Lawyers representing a Utah woman, charged with the murder of her husband, are requesting a change of venue, arguing that the high-profile nature of the case has made it impossible to find an impartial jury in the local area.
Cori Richens, who is a children’s book author and the mother of three, faces accusations of killing her husband, Eric Richens. This case has gained substantial media attention and scrutiny.
The defense’s motion, filed recently, claims that due to the extensive media coverage in Summit County, selecting an unbiased jury is no longer feasible. A survey indicated that over 85% of potential jurors were aware of the case, and about 60% reported closely following it.
According to the defense, once jurors acknowledging bias or familiarity with the details are excluded, only around 72 potential jurors would remain. This number is significantly lower than necessary for choosing alternate jurors in a felony trial.
They emphasized that with such a limited pool of jurors, obtaining a fair trial for Mr. Richins is “nearly impossible.” Furthermore, the filing cautions that jurors might not initially recognize their biases until specific evidence is presented during the trial. Certain details mentioned, like a document referred to as a “dog walker letter,” could lead to more jurors disqualifying themselves.
Defense attorneys also pointed out that selecting eight jurors and four alternates would require at least 43 qualified jurors, a feat they deem unlikely due to the number already disqualified.
This change of venue request is the second motion filed by the defense recently, as the date for jury selection approaches. In another filing, Richens’ attorneys accused the prosecution team of attempting to intimidate witnesses, claiming that some were threatened with imprisonment if they did not cooperate.
Richens maintains her innocence and denies the allegations of murdering her husband. Prosecutors allege that she poisoned him with an illegal fentanyl mixture during a celebration at home in March 2022.
A medical examination revealed that Eric Richens had over five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his body, and court documents also indicated that he had high levels of an antipsychotic drug, quetiapine, in his stomach fluids.
Authorities assert that this incident was not the first attempt on his life. They claim that earlier, on Valentine’s Day 2022, Richens attempted to spike her husband’s favorite sandwich with fentanyl. After consuming it, he experienced severe allergic reactions and had to use his son’s EpiPen to recover.
The prosecution suggests a financial motive for the alleged crime, arguing that Richens had taken out multiple life insurance policies totaling close to $2 million, later changing the beneficiary to herself without her husband’s knowledge. When Eric discovered this, he reverted the beneficiary to his business partner.
Richens was arrested in May 2023 and subsequently gained widespread attention after releasing a children’s book related to her experiences of grief following her husband’s death.
Jury selection is set to begin on February 10th, followed by the trial on February 23rd, overseen by Judge Richard Mrajczyk, who has yet to decide on the venue change request.
One of Richens’ attorneys, Kathy Nester, is also involved in representing another defendant in a different criminal case connected to the shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
