Kouri Richins Denied Bail Once Again as Some Charges are Dropped

A judge has denied Kouri Richins’ request for bail while dropping two of the 11 charges involved in the case dating back to 2022. 

Richins is accused of killing her husband by poisoning him with fentanyl. She then wrote a children’s book about grief shortly after. 

Our news partners with ABC4 Utah have more details in their full article on the subject, but here’s a quick summary of some of the key points. 

Aubree B. Jennings from ABC4 Utah wrote, “Kouri Richins, the Kamas woman accused of poisoning her husband and later writing a children’s book on grief, was denied bail for the second time after the judge ruled she was a flight risk and a potential danger to herself or others. The court also granted the state’s motion to dismiss both drug distribution charges.” 

While the judge dropped two charges related to drug distribution, he denied the defense’s request to separate the case into two trials. 

Jennings wrote, “Richins’ attorneys then discussed their request to sever the aggravated murder and attempted criminal homicide charges, arguing that they should be tried in separate trials to avoid jury prejudice. They also argued that the mortgage fraud and forgery charges were “wholly unrelated” to the death of Eric Richins.” 

The judge said Richins' request for bail was denied since she could flee from the authorities. 

Jennings wrote, “While the death penalty is not on the table, Mrazik [the judge] said potentially dying in prison from old age is still a strong incentive to harm others or flee.” 

We’ll continue to provide updates as the case develops.