, prosecutors claimed Kouri booked a romantic getaway for herself and her lover at Secrets St. Martin Resort & Spa in the Caribbean, scheduled for a month after Eric's death.

Potential Witnesses and Defense Arguments

In the months before her arrest in May, the mother of three independently published a children's book titled "Are You with Me?," portraying a father with angel wings looking after his young son after his passing. The book might be significant evidence for prosecutors in presenting Eric's death as a premeditated murder with an intricate attempt to conceal the crime.

Potential witnesses for the June hearing include relatives of the defendant and her deceased husband, a housekeeper alleging to have supplied drugs to Kouri, and acquaintances of Eric who can provide accounts of phone conversations from the day prosecutors claim he was initially poisoned by his wife of nine years.

The defense attorney, Skye Lazaro, contended that the evidence against her client was questionable and based on indirect circumstances. She suggested the housekeeper had the motivation to lie as she sought leniency in the face of drug charges and that Eric's sisters displayed evident prejudice against her client during a dispute regarding his estate and a related assault case.

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