In a series of jailhouse statements, Kouri Richins, the Utah mother accused of fatally spiking her husband's drink with fentanyl, broke her year-long silence and criticized prosecutors while asserting her innocence. Richins, 34, made the recorded comments exclusively available to "Dateline" this week, shedding light on her perspective since her arrest last year.

Richins, a mother of three and author of a children's book on grief, has been held at the Summit County Jail since her bail was denied. Her lawyers recently withdrew from her defense against charges of aggravated murder and other crimes related to the death of her husband, Eric Richins, 39, on March 4, 2022.

The defense team's withdrawal request stemmed from an "irreconcilable and nonwaivable situation." Richins expressed her devastation, stating that the withdrawal was not her choice nor personal to any counsel on her defense team. However, her lead attorney, Skye Lazaro, declined to comment on the withdrawal.

The withdrawal request coincided with a motion filed by Richins' lawyers seeking to disqualify prosecutors due to alleged "severe violations" that compromised her defense and violated her constitutional right to effective counsel. The motion highlighted the unauthorized recording of jail calls between Richins and her lawyers by authorities from May to December 2021.

Emails included in the filing revealed that when the defense team raised concerns about the recordings, the top elected prosecutor, Margaret Olson, denied knowledge of the practice. The defense was further told that they had seemingly consented to the recordings by not using a specific app and that the practice had been ongoing for six months, implying that it had been "ratified."

In her statements, Richins accused prosecutors of attempting to prolong the case and conceal corruption, stating that she would no longer play into their unconstitutional behavior. Despite her disappointment, she expressed her eagerness to prove her innocence and proceed to trial.

Summit County's attorney's office, responding on behalf of Olson, expressed disappointment with the defense lawyer's motion, calling it "materially inaccurate" and filed in bad faith. They planned to respond to the allegations by May 31 and address the motion at the appropriate time.

Prosecutors alleged that Richins, burdened by debt, fraudulently obtained a $2 million life insurance policy on her husband before spiking his Moscow mule with a lethal dose of fentanyl. She was also charged with attempted murder for allegedly drugging her husband's Valentine's Day sandwich in a separate incident. Richins also faces charges of forgery and mortgage and insurance fraud.

As of now, Richins has not entered a plea, and she and her family maintain her innocence. A year after her husband's death, she published a children's book titled "Are You With Me?" dedicated to Eric Richins.