UT - Kouri Richins, 33, Author, wife, mom, charged in husband’s “unexpected” death last year, May 2023

[ch_13]

Don't forget that Eric thought KR was trying to kill him a few years ago too (bbm):

Warrant: Utah murder victim told family if anything happened to him, his wife was to blame

A recently discovered search warrant in the death of Eric Richins spells out how family members immediately suspected his wife, Kouri Richins, of murder.

kutv.com

Oh yeah. And there's also the switched beneficiaries on the business insurance. Plus I'm sure we'll learn a lot more in the days to come.

I was just trying to give the timeline for the half-completed mansion, because I think there's been a lot of confusion on this thread as to who bought it from whom and when.

 

[vls12345]

It's sad that Eric wasn't able to get away from her in time. It sounds like he had suspicions of her poisoning him or doing him in for a couple of years -- enough so that he told friends & family members, as well as changing his insurance coverage as @ch_13 just reiterated. In other cases, sometimes the person being poisoned is sick for awhile or periodically (when their killer is trying to figure out dosages or methods), but they often don't realize they are being poisoned until it's too late. It sounds like Eric had a pretty accurate suspicion. I feel for him & his family that he didn't manage to get away from her soon enough. MOO.

 

[iluvmua]

Has anyone found her booking information?

 

[vls12345]

Family friends shocked by Utah author's arrest for husband's murder

A family friend who says she introduced Kouri Richins to her late husband Eric spoke about her shock to the news of her arrest.

kutv.com

 

[gitana1]

Omg how did I miss this? Partying & celebrating the day after your husband dies… no red flags there!

Moo

And imagine the poor sister showing up and seeing that.

 

[Helechawagirl]

I can't even imagine.

Wonder why it took so long?

 

[Lilibet]

Wonder why it took so long?

I think there were a lot of moving parts to the investigation (phone records, drug supplier, financial issues) that had to be very carefully and quietly investigated so Kouri wouldn’t suspect she was in the crosshairs. They needed a rock solid case. I imagine there was also concern that she might harm the boys so they had to tread carefully. Eric no doubt was being extra cautious as he tried to extricate himself and his boys out of fear Kouri would end up with custody. I’ve never forgotten what Josh Powell did to his two sons in WA state. Unfortunately, Eric paid with his life.

Official: Missing woman's husband blows up house to kill himself, 2 sons | CNN

Josh Powell blew up his house Sunday in Washington state home of Josh Powell, killing himself and his two sons, authorities say.

www.cnn.com

 

[Curious Me]

How did all of you know about this for awhile? I just learned of it, and it has left me upset and angry at this horrible woman.

Married 9 yrs. and three young sons. I can't believe all this woman did to try to kill her husband with lethal drugs. Beyond greedy. She's ruthless and truly evil. Then, to top it all off, she writes a book about grief and dedicates it to her husband. ​

Woman who wrote book on grief following husband's death accused of his murder

Kouri Richins, a Utah woman who published a children's book on processing grief following the death of her husband last year, has now been charged with his murder.

abcnews.go.com

About two weeks later, Kouri Richins allegedly contacted the acquaintance again because "her investor wanted something stronger and asked for 'some of the Michael Jackson stuff,'" and "asked specifically for fentanyl," the charging document stated. The acquaintance allegedly procured 15 to 30 fentanyl pills in exchange for $900 on Feb. 11, 2022, according to the charging document.

Three days later, following a Valentine's Day dinner at their home, Eric Richins became "very ill" and "believed that he had been poisoned," the charging document stated.

"Eric told a friend that he thought his wife was trying to poison him," the charging document stated.

According to the search warrant, Eric Richins took one bite of a sandwich his wife bought him that Valentine's Day and "broke into hives and couldn't breathe." He reportedly used an EpiPen and took Benadryl and passed out; when he woke up, he "immediately called his business partner about the incident," the search warrant stated.

Kouri Richins allegedly contacted the acquaintance about two weeks later... ​

 

[Lilibet]

How did all of you know about this for awhile? I just learned of it, and it has left me upset and angry at this horrible woman.

We just found out about it yesterday, Monday May 8, so it quite a recent shock. It’s hard to believe all the plotting and planning she did that’s now being revealed. She’s been trying to kill him for several years! Just diabolical.

 

[Eloise]

What’s scary is to look at her, she looks like a very normal, sweet, soccer mom. No one could imagine what lurked beneath.

Its funny (not haha funny. More like curious) because at first I thought that and now the more I look at her in multiple pictures and videos she looks crazy and unhinged to me. That could, of course, be just because I know what she did. JMO

(IMO her smiles are wide but super forced and the smile doesn't reach her eyes)

 

[BrownRice]

I'm assuming Kouri's side of the story will be... her husband had a "hidden" drug problem due to all the accidents/injuries (per the obit we've seen) and she obtained the fentanyl per his request... she had nothing to do with his death.

You’re hired as her lead defense counsel!

 

[BrownRice]

It's odd that she admitted she made him a drink that night, yes? Like, why include that detail? No one would have known?

Too many details usually indicates lying. And the phone too. Why mention it was unused in the room?

 

[BrownRice]

Thank you.

Per the charging docs -- the defendant's last known address:

282 W Willow Ct, Kamas, UT 84036​

282 W Willow Ct, Kamas, UT 84036 | Zillow

282 W Willow Ct, Kamas UT, is a Single Family home that contains 4890 sq ft and was built in 2006.It contains 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $1,167,300, which has increased by $987 in the last 30 days.The Rent Zestimate for this Single Family is $6,233/mo...

www.zillow.com

I'm not certain this is the same address where the victim was murdered but a property KR owned with others (as Kouri Darden).

Also, no mention of KR hiring private counsel yet but Summit County seems well-staffed with prosecutors.

Staff | Summit County, UT - Official Website

Summit County Attorney Staff Department

www.summitcounty.org

That’s a gorgeous house.

 

[BrownRice]

Oh yeah. And there's also the switched beneficiaries on the business insurance. Plus I'm sure we'll learn a lot more in the days to come.

I was just trying to give the timeline for the half-completed mansion, because I think there's been a lot of confusion on this thread as to who bought it from whom and when.

Ya the husband’s work life insurance beneficiaries is odd. What did his partner think when this happened?

 

[BrownRice]

Wonder why it took so long?

Me too. Assume the fentanyl showed up immediately in the autopsy? Maybe she went with the story of him being a previous drug addict and his family kept pushing LE to delve deeper.

 

[Gardenista]

‘The Grand Home’: Kouri Richins’ unfinished Midway mansion could have buyer

A mansion that broke ground in 2017—but was never finished—has been a longtime roadside curiosity in Midway. And now it’s at the center of a man’s death, which prosecutors allege was murder.

www.kpcw.org

The video shows the ultimate vision for the 8-bed and 11.5-bath property: a therapy pool, full-sized pool, exercise room, golf simulator, indoor volleyball court and room designed for virtual reality installations.

If the buyer doesn’t close, Malmrose said he “doesn’t know what the plan B would be.” But he indicated a couple other buyers were interested.

That would be good news for Kouri, who retained not only criminal defense attorney Skye Lazaro but also bankruptcy attorney Austin Nate.

Neither attorney responded to requests for comment about Kouri’s pending murder case at the time of this report.

If that goes through, she'll have $1.75M (less commissions) for her attorneys. I hope it doesn't.

 

[neesaki]

The linked article may be leading you to think there's yet another couple who's husband died. Actually, the young couple mentioned is Eric and Kouri Richins. She's the widow who bought the property.

The timeline here is:
2017 - Doug Roylance starts building home
2019 - Construction is paused and there's an 'unattended death', eventually the unfinished house is put on the market but doesn't sell for over two years
Jan 2022 - Kouri Richins's offer to buy house is accepted
Feb 14, 2022 - Eric Richins has an allergic reaction during Valentine's Day dinner and tells others that Kouri is trying to kill him
Mar 4, 2022 - Eric Richins dies of a fentanyl overdose, apparently administered by Kouri in a Moscow Mule
Mar 5, 2022 - Kouri Richins closes on house, and holds party where she learns that she is not the beneficiary of Eric's estate

Oh ok. That explains why I couldn’t find any record of the “other” couple owning the property. Thanks for clearing that up!
The only other thing, is I thought Eric refused to sign to purchase the property, so it wasn’t closed on until after his death. The article stated he died shortly after closing. Perhaps it’s just an error.

“The couple had intended to finish construction and move into the home until the husband unexpectedly passed away shortly after closing the sale on the property.”

The story behind Midway's unfinished mansion - TownLift, Park City News

The unfinished mansion between Heber City and Midway has sat untouched for five years, a perplexing sight for passersby and locals.

townlift.com

 

[ACG2x]

Omg how did I miss this? Partying & celebrating the day after your husband dies… no red flags there!

Moo

I think short of a full confession or filming herself buying the fentanyl and poisoning his drink and serving it to him, she couldn't have done more to scream 'I'M GUILTY' than she did. Not only is she a despicable killer, but literally might be the dumbest attempted 'criminal' alive. I think her story's level of BS and easily proven falsehoods are only topped by Sarah Boone (woman who locked her boyfriend in a suitcase in Florida & filmed it).

 

[BrownRice]

Oh ok. That explains why I couldn’t find any record of the “other” couple owning the property. Thanks for clearing that up!
The only other thing, is I thought Eric refused to sign to purchase the property, so it wasn’t closed on until after his death. The article stated he died shortly after closing. Perhaps it’s just an error.

“The couple had intended to finish construction and move into the home until the husband unexpectedly passed away shortly after closing the sale on the property.”

The story behind Midway's unfinished mansion - TownLift, Park City News

The unfinished mansion between Heber City and Midway has sat untouched for five years, a perplexing sight for passersby and locals.

townlift.com

I found that confusing and contradictory as well.

 

[BrownRice]

I think short of a full confession or filming herself buying the fentanyl and poisoning his drink and serving it to him, she couldn't have done more to scream 'I'M GUILTY' than she did. Not only is she a despicable killer, but literally might be the dumbest attempted 'criminal' alive. I think her story's level of BS and easily proven falsehoods are only topped by Sarah Boone (woman who locked her boyfriend in a suitcase in Florida & filmed it).

She must have felt really confident tho making it a year free before her arrest.