PARK CITY — Attorneys are going to be digging into their theories and trying to convince the jury of Kouri Richins' guilt or innocence on Monday.
Richins — a 35-year-old Kamas mom, real estate agent and children's book author — is accused of fatally poisoning her husband Eric Richins, who was pronounced dead in the early morning hours of March 4, 2022. Closing arguments begin Monday morning.
She is charged with aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder, first-degree felonies; two counts of insurance fraud, a second-degree felony; and forgery, a third-degree felony. She also has additional financial charges, which will not be considered by this jury.
Jurors were released on Thursday afternoon after both sides rested and told to return on Monday.
Watch the trial streamed live here:
Attorneys discussed instructions for the jurors on Friday; defense attorney Kathy Nester argued that the charges for insurance fraud were not the charges prosecutors meant to file, arguing that specific words she didn't think fit like "fees" should remain in the jury's instructions.
"That is not … anything to do with Ms. Richins. I think they liked the second half of that and pretended like the first half didn't exist," she said.
Nester also said, for a guilty verdict on an aggravated murder charge, prosecutors would have to prove she intentionally caused his death, questioning what would happen if the jury ends up believing she gave him drugs she believed were oxycodone and did not know they were fentanyl.
"I don't think it's enough if she administers it by handing it to him, and he said thanks and eats it, that's not aggravated murder," she said.
This story will be updated.
