Juror says Kouri Richins sympathy flipped after trial exposed kids’ book author’s plot to kill husband: report

A juror says the panel was initially sympathetic to Richins but reached a unanimous verdict after reviewing cellphone and forensic evidence

Richins, 35, now faces the possibility of spending the rest of her life in prison after the jury found her guilty on all counts. Her sentencing is scheduled for May 13 at 9:30 a.m. MST.

In an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America,” a juror named Laura said her initial impression of Richins shifted dramatically as the trial unfolded.

“The first thing we hear is these terrible things about her … and she’s just sitting there like all by herself,” Laura said. “At first, I was thinking … that Kouri was definitely feeling trapped.”

UTAH CHILDREN’S AUTHOR KOURI RICHINS SAYS STATE THREATENED WITNESSES AHEAD OF TRIAL IN HUSBAND’S POISONING

Body camera video is displayed on a screen during the murder trial of Kouri Richins at the Summit County Courthouse in Park City, Utah, Feb. 23, 2026. (Spenser Heaps/AP Photo, Pool)

That changed once prosecutors presented forensic evidence.

“I was blown out of the water,” Laura said, pointing to cellphone data that helped jurors track movements tied to alleged drug purchases.

“We all led to the same conclusion that she was guilty.”

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Rather than taking an immediate vote, jurors held a roundtable discussion to talk through the evidence and their reactions.

“People were really sad because they did not want to find her guilty … and it was really heartbreaking,” Laura said.

Laura also described Richins as largely emotionless during the trial, saying she appeared “like a statue” and showed little reaction even when the verdict was read.

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Kouri Richins, a Utah mother accused of fatally poisoning her husband, during her murder trial at the Summit County Courthouse in Park City, Utah, Feb. 23, 2026. (Spenser Heaps/AP Photo, Pool)

As Richins awaits sentencing, growing attention is also focusing on her mother, Lisa Darden, amid new court filings and past allegations referenced by investigators.

Defense attorneys have made multiple attempts to have counsel appointed for Darden, an unusual move that suggests she could face potential legal exposure if called to testify.

Richins’ former attorney, Skye Lazaro, told Fox News Digital the defense initially filed a motion requesting the court appoint counsel for Darden, but the state objected. Both the defense request and the prosecution’s objection remain sealed by the court.

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Kouri Richins, left, a Utah mother of three who authorities say fatally poisoned her husband, Eric Richins, then wrote a children’s book about grieving, stands with attorney Skye Lazaro during a status hearing Sept. 1, 2023, in Park City, Utah.  (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool)

According to Lazaro, the defense renewed that effort in December, and portions of the filing were made public.

“It is my understanding from what was made public they asked for her to be appointed counsel to protect her constitutional rights,” Lazaro said, adding that the defense also sought court-appointed attorneys for several other potential witnesses.

The filings suggest Darden could be a key witness, though the exact scope of her potential testimony remains unclear.

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Kathy Nester, the defense attorney for Kouri Richins, shows the jury an image of a pill bottle while delivering her opening statement in Richins’ murder trial at the Summit County Courthouse in Park City, Utah, Feb. 23, 2026. (Spenser Heaps/AP Photo, Pool)

Defense attorneys Kathy Nester and Alex Ramos did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

But this isn’t the first time Darden has drawn scrutiny.

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In a May 2023 search warrant affidavit, a Summit County Sheriff’s Office detective wrote that Darden may have been “involved in planning and orchestrating Eric’s death,” citing her proximity to a separate, earlier death.

According to the affidavit, Darden was living with a romantic partner in 2006 when the woman died unexpectedly. An autopsy determined the cause of death was oxycodone toxicity.

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Kouri Richins was found guilty of poisoning her husband to death. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool/Facebook)

The detective noted Darden had recently been named the beneficiary of her partner’s estate and wrote that, based on his training and experience, the circumstances would “likely rule out the possibility of an accidental overdose.”

The affidavit further stated that, given Darden’s “proximity to her partner’s suspicious overdose death” and her close relationship with her daughter, “it is possible she was involved in planning and orchestrating Eric’s death.”

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Lazaro pushed back on that characterization, telling Fox News Digital previously that the earlier death was consistent with the broader opioid crisis.

“[She] was one of the millions that suffered from, and ultimately succumbed to, opioid addiction,” Lazaro said. “It is tragic, and, unfortunately, quite common.”

Darden could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Prosecutors alleged Richins killed her husband in March 2022 by lacing a drink with fentanyl in a bid to collect millions in life insurance and gain control of the couple’s finances.

The case drew national attention in part because Richins later authored a children’s book about grief, “Are You With Me?,” for her three sons.

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A medical examiner found Eric Richins had more than five times the lethal amount of fentanyl in his system.

JUST DAYS AFTER UTAH MOM AND AUTHOR KOURI RICHINS IS FOUND GUILTY OF FATALLY POISONING HER HUSBAND, ‘IMPACT X NIGHTLINE’ AND ‘20/20’ REPORT ON THE DEADLY PLOT THAT LED TO HER CONVICTION

‘IMPACT x Nightline: Love, Money & Murder: The Kouri Richins Trial’ Begins Streaming Thursday, March 19, on Disney+ and Hulu

‘20/20: Murder She Wrote: The Kouri Richins Trial’ Airs Friday, March 20, on ABC and Streams Next Day on Disney+ and Hulu

ABC News takes viewers inside the shocking story of Utah mother and children’s book author Kouri Richins, who has been accused of poisoning her husband with a lethal dose of fentanyl. With a timely trial that delivered explosive revelations and a verdict that stunned many, ABC News’ “IMPACT x Nightline” and “20/20” present a comprehensive look at the alleged murder plot, the high-stakes courtroom battle, and the complex portrait of a woman at the center of it all.

THURSDAY, MARCH 19
IMPACT x Nightline: “Love, Money & Murder: The Kouri Richins Trial” (422) — Streaming on Disney+ and Hulu
Logline: Utah mom Kouri Richins was accused of lacing her husband’s cocktail with a deadly dose of fentanyl, then writing a children’s book about grief. Her trial had all the makings of a made-for-TV movie. Will she be found guilty

Extended Logline:
After Kouri Richins, a Utah mother, is accused of lacing her husband’s cocktail with a fatal dose of fentanyl, “IMPACT x Nightline” goes beyond the violent allegations to examine a case that has captivated the nation. What began as the sudden and unexplained death of her husband soon unraveled into a shocking investigation, with prosecutors alleging a calculated act hidden behind a carefully constructed façade of grief. A year after her husband’s death, Richins published a children’s book about coping with loss, raising chilling questions about timing, motive and intent. With her trial unfolding in front of the world—and reaching a shocking conclusion this week — “IMPACT x Nightline” explores whether this is a story of cold-blooded murder or reasonable doubt and what justice ultimately looks like.

The Inside Scoop:

“IMPACT x Nightline: Love, Money & Murder: The Kouri Richins Trial” begins streaming Thursday, March 19, on Disney+ and Hulu.
New interviews include the following:

Brian Buckmire, legal analyst, ABC News
Josh Margolin, chief investigative reporter, ABC News
Emily D. Baker, legal commentator and host of “The Live Trials” podcast
Lauren Matthias, host of the “Hidden True Crime” podcast
Dan Abrams, chief legal analyst, ABC News

Now in its fourth season, ABC News Studios’ award-winning streaming newsmagazine “IMPACT x Nightline” investigates the topics dominating American culture, stories in the zeitgeist, and conversations around the globe. Eman Varoqua is executive producer.

FRIDAY, MARCH 20
“20/20: Murder She Wrote: The Kouri Richins Trial” airs Friday, March 20, on ABC and streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

Kouri Richins, a Utah wife and mother of three, lost her husband, Eric, who died suddenly in 2022. Following Eric’s death, Kouri wrote a children’s book about helping children cope with grief after losing a parent. But as authorities began investigating Eric’s death, suspicion turned to Kouri when toxicology reports revealed he died from a fatal dose of illicit fentanyl, which prosecutors allege was mixed into a cocktail she made. While Kouri publicly promoted her book through media interviews, investigators zeroed in on her as a potential suspect, uncovering what they say was a motive: Kouri reportedly owed millions of dollars in debt from her house flipping business. They argue that Kouri believed she stood to inherit her husband’s estate and was allegedly involved in an affair. Following a weekslong trial in which Kouri did not testify and her defense attorney called no witnesses, a jury has found Kouri Richins guilty of one count of aggravated murder and one count of attempted murder, as well as two counts of filing a fraudulent insurance claim and one count of forgery, and now faces a May sentencing and a life sentence. “20/20” is all-new in “Murder She Wrote: the Kouri Richins Trial,” airing FRIDAY, MARCH 20 (9:00-11:00 p.m. EDT) on ABC and streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

Featuring:

An exclusive interview with Ali Staking, one of Kouri’s closest friends since junior high school
An exclusive interview with the jury foreperson
Interviews with Kouri’s family members
Police body-camera footage from the night Eric Richins died

ABC News’ “20/20” is the No. 1 award-winning primetime program anchored by David Muir and Deborah Roberts. A proven leader as a long-form newsmagazine for over 45 years, “20/20” features unforgettable, character-driven true-crime mysteries, exclusive newsmaker interviews, hard-hitting investigative reports, and in-depth coverage of high-profile stories. Janice Johnston is the executive producer. The two-hour “20/20” events air Fridays from 9-11 p.m. ET on ABC and are available to stream on ABC News digital platforms, Disney+ and Hulu.

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