Judge rejects delay in Kouri Richins sentencing on Eric Richins’ birthday

A Summit County judge refused to push back Kouri Richins’ sentencing, keeping the hearing set for May 13, the day Eric Richins would have turned 44. The decision leaves one of the county’s most closely watched criminal cases on track for a final courtroom phase that could bring Richins either 25 years to life or a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

Richins was convicted on March 16, 2026, after a Summit County jury deliberated for just under three hours following a three-week trial. Jurors found her guilty of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, two counts of insurance fraud and forgery in the death of her husband, Eric Richins, who died on March 4, 2022, in Kamas.

The defense had asked Third District Court Judge Richard Mrazik to move sentencing to mid-June. Attorneys said they needed more time to prepare mitigation evidence and witnesses, pointing to a scheduling conflict for attorney Alexander Ramos because of another trial and to a recent death in the family of attorney Kathy Nester. Mrazik denied the request.

In his ruling, Mrazik said Richins had about two months to prepare for sentencing and still has other highly qualified attorneys available. He also said a delay could significantly prejudice the minor victims in the case, understood to be the couple’s children. Prosecutors opposed any postponement and argued that Eric Richins’ family had a compelling interest in a speedy resolution.

The timing adds a stark layer to a case that has already drawn national attention, including after a recent Dateline episode. Richins also remains tied to another widely discussed detail of the case: she published a children’s book on grief in 2023 after her husband’s death, a move that kept her name in the public eye even as the criminal case moved toward sentencing.

For Summit County residents who have followed the case since 2022, the May 13 hearing is the point where the criminal process turns from guilt to punishment. The judge’s ruling means the court will now decide whether Richins receives a term that allows eventual release or the harshest sentence available under Utah law.