Utah Mom's Trial Starts in Husband's Fentanyl Death

A Utah mother of three is set to stand trial on Monday for the alleged murder of her husband, whom prosecutors accuse her of poisoning with a lethal dose of fentanyl at their home near the ski town of Park City in March 2022.

Kouri Richins, 35, faces charges including aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud and forgery in connection with the death of Eric Richins, 39, a stonemasonry business owner. The trial in Summit County District Court is expected to last about five weeks, with opening statements beginning Monday and proceedings running through late March. Richins has pleaded not guilty and has been held without bail in Summit County Jail since her arrest in May 2023.

According to charging documents, Eric Richins died in the early hours of March 4, 2022, after consuming a Moscow mule cocktail that prosecutors say his wife laced with fentanyl. An autopsy revealed five times the lethal dose of the synthetic opioid in his system. Richins told investigators she had prepared the drinks to celebrate a real estate deal before going to sleep in one of her sons' rooms due to the child's nightmares. She said she returned around 3 a.m. and found her husband...