GUILTY UT - Kouri Richins, 33, Author, wife, mom, charged in husband’s unexpected death last year, 8 May 2023 #3

[COSCitizen]

I hope, at sentencing, the judge will tell Kouri what he thinks of her life choices. At length.

I suspect he will, in a very measured fashion, since he still has to deal with her in the financial crimes trial.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Here's a pdf of all the state's closing argument slides.

State's Closing Argument - Kouri Richins | PDF

Kouri Richins is accused of intentionally or knowingly causing the death of Eric Richins for pecuniary gain, allegedly by administering a lethal amount of fentanyl. The evidence includes communications about obtaining drugs, financial motives, and witness testimonies regarding her state of mind...

www.scribd.com

 

[browneyes]

I hope, at sentencing, the judge will tell Kouri what he thinks of her life choices. At length.

The few times we heard him speak on 20/20, I thought of you. He does have such a great voice.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

I was looking through her civil cases and I don't see his family ever denying her account of the prenuptial agreement. You can't see discovery in court records though.

She has about 5 outstanding civil cases, most were stayed pending the criminal trial. Interesting that Mrazik is the judge in most of those cases too. There is a different judge in the moldy house case. And yeah, it looks like she knew it was moldy.

Couple who bought house from Utah mom charged with killing husband feel like 'bystanders in her path of destruction'

The pair says they have faced financial hardship and mystery illnesses since buying a home from Kouri Richins. They've moved out because of mold problems.

www.nbcnews.com

In one message, which Klingenberg sent on Aug. 5, 2019, and provided to "Dateline," the realtor told her that the bedroom in the basement — the room where the Wrights’ son would later live — was “super moldy.”

A contractor suggested mudding the drywall to kill the fungus and then painting it, Klingenberg said.

"Cheaper and safer for new owners," she wrote.

"I saw!!" Richins replied. “It looks soooo good!! Yes, we will plan to do that! Thank you soooooooo much!!”

 

[JosieMae]

I don't buy that a prenuptial agreement was sprung on her the day of the wedding. (If the only source for that is KR, I REALLY don't buy it.)

IANAL but I know from personal experience that both parties need their own attorneys when drafting a prenup. Though this is not always required by law, separate lawyers prevent the agreement from being challenged and invalidated during divorce.

A friend had her agreement thrown out for that very reason.

 

[JosieMae]

I hope, at sentencing, the judge will tell Kouri what he thinks of her life choices. At length.

I predict he's going to be very tough on her.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

I don't buy that a prenuptial agreement was sprung on her the day of the wedding. (If the only source for that is KR, I REALLY don't buy it.)

IANAL but I know from personal experience that both parties need their own attorneys when drafting a prenup. Though this is not always required by law, separate lawyers prevent the agreement from being challenged and invalidated during divorce.

A friend had her agreement thrown out for that very reason.

The agreement doesn't say whether she got counsel, but it does include a waiver of any objection over not getting counsel before signing.

 

[Lebowski]

Interesting point - that Kouri knew that her family would lie for her even if she murdered someone. How many people could confidentially expect that from parents and siblings? I couldn't.

That brings us back to the death of Kouri's mother's girlfriend in 2006. Kouri was 15 years old. Did she lie for her mother at that time? How did Kouri know that her mother and brother would give false testimony on her behalf during her murder trial?

Is "walk the dog" a reference to the time when Kouri was 15 years old - her mother would know exactly what that meant? Discuss this away from the house in case there's a listening device in their house?

just one speculative possibility among many, but you're making me wonder if the "walk the dog" letter also had some veiled blackmail in it.

 

[LinasK]

I was looking through her civil cases and I don't see his family ever denying her account of the prenuptial agreement. You can't see discovery in court records though.

She has about 5 outstanding civil cases, most were stayed pending the criminal trial. Interesting that Mrazik is the judge in most of those cases too. There is a different judge in the moldy house case. And yeah, it looks like she knew it was moldy.

Couple who bought house from Utah mom charged with killing husband feel like 'bystanders in her path of destruction'

The pair says they have faced financial hardship and mystery illnesses since buying a home from Kouri Richins. They've moved out because of mold problems.

www.nbcnews.com

I highly doubt that that's the best method for dealing with black mold.

 

[Seattle1]

Yikes, apologies to all. I was completely unaware of the previous attempt to hold up a letter to the camera to her mother. My word! None too bright this one!! So I retract my previous musings about this re Ms Lazaro. I do, however, stand by my thoughts that I do not for a minute believe the prosecutor’s allegations in the hearing I posted were performative nor baseless. They were very rattled and stunned by her maneuvers, IMO, based on experience and pride in their work. Too much smoke in terms of events and accusation throwing by the defense leads me to believe the prosecution here. That said, I retract even considering that the defense might have been illegally willing to pass on private correspondence for Kouri. My mistake.

IIRC, in Skye Lazaro's accusations against the prosecution (Brad Bloodworth especially) just before she withdrew from KR's case-- Lazaro failed to mention in her Motion that her Law Firms civil attorney representing KR, refused to register, download, and/or use a phone app that would flag their incoming phone call to the jail as "attorney-client protected communication"--not subject to being recorded. Instead, the jail had no choice but to record the attorney's initial 30-45 seconds of their incoming calls before the call was matched to the jail's "do not record" list, distinguishing the caller as the defendant's legal counsel.

We didn't learn about the missing phone registration or app issue by the defense until the prosecution filed their response to Lazaro's Motion. In other words, there was no truth to Bloodworth allegedly having access/listening to - recordings of phone calls between KR and her defense team for a span of nearly eight months in 2023-- violating KR's 6th Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel!

Defense in Kouri Richins case files motions to disqualify prosecution

Kouri Richins defense on Friday filed a motion to disqualify the prosecution from the case.

kutv.com

 

[Dreamcherry]

if the story is true, one possibility that occurs to me is he was putting off doing it and then realized (or was told) "it's now or never. and you know it can't be never."

I'd have to find it again, but I did see it stated at some point that this was the case. It had been discussed for a while, but never got done, hence the dramatic 11th-hour pre-nup signing.

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

On day 11 of the trial they are going over transcripts I believe of phone calls and what would be redacted for the jury. There is a statement that the defense wanted unredacted, and the judge says something like, "I don't understand why the defendant wants that unredacted, we have worked real hard to keep it out." Ultimately, the defense agrees that they do not want it unredacted but does anybody have any idea what that statement might have been?

Interesting observation @steff13 ….. and I did also see the responses for @Megnut and @Tortoise … to that question.

IANAL …. but I almost wanted to ask one, if that occurred, might it have then later risen to a possible reversible error? Or grounds for a later appeal? Or even further legal ruling.

And I won’t say any more about why counsel might have ‘tried’ that. MOO

 

[Justice101]

Sorry, this was probably already discussed at length, but what evidence did the hired PI give to the Richins family to help bring KR to justice? Can we have a specific list please???

 

[otto]

Sorry, this was probably already discussed at length, but what evidence did the hired PI give to the Richins family to help bring KR to justice? Can we have a specific list please???

You would have to watch the testimony to get the full list. He is the most entertaining witness, who was neither intimidated nor confused by defence lawyer chaotic questioning style and condescending tone.

My understanding is that after Kouri sued for control of the Trust that Eric established for his children, so the Trust hired a private investigator. At the outset of his investigation, he posited 2-3 hypotheses that he wanted to prove, or disprove.

He was thorough. Through cell phone records, he discovered that Kouri spoke to three people most often: Eric, her mother, and her house cleaning drug dealer: Carmen. That was a reason to look into Carmen.

"Eric’s business paid for the Richins couple’s phones, so Gabler was able to obtain billing records by gaining permission from Eric’s business partner, Cody Wright.​

​

The private investigator completed around 45-50 interviews of his own, including friends and associates of the Richins couple, as well as Eric’s family. Gabler said Kouri nor her family would participate.​

​

He could also see that Kouri contacted her mother the most but that Carmen Lauber — a former housekeeper who testified that Kouri asked her to procure drugs on multiple occasions — was among the top three contacts between January and May 2022.​

​

Gabler became suspicious of Lauber because of her criminal history and the number of times she had been in contact with Kouri, and he alerted the Sheriff’s Office that Carmen Lauber may be involved in Eric’s death.​

​

The private investigator ultimately prepared two hard drives for the Summit County Attorney’s Office, one with audio and video recordings as well as photographs, and one with computer forensics, including Eric’s work computer and a “clone” of his iPhone."​

Private investigator says independent probe sought ‘truth’ in Eric Richins' death - Park Record

Todd Gabler was initially contacted shortly after Eric’s death in March 2022 by Kristal Bowman Carter, the estate planning attorney Eric had hired to create a trust.

www.parkrecord.com

 

[COSCitizen]

I think (don't have a source I can cite) that he pointed out a recording device (which police took with search warrant) which may have been the recording device used by KR for the call with Bryce.

And because KR was using a C&E phone* to place calls to CL, he was able to get the call detail records from the phone company. He compiled a list of who KR called in the run-up to March 4th, and KR's mother, Eric and CL were the top three. He pointed out to the police that most people don't call their housekeeper that often, and that CL had a history of drug related offenses. Again, no source.

*KR really is extraordinarily incompetent. Even Vallow and Daybell knew about burner phones. Not how to use them properly, but that they would probably be a good idea if you decide to go on a murder spree.

 

[gucci2times]

I have a pre nup question…

Wouldn’t Eric changing the terms of a signed and notarized prenuptial agreement behind Kouri’s back be in violation of that contract?

A hypothetical scenario..
If wife waives rights to husband’s business and prior savings before marriage etc. but will get xyz if divorced or xyz upon death. And then husband goes behind wife’s back to change the terms of this so wife gets nothing… isn’t that really shady and illegal?

Obviously because she caused his death she gets nothing but if Eric had died in a work accident the money was still not going to Kouri even though they both signed and agreed to that.

Am I missing something?

 

[tlcya]

has the prenup been uploaded here? I have heard about it through various court testimony and filings but haven't actually read it. Same for the trust document.

I don't know that Eric "changed the terms" of the prenup by creating the trust.

 

[Justice101]

I have a pre nup question…

Wouldn’t Eric changing the terms of a signed and notarized prenuptial agreement behind Kouri’s back be in violation of that contract?

A hypothetical scenario..
If wife waives rights to husband’s business and prior savings before marriage etc. but will get xyz if divorced or xyz upon death. And then husband goes behind wife’s back to change the terms of this so wife gets nothing… isn’t that really shady and illegal?

Obviously because she caused his death she gets nothing but if Eric had died in a work accident the money was still not going to Kouri even though they both signed and agreed to that.

Am I missing something?

hew and his partner are sole owners of the business so I don't think she would be involved... but what do I know???

 

[otto]

I have a pre nup question…

Wouldn’t Eric changing the terms of a signed and notarized prenuptial agreement behind Kouri’s back be in violation of that contract?

A hypothetical scenario..
If wife waives rights to husband’s business and prior savings before marriage etc. but will get xyz if divorced or xyz upon death. And then husband goes behind wife’s back to change the terms of this so wife gets nothing… isn’t that really shady and illegal?

Obviously because she caused his death she gets nothing but if Eric had died in a work accident the money was still not going to Kouri even though they both signed and agreed to that.

Am I missing something?

That was addressed during testimony. The prenuptial agreement pre-dated the Trust agreement, so the latter document had priority.

For example, if the prenup says that the business and house owned by Eric is inherited by Kouri in the event of his death, but Eric does not own a business and house at the time of death, there's nothing for her to inherit.

In 2020, the business and house were property of the trust, to which Kouri had no claim.

 

[otto]