Kouri Richins seeks jail release amid claims of good behavior and education pursuits

Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three, who wrote a children's book about coping with grief after her husband's death and was later accused of fatally poisoning him, looks on during a hearing Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Park City, Utah. Photo: AP Photo // Rick Bowmer, Pool

PARK CITY, Utah — Since Kouri Richins has been in jail after being arrested and charged with killing her husband in 2022, she has been a compliant—even studious inmate, her lawyers say. This is part of the reason a new petition was filed Monday, Oct. 22, asking Richins to be let out of jail while she awaits trial, scheduled in May of 2025.

Documents accompanying the petition say that Richins has been pursuing various educational activities while in jail, including enrolling in both a paralegal studies program and an M.B.A. program. She is also taking courses in parenting, history, art and botany.

Richins, a 34-year-old mother of three, argues that in addition to good behavior while in prison, her relationship with her three children is being damaged by not being allowed contact with them. Her attorneys say she has not been allowed to speak with them, except once after she got the court’s permission.

Another consideration, Richins attorneys argue, is that she is not facing the death penalty anymore because prosecutors decided to pursue her case as a noncapital first-degree felony. Initial charges against her included aggravated murder—which is eligible for the death penalty in Utah—but now the charge has been downgraded.

Prosecutors say this change should alter how the court views Richins’ threat to the community. Third District Judge Richard Mrazik had previously ruled that Richins posed both a flight risk and a danger, citing the potential severity of the charges and the death penalty as factors. With the death penalty no longer on the table, Richin’s attorneys are asking Mrazik to consider releasing her.