Defense attorneys for Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three and children's book author accused of killing her husband in 2022, requested to withdraw from her case due to an 'irreconcilable and nonwaivable situation.' Kouri, 35, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated murder, and drug possession, accused of poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, with fentanyl to collect life insurance money.

Ray Quinney & Nebeker P.C. filed a notice on May 17 stating their professional duty to withdraw from representing Kouri due to an 'irreconcilable and nonwaivable situation.' This issue, initially arising from civil cases involving Kouri, affects the entire firm and necessitates their withdrawal from her criminal defense. Lead attorney Skye Lazaro indicated that the issue emerged during a hearing on May 15, which resulted in postponing Kouri's preliminary hearing to June 18.

Motion to Withdraw Counsel and Disqualify Prosecutors

In a filing, Lazaro urged the court to grant the motion for Ray Quinney & Nebeker P.C. to withdraw and appoint new counsel for Kouri to protect her constitutional rights. Additionally, on May 17, Kouri's defense team filed a motion to disqualify state prosecutors, specifically Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth, alleging severe violations compromising adversarial fairness. Lazaro claimed prosecutors improperly obtained evidence, including confidential jail calls and a privileged letter, to build their case against Kouri. 

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When alerted to these violations, Bloodworth suggested that the defense attorney's refusal to use an app designed to shield such calls implied consent to the recordings, a claim the defense denied. The motion also cited a March 26, 2024, incident where jail officers attempted to read documents Kouri intended to give her attorney, leading to a confrontation involving Bloodworth. Lazaro argued these actions violated Kouri's Sixth Amendment rights and justified the removal of the prosecution from the case.

Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson stated that the prosecution will fully respond to the motion to disqualify them after the court addresses the motion to withdraw and appoint new counsel for Kouri. Olson asserted that the Summit County Attorney's Office has always acted professionally and ethically, and any claims otherwise are false and actionable under Utah law.

Charges Against Kouri Richins

Prosecutors alleged that Kouri, then 33, killed her husband Eric, 39, to collect life insurance funds and profit from a $2 million mansion investment he did not approve of. On the night of Eric's death, Kouri, her mother, and Eric were celebrating Kouri's recent closure of the mansion deal.

Kouri allegedly prepared a cocktail laced with fentanyl for her husband Eric, who was found to have more than five times the lethal amount of the opioid in his system, along with 16,000 ng/ml of Quetiapine, an antipsychotic often used as a sleep aid, according to the medical examiner. The day after Eric's death, Kouri closed a deal on a mansion alone.

Kouri has also been charged with attempted murder for allegedly trying to poison her husband's sandwich on Valentine's Day, an incident he survived by using his son's Epipen and taking Benadryl. A petition by Katie Richins, Eric's sister, claims Kouri had financial motives for killing her husband, including taking out life insurance policies worth nearly $2 million without his knowledge and incorrectly assuming she would inherit his estate due to their prenuptial agreement. Additionally, Kouri was found guilty on misdemeanor charges of assaulting another sister-in-law shortly after her husband's death.

Despite the charges, Kouri maintains her innocence. After her husband's death, she wrote a children's book about grief titled "Are You With Me?" She promoted it in local media, citing her husband's death as the inspiration for the book. 

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