PARK CITY, Utah (ABC4) — The preliminary hearing for Kouri Richins — the Utah author accused of poisoning her husband to death with fentanyl — has been delayed again, as the state says they need more time.
Prosecutors asked the judge for a three-day window for the preliminary hearing, and Utah 3rd Dist. Court Judge Richard Mrazik moved the hearing back to June 18-20, though defense attorneys said they were ready to move forward.
Wednesday’s hearing in Park City, which only lasted around 15 minutes, was supposed to be the prosecution’s chance to prove they have enough evidence to bring Richins to trial. Richins’ defense attorney, Skye Lazarro, noted that her client has been in jail for a year now awaiting her preliminary hearing. Richins was first arrested on May 8, 2023.
The prosecution was supposed to be presenting exhibits to the court to show enough probable cause for the trial to begin. Mrazik admitted that the court itself had contributed to some of the ambiguity, and he noted that even if the state had presented exhibits today, he likely would not have had enough context or information to rule on them Wednesday.
Lazarro told the court that the defense is objecting to all the proposed exhibits, and Mrazik commanded both sides to meet this week to go over exhibits to make sure all of the objections are detailed before they are admitted into the record.
Richins could face 25 years to life in prison if brought to trial and convicted.
The trial has faced a number of setbacks since 2023, including delays caused by a document Richins allegedly wrote which appeared to tell her family members how to testify in court. Known as the “Walk the Dog Letter,” Richins claims the document is part of a fictional novel she is working on while in jail.
When the letter went public in September 2023, Lazarro attempted to have Richins’ case dismissed, noting it violated a gag order set up by the court in May 2023. In November 2023, Mrazik denied the motion to dismiss.