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

[Megnut]

Here comes Cellebrite data.

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


Chervenak processed and extracted data from cell phones related to the case using the Cellebrite program. Once Garaycochea obtained the raw data from Cellebrite, the data was given back to the Summit County Sheriff's Office.


5:52 PM · Feb 27, 2026

 

[arielilane]

Garaycochea extracted data from three different cell phones. One of the phones was broken and he had to repair the phone's screen. He explains how he fixed the phone. There was water damage and debris inside the phone. When you repair the phone, it does not change the data.

@NateNewsNow


Chervenak has no further questions. Defense attorney Alex Ramos will now question. He asks how Cellebrite works and if Garaycochea made sure nothing was manipulated with the data.


Ramos asked how Garaycochea got the phones. Two separate phones arrived in evidence packages. He took photos of each package, took photos of the phones and then cut open the phones. He took pictures of each of the phones. He did the same process with all four phones.

Ramos asks who he released the phone to. They went to Detective Root, Garaycochea believes. Ramos asks if Garaycochea analyzed any of the data. He did not - just extracted it. Ramos asks if once a phone has been extracted, would there be any other reason to extract again. Garaycochea says perhaps. Different forensic tools could yield different results.

No further questions from either side. Bloodworth asks to approach to discuss scheduling.

 

[Megnut]

Whatever came of KR's paramour?

Is he on the witness list?

 

[aamillaa]

Ramos is a breath of fresh air compared to Lewis

 

[arielilane]

Court in recess until Monday, resumes at 8:30 am MT and10:30 am ET

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


Judge Mrazik says we are going to recess for the weekend until 8:30 a.m. on Monday. He reminds the jurors not to be exposed to anything associated with the case and not to talk with anyone about it.


6:04 PM · Feb 27, 2026


Court is in recess. Join me tonight at 7 p.m. for "Courtroom Insider" on the East Idaho News YouTube channel.


6:05 PM · Feb 27, 2026

 

[Megnut]

Court referenced the motion for mistrial which he has yet to hear.

Sigh.

 

[arielilane]

Judge Mrazik received a motion to dismiss.

 

[Megnut]

By continuing the trial as scheduled, IMO he is signaling that he's not going to grant a mistrial.

Good.

JMO

 

[arielilane]

3:11 p.m. Livestream will resume once the undercover officer is off the stand.


2:58 p.m. Judge says Court TV needs to stop recording and transmitting from this point forward until he says differently.

2:57 p.m. Judge calls up a representative from Court TV.


2:55 p.m. Haskell says any street-level drug deal is going to be part of a ring. The dealer on the street has gotten those drugs from someone else. There is a chain and Haskell’s unit works the chain as far as they can. Judge asks attorneys to approach.

2:53 p.m. Haskell is asked about his training. She details the academies and classes he’s participated in. Chervenak asks what a street-level drug deal looks like. He says a buyer and a seller meet somewhere – anywhere – and it’s very quick. “It’s definitely illegal and it will happen very quickly.” There’s an exchange of narcotics for cash and then the buyer and/or dealer go their separate ways.

2:50 p.m. Chervenak asks him to detail his experience with the police departments. He goes through his resume in and in Sept. 2024, he became the sergeant over special investigations. As it relates to narcotics, his unit screens all charging documents within the city. They’re an undercover unit conducting drug buys and long-term narcotic investigations.


2:48 p.m. Court is back in session. Next witness is Eric Haskell. He works with the Salt Lake City Police Department and has a very impressive beard. Prosecutor Lindsay Chervenak is questioning him.

2:30 p.m. Robert says he’s sober. Lewis says she wants him to look at the jury and she asks, “Are you telling the truth here today?” He responds, “Yes I am. No further questions from Lewis. Bloodworth follows up with a few questions about the size of the drug bags he used. No further questions from either side. Witness is released. Time for an afternoon recess. Back at 2:45 p.m.

2:27 p.m. Sidebar over. Lewis asks if he was sober when he met with prosecutors in 2025 and said he never sold Carmen fentanyl, he sold her Oxycodone. He was. Robert says he did not have access to fentanyl in early 2022. When he did start selling them, they were “almost purple.” A very dark color. Robert asks if anyone ever asked him for the “Michael Jackson stuff.” He says, “I’m sorry?” Lewis repeats the question. He says Carmen never asked her for that.

2:14 p.m. Lewis asking Robert about the mistakes in the affidavit with the OxyContin versus Oxycodone. OxyContin is much stronger than ocycodone. Lewis continues to question, Bloodworth asks for sidebar.

2:12 p.m. Robert remembers meeting someone away from the Maverik to get him the pills one time when Carmen needed them. The pills were 30mg. In early 2022, Robert says he did not have a fentanyl source and didn’t know anyone who sold it. Blues meant Roxys.

2:09 p.m. Lewis asks if Robert remembers telling investigators that he once sold Carmen drugs when a man came with her. Lewis asks Robert if he was selling Carmen fentanyl pills. “I don’t believe so, no.” Robert says everyone was scared of fentanyl in 2021-2022. People were scared of dying and it was all over the news. Robert had a prescription for 10mg of OxyCodone. That’s what he sold to Carmen, he says.

2:07 p.m. Lewis asks about Roxy 30s. Those are 30mg of Oxycodone. Robert remembers it was early 2022 – around this time of year and there was snow on the ground. Robert was charging $25 or $30 a pill. He wasn’t selling fentanyl at this time, but when he sold it, it was around the same price.

2:05 p.m. State has no further questions. Lewis will now cross-examine for the defense. Lewis wishes him a good morning. He responds, “Good afternoon.” She says it’s all a blur. Lewis asks about Robert saying the detectives were “just telling me what I’ve been doing.” Robert says he didn’t really want to get in trouble. He was already in jail and wanted to get out.


2:01 p.m. In the affidavit, Robert says he was confused and had been sober for about three weeks. Prior to his relapse, he had been clean for nine months. Robert signed the affidavit on Sept. 10, 2025.

1:58 p.m. Robert is pointing out mistakes in the affidavit. He says he has never sold OxyContin, and it says he did. He says he sold Oxycodone, but not OxyContin. Bloodworth asks Robert how he knew what was inside the pills he was selling. Robert says he knew people who had prescriptions. Robert was getting the pills from a few guys.

1:55 p.m. Robert says he has never sold oxycontin. He has sold oxycodone and M30s. Now he’s shown the affidavit and he says there are typos in it. “They certainly weren’t my words,” Robert says. But he still signed it. Bloodworth moves to admit the affidavit. No objection. We now see the first four paragraphs.

1:52 p.m. Bloodworth wants to ask about an affidavit Robert signed in September 2025. He says the affidavit was read to him and he signed it swearing that what he wrote was true.

1:49 p.m. Robert does not recall the conversation with the police. Police asked Robert if Carmen knew there was fentanyl in the pills that were given to her. Robert says Carmen bought what she wanted – whatever she asked for. Robert says the whole questioning with the cops was “kind of telling me what I had been doing.”

1:44 p.m. Bloodworth asks Robert to review a transcript showing what he told detectives in a police interview a few years ago. He is trying to clarify whether Carmen asked for Oxys, M30s or blues.

1:37 p.m. The only times Robert met Carmen was at the Maverik Draper to sell her drugs, he says. Robert recalls meeting with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. He was in the David County Jail and detoxing so he doesn’t remember a lot of the discussion. When asked about whether Carmen requested blues or fentanyl, Robert says he doesn’t remember the conversation.

1:35 p.m. Robert sold or got pills for maybe 3-4 people around this time, he says. Bloodworth asks about the second time Robert met up with Carmen. Robert doesn’t remember how it came about. “I’m not even real clear if I met her a second time, to be honest with you. I know I met her the one time. It might have been twice but this was four years ago, so I don’t really remember if I met her more than once.” Robert says if they did meet more than once, it would have been the same thing. Not a lot of interaction – meet up, get the money, give her the drugs and leave.

1:34 p.m. The first time they met at the Maverik it was raining. They met up and he gave her the drugs and that was it. Bloodworth asks if he remembers the woman. He says she may have been Mexican and was short. Bloodworth asks how much money was exchanged. He doesn’t remember. Bloodworth asks how many pills. Robert says 30-40.

1:31 p.m. Robert got in touch with the friend, who asked for Roxys. The friend was Carmen. Robert met up with Carmen at Maverik in Draper. He was coming from Roy or Layton, he says. Bloodworth asks how many times Robert agreed to meet her at the Draper. He says he remembers once clearly, maybe twice. When asked if there could have been a third time, he says, “I don’t think so.”

1:30 p.m. Robert says his attorney told him he needed to come to court and be honest. If he wasn’t, the immunity would be void and he could be charged with a crime. Bloodworth asks who Nicole Cummings is. She’s a girl he lived with for a few months at the end of 2021. In early 2022, Nicole contacted Robert and asked if he could get some Roxys for her friend – some oxycodone.

1:28 p.m. We are back. Testimony continues with Robert Crozier. He has an attorney in the courtroom and is testifying on three grants of immunity. Salt Lake County, Summit County and the federal government. His attorney assisted him in getting immunity “as far as I know.”

1:17 p.m. Judge says he needs to handle a quick issue and jury is excused. We are going to be in recess until 1:25 p.m.

1:16 p.m. Judge asks Lewis and Bloodworth to approach for sidebar.

1:14 p.m. Robert Crozier is on the stand. Bloodworth asks if he has a criminal drug history. He says he does. He had a distribution charge in December 2022 and two possession charges in 2023. Crozier says he began dealing drugs sometime around 2020. He was dealing drugs in early 2022.

1:11 p.m. Lewis asks if Anna was sober during the phone call between Kouri and Hayden. She said they ate sushi and believes she was. Kouri would help Hayden out. Kouri asks Hayden about the Michael Jackson drug. Anna thought Kouri was asking for a muscle relaxer. Anna went into the bathroom. Lewis asks Anna if she ever heard Kouri ask for fentanyl. She did not. Nothing further from Bloodworth. Witness is released.

1:08 p.m. Anna was very upset when she got the text messages. Said it was wrong to treat someone like this who did nothing wrong. Anna said she did not want to talk with the police at all. She says she never refused to testify. Anna asked to communicate with the detective through text messages. Lewis asks Anna if she recently completed rehab. She says yes. Her drug of choice was alcohol. She says she bases her years off of Hayden being dead or not.

1:06 p.m. We see the text messages. Det. O’Driscoll messaged her to “make our life easier and answer our calls so we can prep you on what you will be asked. Otherwise the next time I knock on your door I’ll have a warrant.” Anna responded that she doesn’t need to be prepped – she can just show up. She asks for the time and date and she said she would appear.

1:03 p.m. Lewis now asks to admit two pages of text messages between Det. O’Driscoll and Anna.

12:59 p.m. The issue seems to be sorted out. The texts are between Detective O’Driscoll and a man named Travis. Anna is involved in the conversations.

12:54 p.m. The exhibit is getting reordered. Judge says to the jury, “In the meantime, temperature a little better?”

12:53 p.m. There is some confusion over the exhibit and the order of pages. Lewis and Bloodworth are at the prosecution table trying to sort it out.

12:43 p.m. Bloodworth has nothing more. Wendy Lewis now cross-examining. Lewis asks if the state reached out to her a few months ago to meet with them. She says they tried a couple times. Lewis moves to admit an exhibit showing text messages between Anna and a detective. Bloodworth objects and asks for a sidebar.

12:37 p.m. Back from lunch. Brad Bloodworth calls Anna Isbell as the next witness. She was a friend of Kouri in high school. Bloodworth asks Anna if she was with Hayden Jeffs on Jan. 22, 2022. Hayden has since died in a motorcycle crash. Anna says she was with Hayden when Kouri called and asked if he had something for a client. He went off at her and Kouri said, “Thank you.” That was all.

11:46 a.m. Jury is invited back in so the judge can explain that we will be at lunch until 12:30 p.m.

11:44 a.m. Judge tells Carmen she can not speak to anyone about her testimony between now or being called back in. Judge tells her she has to avoid talking about it and she can’t watch any of the witness testimony or read any reports about it. Carmen is free to go.

11:37 a.m. There are 932 pages of transcript combined, according to Lewis. Judge Mrazik summarizes the state’s position and the objection from the defense. He denies the request. Carmen Lauber’s testimony is done for the day, but she will remain under subpoena. She is being asked to come back into the courtroom.

11:35 a.m. Judge says there are pieces of the transcript that are admissible as a non-hearsay exhibit, but there is not foundation to admit all of the transcripts. Bloodworth says the transcripts paint a picture that Carmen has been consistent “in the arc of her interview to appreciate the consistency.” Judge asks for the page counts of each of the exhibits.

11:29 a.m. Judge says they are out-of-court statements and are not permissible. “I don’t think I have a basis to admit them wholesale,” he says. Judge says the detectives could be called as witnesses. Judge asks Bloodworth how can be overcome the hearsay problem. Bloodworth agrees they are out-of-court statements but says they are not being offered for the truth – they are being offered in to show this is the evolution of her providing information to the detectives.

11:28 a.m. Judge asks Bloodworth to explain why he wants the interviews in. He says the defense has cherry-picked certain statements to impeach Carmen. To rehabilitate her credibility, the state says all of the interviews need to be admitted so jurors can understand the entire arc. “She is being credible. While she may be confused, she is not untruthful.”

11:25 a.m. Bloodworth has nothing further. Judge says we will have the legal discussion now so jury is excused. This is not the lunch dismissal, just the discussion over the legalities of admitting the jail interview transcripts. Carmen needs to step into the lobby during the discussion.

11:23 a.m. Bloodworth moves to admit transcripts of the jail interviews. Lewis objects and says there is “loads of hearsay” in the transcripts. Judge says he is not prepared to rule, but will later because it will require some legal discussion. Bloodworth asks if that legal discussion can be held over the lunch break. Judge says yes.

11:21 a.m. Bloodworth asks if she thinks the detectives were trying to plant information in her mind. She says no. He asks if she thinks they were trying to help her recall information. She says yes.

11:19 a.m. Bloodworth asks about Carmen being told she could get a “giant get out of jail free card” and what Carmen said immediately after she was told that. Carmen doesn’t recall. Bloodworth asks for her to be shown the transcript. She looks at the transcript. She told them that even if that was the case, she still needed to step up and take accountability if this was what really happened to Eric.

11:17 a.m. Carmen says she has been clean since detectives told her Eric Richins died of a drug overdose. Bloodworth asks if her memory has become clearer since she’s become clean. She says yes. It’s become clearer as she’s had more time to process her involvement in Eric’s death. She also says her memory has become clearer since she’s reviewed Facebook messages, text messages and other items with her attorneys.

11:16 a.m. Bloodworth asks Carmen if she continued to behave like an active drug addict from the day she entered drug court until the time she was arrested. Carmen says she occasionally used drugs and an active user will lie. Bloodworth asks if she has been clean since she was arrested in April 2023. She says yes.

11:12 a.m. Bloodworth shows a letter from the US District Attorney’s Office promising Carmen immunity for her testimony in the trial. He asks Carmen about meeting with prosecutors to prepare for testifying in court. Her attorney was present with her “every single minute for every single meeting.” Bloodworth asks about Carmen’s anxiety and if she’s ever seen a doctor for it. She did earlier in drug court and was diagnosed with anxiety. She was prescribed a non-narcotic – a white oval pill.

11:11 a.m. “You have absolutely no information about what happened to Eric Richins other than what you were told,” Lewis asks. Carmen says that’s correct. She says she has no knowledge what killed Eric Richins. Lewis has nothing further. Summit County Prosecuting Attorney Brad Bloodworth will now follow up.

11:09 a.m. Lewis tells Carmen she’s not being drug tested and she “waits to see what happens following her testimony.” Carmen says yes and she’s been allowed to move to Las Vegas, but she still lives in Utah. Carmen served 23 days in jail when she was arrested in April 2023. Lewis asks Carmen if she knew what the pills were that she got from Robert Crozier. She doesn’t know.

11:06 a.m. “Kouri never asked you for fentanyl, true?” Lewis asks. Carmen responds, “Yes.” Lewis lists several dates and information that was “told to you but you don’t remember.”

11:04 a.m. Lewis brings up the letters that Kouri sent to the court saying Carmen had done community service. Carmen says she asked Kouri to write the letter. Lewis asks Carmen if it’s fair to say she can’t really recall what happened in 2022 or 2023. Carmen asks Lewis to rephrase the question. Carmen says she has a partial memory.

11 a.m. Carmen says her recollection is that while she had the ankle monitor on, she was not supposed to see her daughters. “I couldn’t go down the canyon at all.” Lewis tells Carmen she was not supposed to have contact with Nick as part of her probation and the fact he’s a witness in this case. Carmen says she does not recall that.

10:54 a.m. Lewis asks about Carmen’s current drug court and probation status. Her probation was transferred to another county. One of the conditions of her probation was not to have contact with Nick Bonsavage, Lewis asks. Carmen says she isn’t sure. Lewis shows her some documents.

10:48 a.m. Lewis asks about a detective telling Carmen, “Don’t worry, we’re going to get through this so you can get on with your life.” Lewis asks about an interview on May 13 where Carmen was told detectives spoke with Nick Bonsavage and learned the last drug purchase was March 9. Investigators then asked Carmen if it was possible she bought pills four times rather than three times, according to the transcript.

10:43 a.m. Lewis refers Carmen to another piece of the transcript where she talked with the investigators about them putting the puzzle pieces together. Lewis asks about Carmen, at one point, sharing that her daughter asking about what happened and Carmen saying she didn’t know. Judge says he’s having a hard time following this and Lewis needs to be more specific laying foundation.

10:41 a.m. Carmen says the detectives told her about the fentanyl. One of the detectives told Carmen, “The goal is to convict Kouri for aggravated murder. These parallel drug investigations are not a priority.” Lewis asks if Carmen recalls that statement. She says she does not. Lewis asks her to refer to the transcript.

10:37 a.m. We are back in court. Lewis asks Carmen to review a portion of the transcript. Lewis mentions the part where Carmen told a detective to get things laid out for her. “That’s because, up to this point, they’d been explaining to you what had happened, correct?” Lewis asks. Carmen told detectives she had a lot of cell phones and some were broken.

10:08 a.m. Attorneys arguing with each other. Judge says it’s time for a restroom break and apologizes that the courtroom is cold “like a meat locker.” He says they are working on it. We are on a break. Judge asks Bloodworth and Lewis to meet with him in his office.

10:03 a.m. Lewis asks Carmen if she told investigators that she made three purchases for Kouri Richins – one from Susan Kohler, two from Robert Crozier. Carmen says that’s correct – what she remembered at the time. One from Susan in February, one from Robert in February and one from Robert on March 9. “I know you’ve changed your story and you now say there’s another story, but this is what you told them a year after these events,” Lewis says.

9:59 a.m. Lewis asks Carmen to refresh her memory by reading a transcript. Lewis then asks if the second time she went back to Crozier, she asked for something stronger. Carmen says she’s confused. “You’re confusing,” she says to Lewis. The second time, Carmen asked for “more of the same” – nothing stronger.

9:54 a.m. Carmen admits to always driving without a driver’s license. Lewis asks about Carmen’s third purchase from Robert Crozier. Carmen tells Lewis she’s confusing her because she keeps bouncing back and forth.

9:52 a.m. Lewis now shows the selfie Carmen took with Nancy Peterson on the way to pick up the pills. Carmen says Nancy drove on the way to pick up the pills, but Carmen drove on the way back because Nancy wanted to get high.

9:48 a.m. Lewis asks Carmen what fentanyl goes for. She isn’t sure. Lewis asks if she knows it’s really cheap – at least it was in 2023, she says. Lewis asks if Carmen picked the money up on the same day she bought the pills. Carmen isn’t sure. Lewis asks Carmen if she’s aware that Kouri didn’t own the Midway home in February 2022 and had sold the home at the end of January 2022. Carmen was not aware of that.

9:46 a.m. Lewis reads from a transcript of the interview Carmen had with investigators, where Carmen said Kouri never asked for fentanyl. Kouri asked her to get “Michael Jackson stuff.” Lewis says we will come back to this so she doesn’t confuse Carmen by jumping around.

9:38 a.m. Lewis asks Carmen if she was holding back pills from Crozier for herself. She says no. Lewis asks Carmen if she asked Crozier for Roxy30s. Carmen says she asked for blues. Carmen testifies that she never asked Crozier for fentanyl. Lewis tells Carmen that she told the federal investigator that Kouri never asked her for fentanyl. Carmen doesn’t recall.

9:34 a.m. Lewis now asks about the first drug exchange with Robert Crozier. Lewis asks about the time Kouri asked for the “Michael Jackson drug.” Carmen had to Google it and learned it was propofol. Lewis asks if it can be bought on the street. Carmen isn’t sure – says she doesn’t go around asking for it.

9:30 a.m. Lewis keeps reading through the transcript and Bloodworth objects. Lewis says the story Carmen told the investigators in jail does not match what she said on the stand. Carmen says it was a lot to take in and process. Lewis says Carmen’s memory one year after the fact (when she spoke with investigators) was probably better than it is today (four years after the fact). Carmen says that is correct.

9:21 a.m. Lewis asks to approach the judge. After the sidebar, Lewis apologizes that this has been so confusing. Lewis continues her questioning about the conversation Carmen had with investigator Whistler about the time Carmen bought drugs from Susan Kohler. Lewis reading through part of the transcript between Carmen and Whistler.

9:17 a.m. Lewis asks about the point in the May 10 police interview where Carmen said the money would be in the closet, and that’s where she would leave the pills. Judge tells Lewis she needs to be much more careful and specific in how she asks the questions.

9:14 a.m. We now hear the call. Nick tells Carmen that’s the last time they could get any pills. Lewis brings up May 10, 2023, interview with the three investigators. Ms. Whistler, one of the investigators, asked Carmen how often she was using drugs. Carmen told her maybe once a month. Lewis says, “That wasn’t true. You were using a lot more.” Carmen says that’s correct. Lewis tells Carmen she wasn’t honest with Ms. Whistler. Carmen says that is correct.

9:12 a.m. The two phone calls were between Carmen and Nick Bonsavage. In the calls, Nick told Carmen they couldn’t get any more pills. Lewis moves to admit the recording. Bloodworth does not object.

9:11 a.m. Jury is back in the courtroom. Lewis wants to refresh Carmen’s recollection with some audio recordings. The judge tells Carmen to put on headphones and listen to the recordings. When she’s done, Lewis will ask her another question. We cannot hear the audio recordings.

9:04 a.m. Court is in recess for a moment.

9:02 a.m. Lewis says she needs to play a call to impeach the witness. Prosecuting attorney Brad Bloodworth needs to listen to the call before Lewis plays it. Judge dismisses the jury briefly to get the audio system set up.

8:58 a.m. Lewis asks if Carmen used someone else’s urine for drug testing. Carmen says she has never used anyone else’s urine. Lewis asks Carmen about a way she figured out a way to “game the system” when it came to drug testing. Carmen says she and Nick never figured out anything. “It was a random phone call every day,” Carmen says of the timing of the drug testing. Lewis asks if Carmen was selling drugs in 2022 to support her habit and if she pulled some of the drugs out from Robert to use for herself or to sell. Carmen says that’s not correct.

8:54 a.m. Carmen says she has never seen the letters giving her immunity in the case. She says the letters may have gone to her attorney. Lewis asks Carmen about the last time she used drugs. Carmen says it was four years ago. She’s been clean for a little over four years. Lewis responds, “The last time you used is February 2022? That’s not correct.” Carmen says she needs to think about the dates. Lewis says Carmen told investigators the last time she used was July 2022. Carmen isn’t 100% sure.

8:51 a.m. Lewis shows Carmen a text she wrote to Nick. We see it on the screen. She says she can’t lose her drug court, and she’s worked so hard. Lewis reminds Carmen she was very nervous about meeting with federal agents. Carmen says she was. On May 10, 2023, Lewis says two US assistant attorneys and a federal government agent came to meet with Carmen in jail. At this point, Carmen had immunity from federal prosecution, Lewis says.

8:47 a.m. Lewis asks about a call Carmen had with her friend Nick. During the call, Carmen told Nick she was going to meet with the US attorneys, and she was nervous about meeting them. Carmen says she doesn’t recall the details. Lewis presses Carmen about not telling the truth. Carmen texted Nick something to the effect, “I absolutely can’t lose my drug court,” Lewis says.

8:43 a.m. Lewis asks about an interview Carmen did with detectives while she was in jail on May 4, 2023. She points Carmen to a transcript from the interview. The detectives asked her if she had talked to anyone about what had been going on. She told police she hadn’t told anyone – she’s just said she was in jail on a drug court violation. Lewis says, “That wasn’t a true statement because you had been telling people in detail that you were cooperating with law enforcement.” Carmen says she doesn’t recall. Lewis says she told Nick Bonsavage. Carmen says she spoke with Nick “a little bit here and there” but not that she was cooperating.

8:40 a.m. Lewis mentions the $1,300 check Kouri wrote to Carmen on March 6. Carmen says Kouri wrote the check on March 9, and she picked it up on March 9. Eric died on March 4. Nick and Carmen were paid $25 an hour to clean the Midway mansion. Judge pauses testimony because someone needs a pair of reading glasses.

8:37 a.m. Jury is seated. Lewis begins by asking about Carmen working for Kouri and her aunt cleaning their homes. Lewis asks if Carmen mostly communicated via text. She says phone and text. Lewis asks about Carmen cleaning the Midway mansion. Carmen went over and cleaned it up for an open house. Lewis mentions Nick Bonsavage, Carmen and two others cleaning the home. Kouri paid Nick through Venmo.

8:20 a.m. Carmen Lauber is back on the stand this morning as defense attorney Wendy Lewis continues cross-examination. Carmen is the house cleaner who testified that Kouri Richins asked her to purchase illicit pills for her four times around the time Eric Richins died. She was on the stand for around four hours yesterday and is considered a key witness in the trial.

LIVE UPDATES | Day 5 of Kouri Richins murder trial - East Idaho News

Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three boys, is accused of fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, in 2022. She is on trial in Summit County, Utah, on charges of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud and forgery. Today is the fifth day of the trial. It is scheduled...

www.eastidahonews.com

Today is the fifth day of the trial. It is scheduled to begin each day at 8:30 a.m. East Idaho News will be posting live written updates all day. Please excuse typos. You can watch the livestream here. The most recent updates are at the top of this page.

4:04 p.m. Court is in recess. Join me tonight at 7 p.m. for “Courtroom Insider” on the East Idaho News YouTube channel.


4:02 p.m. Judge Mrazik says we are going to recess for the weekend until 8:30 a.m. on Monday. He reminds the jurors not to be exposed to anything associated with the case and not to talk with anyone about it.

4:01 p.m. No further questions from either side. Bloodworth asks to approach to discuss scheduling.


4 p.m. Ramos asks who he released the phone to. They went to Detective Root, Garaycochea believes. Ramos asks if Garaycochea analyzed any of the data. He did not – just extracted it. Ramos asks if once a phone has been extracted, would there be any other reason to extract again. Garaycochea says perhaps. Different forensic tools could yield different results.

3:57 p.m. Ramos asked how Garaycochea got the phones. Two separate phones arrived in evidence packages. He took photos of each package, took photos of the phones and then cut open the phones. He took pictures of each of the phones. He did the same process with all four phones.

3:56 p.m. Chervenak has no further questions. Defense attorney Alex Ramos will now question. He asks how Cellebrite works and if Garaycochea made sure nothing was manipulated with the data.


3:53 p.m. Garaycochea extracted data from four different cell phones. One of the phones was broken and he had to repair the phone’s screen. He explains how he fixed the phone. There was water damage and debris inside the phone. When you repair the phone, it does not change the data.

3:51 p.m. Chervenak processed and extracted data from cell phones related to the case using the Cellebrite program. Once Garaycochea obtained the raw data from Cellebrite, the data was given back to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

3:49 p.m. We are back. Next witness is Marcos Garaycochea. He works at the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office in the Special Investigations Unit.

3:11 p.m. Livestream will resume once the undercover officer is off the stand.

LIVE UPDATES | Day 5 of Kouri Richins murder trial - East Idaho News

Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three boys, is accused of fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, in 2022. She is on trial in Summit County, Utah, on charges of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud and forgery. Today is the fifth day of the trial. It is scheduled...

www.eastidahonews.com

 

[Megnut]

Judge Mrazik received a motion to dismiss.

On how many grounds do you think?

No doubt they'll stack it.

IMO if there were real grounds for mistrial, it would have occurred.

Desperate Defense, predictable.

 

[LinasK]

There is this: KR asked for the Michael Jackson drug, CL delivered fentanyl. If the Defense wants to win the point that somehow KR didn't know she received fentanyl, the most we could say is that she thought it was propofol.... when she overdosed her husband with illicit drugs.

I just don't see what the Defense is hoping to get here.

The longer this goes on, the worse it looks for KR.

JMO

I have personal experience with both of those medications in medical settings- Propofol as anaesthesia for a Colonoscopy, Fentanyl for a D&C. Other than sounding slightly similar phonetically, there's no confusing the effects of these two medications. Propofol will knock you out right away, Fentanyl made me Euphoric- you could have told me the sky was blue and I would have thought that hysterically funny, and I barfed for hours afterwards.

 

[AnyNameIWish]

I'm a little behind but did we discuss AI - friend of Kouri and girlfriend of the deceased Hayden Jeffs???

HOLY s!!!!! she seemed so pissed off to even be there, I'm sorry but she was off-putting. She seems like she can't be bothered to even be there but honestly a dad of 3 is DEAD and this is her attitude??? The jurors are there out of an obligation of service to society. I'm sorry but I don't understand how someone can turn this into about herself, about saying she "did nothing wrong".. no one is accusing AI of anyhting. Aren't people obligated to try to tell the truth, wharever they know?

MOO.

 

[303gmf]

Kouri seems hellbent on appearing elfin.

Expressionless.

I've begin to wonder whether she has so much as a laugh line or crow foot.

But today, full wrinkled brow.

She must be seeeeeeeething inside.

Damning testimony.

 JMO

I get the drowned rat visual in my head every time

 

[Luna20]

The whole defense team is so bizarre.

They really are like circus characters. They make the prosecution seem so boring.

 

[Megnut]

I'm a little behind but did we discuss AI - friend of Kouri and girlfriend of the deceased Hayden Jeffs???

HOLY s!!!!! she seemed so pissed off to even be there, I'm sorry but she was off-putting. She seems like she can't be bothered to even be there but honestly a dad of 3 is DEAD and this is her attitude??? The jurors are there out of an obligation of service to society. I'm sorry but I don't understand how someone can turn this into about herself, about saying she "did nothing wrong".. no one is accusing AI of anyhting. Aren't people obligated to try to tell the truth, wharever they know?

MOO.

I think, and could be wrong, but she is grieving, and having to her partner memorialized in this way, wasn't something she wanted to discuss, focus on. It would be rough to lose someone you love who is linked even loosely to this horrible story.

She did, in her defense, tell investigators that she would show uo for court, she just want to meet with them. The threat against her pet, really poor form. I wonder if they ever bothered to try to understand her reticence. Fear, grief. All while in recovery fun an alcohol addiction.

KR made a mess of a lot of lives IMO.

jmo

 

[Luna20]

I think, and could be wrong, but she is grieving, and having to her partner memorialized in this way, wasn't something she wanted to discuss, focus on. It would be rough to lose someone you love who is linked even loosely to this horrible story.

She did, in her defense, tell investigators that she would show uo for court, she just want to meet with them. The threat against her pet, really poor form. I wonder if they ever bothered to try to understand her reticence. Fear, grief. All while in recovery fun an alcohol addiction.

KR made a mess of a lot of lives IMO.

jmo

I missed most of her testimony. Was she married to Kouri’s handyman? Did they both have addiction issues?

 

[Weki]

I have been focused on the riveting GA shooter dad trial today but I’m catching up on this trial now and I gotta say Bloodworth trying to enter 900 pages of Carmen’s interview as proof that she’s been consistent and in an attempt rehab her is the most desperate thing I’ve seen a prosecutor do. Even the judge was looking at him like “are you for real?”

The other short witness with the text exchange from the detective who was being extremely out of pocket with her, and the shifty drug dealer with amnesia all signal to me that the state’s case is in trouble at this stage. We’ll see if they can recover next week. Not a good first week imo.

 

[Megnut]

I missed most of her testimony. Was she married to Kouri’s handyman? Did they both have addiction issues?

I don't recall if they were married but they were for sure a couple. The implication was he was a potential source of drugs for KR. I wish we could have learned more, but with him dying, there was little the State could do.

I think they wanted a second example of KR looking for narcotics so it's not just CL's word.

I gather from what the witness did share, the handyman wanted nothing to do with KR's request.

JMO