Kouri Richins juror says panel went from sympathy to guilty verdict: report

A juror in the murder trial of Utah children’s book author Kouri Richins is speaking out for the first time, describing how the panel went from early sympathy to a unanimous guilty verdict in the fentanyl poisoning death of her husband.

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,” juror 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.”

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That changed once prosecutors presented forensic evidence.

“I was blown out of the water,” she 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, looks on during her murder trial at the Summit County Courthouse in Park City, Utah, Monday, 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 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 her attorney Skye Lazaro during a status hearing Friday, 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, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (Spenser Heaps/AP Photo, Pool)

Defense attorneys Kathy Nester and Alex Ramos did not respond to 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 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 titled “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.

Richins denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].