Utah children’s author Kouri Richins says state threatened witnesses ahead of trial in husband’s poisoning

Attorneys for a Utah children's publication writer accused of poisoning her hubby to decease are accusing members of the prosecution squad of witnesser intimidation, conscionable weeks earlier assemblage enactment is acceptable to statesman successful her high-profile execution trial.

In a question filed Jan. 25, defence attorneys for Kouri Richins asked a justice to bid prosecutors to crook implicit each communications with proceedings witnesses, citing messages they accidental see threats of arrest, jailhouse clip and the withdrawal of immunity.

According to the tribunal filing, 1 witnesser told defence attorneys she felt harassed by a pb detective moving with the prosecution aft she declined to beryllium "prepped" for grounds and asked that questions beryllium submitted successful writing. The question alleges the detective warned the witnesser she could beryllium arrested and jailed if she did not cooperate.

Defense attorneys described the behaviour arsenic "blatant witnesser intimidation."

TEXAS WOMAN ACCUSED OF PLOTTING EX-HUSBAND'S MURDER WITH FENTANYL-LACED CHOCOLATES UNDER INDICTMENT

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 hearing, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, successful Park City, Utah. (Rick Bowmer/AP Photo via Pool)

The filing besides details allegations from a 2nd witness, who claimed a region researcher warned that antecedently granted immunity could beryllium withdrawn if the witnesser refused to conscionable again with the prosecution team. The witnesser said they had already cooperated and had antecedently been told they had done thing wrong.

The defence argues the alleged behaviour whitethorn interruption Utah’s witnesser intimidation statute and the state’s Victim and Witness Rights Act, and says the communications indispensable beryllium disclosed nether national rules requiring prosecutors to crook implicit accusation that could impact witnesser credibility.

Prosecutors declined to remark publicly, saying they volition respond to the question done the tribunal due to the fact that the lawsuit is adjacent to trial.

WIFE CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER ALLEGEDLY LACING HUSBAND'S DRINK WITH POISON: POLICE

Kouri Richins, the Utah ma of 3 and children's publication writer accused of poisoning her hubby to death, present wants charges against her dismissed. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool/ Facebook)

Richins, the Utah parent of 3 who aboriginal wrote and sold a children’s publication astir grief, "Are You With Me?", is charged with aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, and aggregate fiscal crimes successful the 2022 decease of her husband, Eric Richins, 39.

Prosecutors allege Richins poisoned her hubby with a cocktail laced with illicit fentanyl portion the mates was celebrating astatine their location successful March 2022. A aesculapian examiner determined Eric Richins had much than 5 times the lethal magnitude of fentanyl successful his system. Charging documents besides accidental his gastric fluid contained 16,000 ng/ml of quetiapine, an antipsychotic medicine often utilized arsenic a slumber aid.

Authorities accidental the Utah parent antecedently attempted to poison her hubby connected Valentine’s Day 2022, slipping fentanyl into his favourite sandwich. Court records accidental Eric Richins broke retired successful hives and struggled to respire aft eating the sandwich, utilizing his son’s EpiPen and taking Benadryl earlier falling dormant for hours. He survived the incident.

CONNECTICUT MOTHER CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER ALLEGEDLY POISONING HUSBAND WITH ANTIFREEZE

Kouri Richins, a Utah parent of three, who wrote a children's publication astir coping with grief aft her husband's decease and was aboriginal accused of fatally poisoning him, looks connected during a proceeding Wednesday, May 15, 2024, successful Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool)

A witnesser identified arsenic C.L. told constabulary Richins requested fentanyl earlier that twelvemonth and that the drugs were delivered to her conscionable days earlier the Valentine’s Day incident, according to tribunal records antecedently obtained by Fox News Digital.

Prosecutors allege Richins killed her hubby arsenic portion of a program to cod millions of dollars successful beingness security proceeds. Court documents accidental she purchased aggregate beingness security policies totaling astir $2 million, aboriginal changing the beneficiary to herself without her husband’s authorization. Eric Richins reportedly discovered the alteration and switched the beneficiary backmost to his concern partner.

Authorities besides allege Richins wanted to usage the security wealth to decorativeness and flip a $2 cardinal Wasatch County mansion, an concern Eric Richins’ household said helium did not o.k. of.

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Richins has denied the allegations and maintains she did not termination her husband.

Jury enactment is scheduled to statesman Feb. 10, with proceedings acceptable to commencement Feb. 23 earlier Judge Richard Mrazik. The justice has not yet ruled connected the defence motion.

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