Kouri Richins, a children’s author accused of fatally drugging her husband, was denied release on bail and was seen crying as her dead husband's sisters gave victim impact statements.
On Monday, the Utah author and mother of three was ruled a "substantial danger" to herself, her family, and the community, resulting in a judge denying her request for bail.
Prosecutors previously argued that Ms Richins was an "extreme danger" to others, noting that she allegedly killed her husband through a "calculated" poisoning plot, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
“Poisoning is a disturbingly calculated murder method and money an ever-present murder motive,” Summit County prosecutors argued.
Her husband, Eric Richins, was found dead on 4 March, 2022, collapsed at the foot of his bed. Toxicology reports found five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system.
Ms Richins was charged on 8 May with one count of aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in connection to her husband's death.
Prosecutors believe the author — who later self-published a children's book about an angelic father watching over his children after his death — drugged a Moscow Mule she made for her husband after the couple had marital fights over money.
On Monday, the state called Detective Jeff O'Driscoll to the stand, who confirmed that Mr Richin died due to a fentanyl overdose. He further revealed that an individual going by CL, who he said was a friend of Ms Richins, allegedly provided her the fentanyl. That information led to her arrest.
The state also called the victim’s sister, Amy Richins, to give a victim impact statement.
”Eric is gone and I am brokenhearted. He was my best friend and protector. … I can never talk to him, never hug him, and never more be a part of his life,”she said. “I never knew evil like this existed."
She also recalled a time when she found Ms Richins allegedly trying to break into her brother's safe. Amy Richins said she confronted Ms Richins, who "looked at her with pure hatred and rage" and allegedly punched her several times in the face and neck.
The prosecution also allegedly found that Ms Richins had searched the internet for information about whether "naloxone [is] similar to heroin," "what is considered a non-natural manner of death," and looked for "luxury prisons for the rich."
Summit County prosecutor Patricia Cassell argued on Monday that Ms Richins was in "dire financial straits" and saw the alleged murder as a pathway out of debt.
Brooke Karrington, a financial forensic analyst called by the prosecution, told the court that Ms Richins received $1.3m in life insurance policies after her husband died.
The author's defence attorneys have maintained that the state has failed to produce evidence of the fentanyl and that it has failed to link any fentanyl to Ms Richins.
Skye Lazaro, the attorney representing Ms Richins, told the court that there is "nothing to show that Kouri did anything to Eric."
She said his death "could have been accidental" and reminded the court that "being bad with money does not make you a murderer."
The defence has argued that the prosecution "simply accepted" the narrative given by the victim’s family — that she poisoned him — and "worked backward in an effort to support it."
Ms Richins has denied involvement in her husband's death, and told investigators she attempted CPR after she found him unresponsive.
Mr O'Driscoll told the court that after speaking to a first responder who treated Mr Richins, he believes Ms Richin did not attempt CPR.
