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

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


Eugene was with his wife when she died from lung fungus. He says Eric did not suffer from any of the symptoms that his wife had. Bloodworth gives Eugene an exhibit containing handwriting samples.


12:55 PM · Feb 23, 2026

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


Prosecution has no further questions. Defense attorney Kathyn Nester says she is very sorry for his loss and has no questions for him. Eugene Richins is dismissed. Katie Richins Benson is the next witness.


12:57 PM · Feb 23, 2026

 

[arielilane]

And about the defense... I would say cold hearted .... after that opening, and then to give your sympathy to the father. moo

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


Katie is sworn in. Bloodworth asks Katie to address the jury. He asks if she knew Eric Richins. They were brother and sister. They were two years apart "so we were inseparable." "We did everything together, we went to school together. WE have a family ranch that's been passed down for generations. We worked on the ranch together. We fished, we hiked, we did everything together," she says.


12:59 PM · Feb 23, 2026

 

[justme11]

I wasn't expecting family on the stand right away.

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


Bloodworth asks about Eric's personality. Katie begins to say, "Eric was one of the most likable people you've ever met" and begins to cry. She says he loved everyone. It did not matter who you were or where you came from. Everyone thought they were his best friend. "That's the way Eric made you feel. He was upbeat. He was positive. He would give a stranger on the side of the road his jacket. That's the type of person Eric was." Katie says Eric would do anything for his boys. "He was the best dad you would ever see. If there were kids involved, he was there."


1:01 PM · Feb 23, 2026

 

[MarciB]

@NateNewsNow


Katie is sworn in. Bloodworth asks Katie to address the jury. He asks if she knew Eric Richins. They were brother and sister. They were two years apart "so we were inseparable." "We did everything together, we went to school together. WE have a family ranch that's been passed down for generations. We worked on the ranch together. We fished, we hiked, we did everything together," she says.


12:59 PM · Feb 23, 2026

I'm glad we get to see Kouri's face and reactions. so telling

 

[arielilane]

@brian_schnee


STATE CALLS SECOND WITNESS: Katie Richins-Benson, Eric's sister (two years apart) - "Inseparable""We talked constantly. We spent holiday's together. We talked on the phone almost daily." Katie, visibly shaken taking about the kind of person Eric was. She took a sip of water and tried again. "He was the best dad you would ever see. He was a phenomenal uncle. If there were kids involved, he was there. He would show up."
@KUTV2News


1:00 PM · Feb 23, 2026

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


Eric taught his kids how to work. He loved the outdoors and his family, Katie says. "There was not a waking moment that my brother did not focus on his kids," she says. Eric had money going into an account for his kids each month so they could pay for college and maybe a down payment for a house. Katie talks about going horseback riding with Eric's sons and Eric would be in an ATV by the side.


1:03 PM · Feb 23, 2026

 

[tlcya]

watching the trial here:

 

[Megnut]

I wasn't expecting family on the stand right away.

I don't know that I've ever seen it. Usually they bring in family at the end.

I like it. Really gives life to ER.

I'm noticing that ER and his family are naturally everything that KR naturally isn't.

JMO

 

[arielilane]

Bloodworth asks Katie if she ever saw her brother injured. Katie recalls Eric getting hit by a softball and calling her at 1 a.m. He was fine, but just wanted to tell her. She says if his mental or physical well-being was not good, he would call her. The only thing Katie ever saw Eric use was Advil. Eric's mom was a drug and alcohol counselor and ingrained in the kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Eric and Katie had been planning to take their kids to Disneyland. They were also planning programs for Eric's son to do computer programming.

Katie owned the home that Eric and Kouri lived in. She sold it to them. Bloodworth asks to admit a photo of the home as evidence. Judge allows it. We see the photo. Katie sold it to Eric in the latter part of 2012. There are seven homes in the cul-de-sac where Eric lived.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2025996160742129737

 

[Wishbone]

Eric's family is devastated.

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


State admits the premarital agreement between Kouri and Eric. Katie had seen it. She's asked about the morning Eric died. She says her dad called her. "He was screaming and crying and said, 'Eric's not breathing! Eric's not breathing!'" Katie's daughter was sick and had thrown up. Her daughter was in Katie's bed and her husband had gone to check in the other bedroom. Katie saw her phone ringing and said, "Dad, how did you know I was up with my sick little girl?" That's when he told Katie that Eric was not breathing. "I screamed, I fell to the floor. My husband heard me and came running in. My husband thought it was my daughter since she had just thrown up. He ran over to her and said, 'She's ok.' I said, 'No, it's Eric.'" They grabbed their kids and went running out of the house. They drove to Eric's house.


1:11 PM · Feb 23, 2026

https://twitter.com/x/status/2025997028866593138

 

[JoeFromLB]

Watching on Court TV, which is running behind the comments here.

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


When they arrived at Eric's house, the police and emergency responders were on scene. Katie went to find Eric's boys. She took them to a room with toys so they could be away from all the first responders. Katie's husband stayed with the boys. Bloodworth asks Katie if she observed Kouri Richins that morning. She remembers seeing Kouri shaking her head at her "and I knew right then my brother was gone. I fell to the floor. I observed she was not how she normally was when we would go on overnights. She was very well put together. She had a matching pajama outfit on. Her hair was done up. She wasn't crying like I was. She just stood there and shook her head no at me."


1:15 PM · Feb 23, 2026

 

[AnyNameIWish]

She says prescriptions for Oxycodone are around 10 mg per pill. If you want stronger Oxycodone up to 30 mg, you need a special prescription from a doctor or you can get it on the streets

I don't know what she was babbling about but oxycodone is 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30mg tablets. "Special prescription???" All oxycodone is prescription only.

You'd be surprised what people do for money. jmo

Or attention!!!! I think Kouri was elated to have attention she was getting as a "grieving widow", she could even create a lifestyle empire- maybe sell some candles or cutting boards like a mourning trad widow, perhaps??? Utah has a few of those....

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


Katie repeatedly asked Kouri when they could tell the boys that their father had died. Katie says they wheeled her brother's body out. Katie and her husband tried to block the boys from seeing it, but they saw it. The boys were upset. Katie told Kouri that the boys saw it and they were upset. Kouri and Lisa, her mom, said, "I guess we better tell them." Kouri then asked for the boys to be brought in.


1:17 PM · Feb 23, 2026

 

[Megnut]

This is heart-wrenching testimony.

There is just no bottom to KR's selfishness.

ER's sister had a sick child, gets the call that ER wasn't breathing. She and her husband, attending to the three boys.

KR, utterly detached, then and now.

JMO

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


The kids were called in and Kouri said that they dad would not be coming back. He was gone. After she told the kids, one of the sons became upset. Katie went to check on him multiple times. He was on his bed with his covers pulled up and Katie sat on the bed to try and console him. He wanted his mom. Katie told Kouri that she should go in and console him. She asked several times. Finally she said, "Kouri, I'm not his mom. I'm not his dad. He's very upset. I can not console him. Can you please come in and talk with him." Kouri came in the room and the son jumped out of bed and ran to each other. They hung on to each other and sat on the floor. Katie sat next to them.


1:19 PM · Feb 23, 2026