SANDPOINT — The trial for a Naples woman is slated to take place Monday, Feb. 9, after a pre-trial conference confirmed both parties would be ready to proceed.  

Katherine Cowell, 51, is expected to stand trial during the week of Feb. 9 for allegations leading to the charges of two felony counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16.  

During a pre-trial conference, both the defense and prosecutor indicated their preparedness for the five-day jury trial. However, prosecutor Katie Sherritt, in place of Louis Marshall, shared with the court that ten videos of interviews made by Boundary County law enforcement had not been sent to Bonner County officials, and would need to be sent to both the prosecutor and defense council.  

According to Sherritt, the videos containing proof of unknown interviews will be available by the end of the day to start reviewing. Not having the videos may be a result of miscommunication.  

A trial continuance may occur if the videos show any new evidence.  

The continuance will be determined at a Feb. 5 motion in limine hearing, where defense attorney Catherine Enright will request to exclude a 17-minute interview video of Cowell remaining silent to law enforcement after exercising her Miranda rights. According to Enright, there are no incriminating statements made by Cowell in the video, making it unnecessary to include.  

District Judge Susie Jensen is expected to review the video in question before deciding at the Feb. 5 hearing.  

Cowell, while attending the pre-trial conference in person, still resides at the Bonner County Jail on a $1 million bond.  

She is charged with allegedly being involved with the sexual contact of a minor between 2012 and 2015. Cowell is alleged to have committed those crimes with her husband, Richard Cowell III, 54, who pleaded guilty to similar charges in July of criminal conspiracy and lewd conduct with a minor. His guilty plea, which resulted in a 22-year prison sentence, does not legally impact Katherine Cowell’s case.  

She is facing up to life in prison if found guilty by way of a jury trial. 

Police arrested the couple Feb. 5, 2025, at their Naples home, which doubled as an unlicensed child daycare.  

Court documents indicate the abuse occurred between 2012 and 2015, several years prior to when the daycare opened its doors. However, the daycare permanently closed its doors six days after the pair’s arrest.  

At a joint preliminary hearing, the alleged victims testified that they were coerced into sexual relations with the couple as minors. At Richard’s sentencing, both victims provided statements as well, noting Richard’s lack of accountability for the actions he pleaded guilty to.