Defense Seeks Venue Change in High‑Profile Kouri Richins Murder Case

Attorneys for Utah children’s author Kouri Richins, charged with murdering her husband Eric Richins in March 2022, have filed a last‑minute motion to move her upcoming trial out of Summit County, arguing pervasive publicity makes it impossible to seat an impartial jury there. Citing juror questionnaires, the filing says over 85% of potential jurors recognize the case and about 60% have followed it closely, leaving an estimated pool of only about 72 viable jurors once those admitting bias or other disqualifying issues are removed—far below what defense counsel says is typically needed to seat eight jurors and four alternates in a felony trial. The defense warns that discussion of notorious evidence, including a so‑called “walk the dog letter,” could further shrink the pool as more people realize they have prior exposure once specific details are mentioned in court. In a separate motion filed last week, Richins’ lawyers also accused prosecutors of intimidating a key witness by allegedly threatening her with arrest and jail if she did not cooperate, claims the state has not addressed in this article. Richins has pleaded not guilty; prosecutors allege she twice tried to poison her husband, ultimately killing him with a fentanyl‑laced drink that left more than five times the lethal amount of the drug in his system.