Jury selection begins for grief book author accused of poisoning husband

Jury enactment is acceptable to statesman Monday successful the proceedings of Kouri Richins, the Utah parent who prosecutors allege killed her hubby earlier publishing a children's book astir coping with grief. 

Richins, 35, allegedly poisoned her hubby Eric by putting a fatal dose of fentanyl successful his drink, starring to his abrupt decease successful 2022. He was 39. Prosecutors accidental Richins' real property company was nether fiscal unit and that she was the beneficiary for multiple beingness security policies connected her husband. 

A twelvemonth aft her husband's death, Richins was connected tv promoting a children's book that she said she wrote to assistance her 3 sons woody with the nonaccomplishment of their father. 

Richins was arrested and charged with her husband's execution successful May 2023. She pleaded not blameworthy and was denied bail connected aggregate occasions. She besides faces multiple fiscal charges. 

Richins' attorneys person tried to get the proceedings moved retired of her community, arguing that the 35-year-old could not get a just proceedings wherever the immense bulk of imaginable jurors knew astir the case, but the justice denied a alteration of venue. CBS News legal contributor Caroline Polisi said she wasn't amazed by the determination and said that portion "this is simply a sensationalized case" with "national attention," prosecutors should beryllium capable to assemble an impartial jury. 

"It is highly improbable that each of these jurors that are going to beryllium seated haven't work astir it, but it is not improbable that they tin find astatine slightest 8 jurors, 4 alternates, that tin stay just and impartial," Polisi said. 

CBS affiliate KUTV reported that imaginable jurors were asked to respond to a 23-page questionnaire containing 99 questions, including inquiries astir wherever they get their news, what TV they watch, and what organizations they support. Nathan Evershed, a erstwhile authoritative who is not affiliated with the case, said the papers is "about arsenic agelong arsenic I've ever seen." Many of the questions are routine, helium said, but immoderate are case-specific. 

"When they started getting into opinions astir the case, erstwhile they started getting into backgrounds of connections with unfortunate rights organizations, societal media accounts, these things, you tin spot they're truly trying to get granular connected this," Evershed told KUTV. "Tell america astir what you perceive to. Tell america astir societal media. Tell america astir precise circumstantial opinions connected precise circumstantial things."

Jury enactment is scheduled to instrumentality 5 days, KUTV reported. Richins' proceedings is acceptable to statesman connected Monday, February 23. 

Richins' mother, Lisa Darden, told "48 Hours" that she is "a 100 percent" definite her girl volition beryllium recovered innocent. 

"For anybody who knows Kouri conscionable knows … She could not person done this. … She'd ne'er bash this," Darden said. 

In:

• Utah
• Crime
• Poisoning