Housekeeper expected to play key role in trial of wife accused of husband’s murder in wealthy ski town

A Utah parent accused of sidesplitting her hubby with fentanyl faced jurors Monday for the archetypal clip arsenic prosecutors outlined a lawsuit built connected an alleged fiscal motive, toxicology grounds and anticipated grounds from the couple’s erstwhile housekeeper.

Kouri Richins, 35, has pleaded not blameworthy to aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, security fraud and forgery successful the March 2022 decease of her husband, Eric Richins, 39. The proceedings is underway successful Summit County, location to the upscale skis communities adjacent Park City.

A assemblage of six men and six women was sworn successful Monday greeting earlier opening statements began.

Summit County Deputy Attorney Brad Bloodworth told jurors the grounds volition amusement Eric Richins died from fentanyl toxicity aft ingesting a lethal magnitude of the drug. Authorities person antecedently said toxicology results revealed much than 5 times the lethal level of fentanyl successful his system.

Kouri Richins, a Utah parent accused of fatally poisoning her husband, looks connected during her execution proceedings astatine the Summit County Courthouse successful Park City, Utah, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (Spenser Heaps/AP Photo, Pool)

Prosecutors allege Richins obtained fentanyl pills done the family’s housekeeper days earlier her husband’s death. According to charging documents obtained by the Associated Press, the housekeeper told investigators she purchased pills from a trader and provided them to Richins.

The authorities besides laid retired what it described arsenic fiscal unit starring up to Eric’s death. Court records allege Richins owed millions of dollars related to existent property ventures and had taken retired aggregate beingness security policies connected her husband. Prosecutors accidental Eric’s property and inheritance were worthy millions astatine the clip of his death.

In opening statements, Bloodworth referenced substance messages and telephone enactment prosecutors accidental volition beryllium introduced astatine trial, arsenic good arsenic net searches allegedly conducted aft Eric’s decease regarding deleting telephone data.

Defense lawyer Kathryn Nester opened by playing the 911 telephone Richins made successful the aboriginal greeting hours of March 4, 2022, telling jurors the telephone captured "a woman becoming a widow."

Nester argued the authorities cannot beryllium however fentanyl entered Eric’s assemblage oregon that her lawsuit knowingly administered it. The defence has antecedently maintained that nary fentanyl was recovered wrong the couple’s location and has questioned the credibility of cooperating witnesses.

CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR KOURI RICHINS SAYS SCANDAL AND NOTORIETY POISONED HER MURDER TRIAL

Kouri Richins, left, a Utah parent of 3 who wrote a children's publication astir coping with grief aft her husband's decease and was aboriginal accused of fatally poisoning him, speaks to her attorney, Kathy Nester, during a proceeding Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, successful Park City, Utah. (Rick Bowmer/AP Photo via Pool)

Nester besides told jurors the prosecution indispensable beryllium each constituent beyond a tenable uncertainty and emphasized that Richins is presumed innocent.

Earlier pretrial filings from the defence alleged misconduct related to witnesser handling, claims prosecutors person denied.

The prosecution called Eric’s begetter and sister arsenic aboriginal witnesses Monday.

Eric’s begetter described his lad arsenic a devoted genitor who was profoundly progressive successful his 3 boys’ lives. His sister testified astir receiving a frantic early-morning telephone that Eric was not breathing and rushing to the home, wherever archetypal responders were already connected scene.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

She besides described discussions astir ceremonial arrangements and testified astir fiscal and spot matters that arose aft Eric’s death.

Jurors were shown documents related to Eric’s surviving trust, which named his sister arsenic trustee upon his death.

SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER 

Utah writer Kouri Richins allegedly tried to bargain her husband's beingness security benefits earlier his decease successful March 2022. (KPCW via AP/ household handout)

The proceedings follows months of ineligible maneuvering.

Richins’ attorneys antecedently sought a alteration of venue, arguing that wide publicity successful Summit County made it hard to spot an impartial jury. Court filings cited assemblage questionnaires showing galore prospective jurors were already acquainted with the case. The justice denied the request, and assemblage enactment proceeded locally.

Richins was arrested successful May 2023, astir a twelvemonth aft Eric’s death. In the months pursuing his passing, she published a children’s publication astir grief, which she said was written to assistance her sons header with the nonaccomplishment of their father.

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB

Nester, 1 of Richins’ pb defence attorneys, is besides representing Tyler Robinson successful a abstracted and unrelated Utah transgression lawsuit involving the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. Robinson’s lawsuit is proceeding independently of the Richins trial.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The prosecution is expected to proceed presenting witnesses this week, including individuals tied to the alleged cause purchases and fiscal transactions.

If convicted of aggravated murder, Richins faces a imaginable condemnation of 25 years to beingness successful situation nether Utah law.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].

Related Article