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

[Seattle1]

Peter can go kick rocks! I just finished Katie’s cross and she didn’t slip anything. Defense was trying to mischaracterize the circumstances of how Katie hired the experts etc and Katie was trying to give a clearer picture.

JMO

I don't think this was a criticism by Peter. Just the opposite-- especially knowing the defense planned hours of cross to impeach this witness (Katie), and failed miserably! JMO

 

[Weki]

Wow, what is so unusual? He was a rich guy, with large family assets, very successful business, and he's marrying a woman who might turn out to be trying to get his money. She's not the high school sweetheart. Neither is young. It was a "bun in the oven" marriage iirc (and normal caution would wonder if she got pregnant to get him to marry her).

IIRC he had been married before, right? Or was it her? Or both?

These docs are all the normal ones needed for having cautions built into the mix of a man who is entering a marriage because it seems like the right thing to do, and kids too, but not willing to give her title to HIS assets he had built if she turns out to be a wacko golddigger. (And from how things evolved, from early on, it looks like getting his assets was EXACTLY what she was aiming for all along.)

Here’s a novel idea - don’t marry someone you don’t trust.

 

[Megnut]

pretty sure the fentanyl was in the Moscow Mule

I'm agreed now.

Which makes it all the worse that they're trying to say LE's failure to collect the glasses somehow exonerates KR.

JMO

 

[Seattle1]

A Moscow Mule typically contains one to two shots (1.5 to 2 ounces) of vodka, balanced with fresh lime juice and topped with ginger beer in a copper mug. While 2 ounces is very common for a standard pour, some recipes use slightly less (1.5 oz) or more, depending on desired strength and the ginger beer's spice.
Moscow Mule Recipe

A lemon drop shot is a popular, sweet-and-sour cocktail shot designed to mimic the flavor of a lemon drop candy. It typically consists of lemon vodka (or standard vodka), lemon juice, and simple syrup, shaken with ice and served in a sugar-rimmed glass, often accompanied by a lemon wedge coated in sugar.

Lemon Drop (Shot)

If Fentanyl tastes sweet and has no smell, the drinks above were probably a good choice by KR.

Identifying Fentanyl-Laced Drugs: Look, Smell, taste & Test Strips

If someone is worried that heroin or another drug is laced with fentanyl, as a way to identify it, they might question what does fentanyl taste like.

www.therecoveryvillage.com

 

[Weki]

I’m confused why he stayed with her after he suspected she tried to poison him with the sandwich. He also knew she was financially defrauding him. I’m not blaming the victim-I’m genuinely baffled. He spoke with a divorce attorney but changed his mind. He disinherited her from his assets, essentially.

I can’t make sense of it. Even if he felt he should stay for the boys, my god! At what cost??

JMO

 

[scorpio24]

I’m confused why he stayed with her after he suspected she tried to poison him with the sandwich. He also knew she was financially defrauding him. I’m not blaming the victim-I’m genuinely baffled. He spoke with a divorce attorney but changed his mind. He disinherited her from his assets, essentially.

I can’t make sense of it. Even if he felt he should stay for the boys, my god! At what cost??

JMO

I didn't get the impression that he put two and two together about the sandwich. He just got sick and wrote it off to some sort of allergic reaction. But that may just be me! I've been doing a lot of catch up today because I essentially knew nothing.

I do have a feeling that she talked him out of the divorce by promising to change her financial scheming ways. But how on earth did she keep getting these huge loans? I'm baffled by THAT! Would he have found out how she actually funded the mansion at the closing? Does that explain the timing?

Also, did KR know about the terms of the trust? Had she read it? Did she understand it? I am very confused there because I think his sister inferred that KR was upset about the trust. But I was unsure if KR knew about it BEFORE his death. Did she think his death would nullify the trust? Does anyone have details on this?

MOO on all of this (and it is an admittedly weak one because I have only watched the documentaries and not done research really.) I'd appreciate any input!

 

[LinasK]

FWIW I'm not convinced the fentanyl was in the drink. I don't know how she did it but I suspect she watched him die. She would not risk him being able to call for help. Or if ingested, throw it up or not consume it, etc.

She watched. She wanted him to know she was killing him and there'd be nothing he could do to stop it. Granted, MOO. But she's heartless.

Her performance was... performative.

JMO

So how are you suggesting she got it into him- injection?

 

[Seattle1]

Trial resumes Tuesday with defense attorney Alex Ramos continuing his examination of Deputy Nguyen.

LIVE UPDATES | Day 1 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 first day of the trial. It is scheduled...

www.eastidahonews.com

LIVE TRIAL BLOG - DAY ONE

Feb 23, 2026


Today is the first 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.

4:45 p.m. Judge dismisses jurors. Tells them not to listen or watch anything about the case. The deputy will be back on the stand in the morning. Defense and prosecution discussing chain of custody over evidence. Will be discussed first thing in the morning. Tomorrow Dep. Nguyen will be called, along with the paramedic on scene, two other first responders and Ms. Gibson. Join me tonight for “Courtroom Insider” at 7 p.m. MST on the East Idaho News YouTube channel for a recap on everything that happened today.


4:40 p.m. Ramos stressing the importance of time and documenting times. He asks about when Kouri went to bed. Ramos asks if the defense can rest now and pick it up tomorrow. Judge calls attorneys to the bench. He has a look of annoyance on his face.

4:38 p.m. Ramos asks about the temperature in the home. It was 71 degrees. Ramos says, “Let’s talk about times. Everybody is looking at the clock right now, but I might need to come back to this witness tomorrow.”


4:32 p.m. Ramos asks Nguyen if he searched for gummies. He says he did not as he was not in charge of searching for medications. It was another deputy’s job. Ramos says they will ask the other deputy when he’s called to testify. Ramos asks Nguyen if he agrees the scene is a traumatic scene. “There is such a thing as secondary trauma, correct?” Nguyen says yes. Ramos asks to give everyone some grace. He then asks where Nguyen found out about the gummies. Nguyen found out about them from Kouri. Ramos asks Nguyen if he asked Kouri about where the gummies were. He did not.

4:28 p.m. Ramos asks if a photo was taken of the hydrocodone bottle or if it was taken into evidence. Nguyen did not do it. Ramos asks if anybody did it. Nguyen doesn’t recall. Ramos asks about the celebratory drink and if he knew that Kouri’s mom was there. Nguyen says he didn’t know. Ramos says, “Really?” Nguyen repeats that he didn’t know that Lisa was at the house the night before.

4:26 p.m. Ramos asks if Nguyen went to the kitchen or looked in the scene. He did not. Ramos asks if Nguyen told another investigator to go to the kitchen or look in the sink. He did not. “When somebody loses their life, it’s important, right?” Ramos asks. Nguyen says, “Yes.”


4:24 p.m. Ramos asking about Nguyen’s process in gathering information and documenting the scene.

4:20 p.m. Nguyen says the video would upload once he parked his car at the sheriff’s office. Ramos asks Nguyen where he went in the house. Just the living room. Ramos asks Nguyen if he has worked with the EMS paramedics in the past. He has worked with one.

4:16 p.m. Ramos asks what type of software Nguyen’s body camera uses. It’s called Watchguard. Ramos asks if the video is automatically uploaded. It is once he gets back to the sheriff’s department. Ramos asks how many times Nguyen has worn the body camera. “A lot.” Five – more. 20 – more. 100 – more. Thousands – possibly. Ramos says that in those thousands, he’s uploaded the body camera, correct? Nguyen says the camera system has since changed and they have a different process now. Nguyen recalls the video would upload via secure wifi at the office.

4:12 p.m. Ramos asks if Nguyen was there when Eric’s body was removed. He was not. Ramos asked Nguyen what time he left. The deputy says the report doesn’t have an exact time but he left after other deputies arrived.

4:10 p.m. Ramos asks Nguyen about when he arrived at the house and asks if he turned off his body camera at one point. He doesn’t recall. Ramos asks that if he had turned off his camera, when would he have done that? Nguyen says when the call was over. Ramos says if Nguyen has turned it off, he would have indicated that in his report, correct? Nguyen says yes.

4:04 p.m. Nguyen was responsible for the crime scene log and death checklist at the scene. He was looking for anything that might explain Eric Richin’s death. Prosecutor asks about Kouri Richins volunteering information about THC gummies. Nguyen says he did not see any THC gummies in the home. He did not see any illicit drugs or drug paraphernalia in the home either. Prosecution has no further questions. Defense attorney Alex Ramos will now cross examine.

4:01 p.m. Body camera is over. Courtroom camera shows Kouri, who is staring at the screen and doesn’t have much of a reaction. Prosecutor moves to admit still shots or photos from the body camera along with a police voluntary statement from Kouri.

3:57 p.m. Nguyen asks if any animals sleep with Eric. Kouri says he sleeps with a dog, but he wasn’t in there. Kouri asks about Eric’s dad and said, “I can’t…I don’t….” Katie says she will do it and her sister is almost there. Nguyen asks Katie to explain the process to the family – they can’t pass the threshold in the home while investigators are in the bedroom.

 

[Weki]

Watching Nguyen’s body cam now and I was surprised to see Katie and Kouri hugging and comforting each other. I expected a much more subdued Kouri based on Katie’s description of this scene in her testimony. Kouri is doing a good acting job. Katie said Kouri looked put together and her hair was all done up. I don’t see that. Her hair looks pulled up in a bun, and she’s wearing a PJ
set. I know Katie was traumatized and we can’t expect her memory to be on point.

I’m sure she picked up on subliminal cues from Kouri and that’s what stuck out in her mind. That Kouri was prepared for this scene.

If I didn’t know what I know would I find Kouri’s behavior suspicious? Idk.

 

[scorpio24]

Watching Nguyen’s body cam now and I was surprised to see Katie and Kouri hugging and comforting each other. I expected a much more subdued Kouri based on Katie’s description of this scene in her testimony. Kouri is doing a good acting job. Katie said Kouri looked put together and her hair was all done up. I don’t see that. Her hair looks pulled up in a bun, and she’s wearing a PJ
set. I know Katie was traumatized and we can’t expect her memory to be on point.

I’m sure she picked up on subliminal cues from Kouri and that’s what stuck out in her mind. That Kouri was prepared for this scene.

If I didn’t know what I know would I find Kouri’s behavior suspicious? Idk.

See, I saw and thought something completely different here. In her testimony, Katie alluded to "knowing" Kouri and going on trips with her. In other words, I felt that she has actually seen her before at 3 am or when she just got up. And she didn't look like this.

Her hair did look somewhat fixed to me. Mine doesn't look good like that if I've been asleep and/or just frantically pull it up. Hers looked pretty good! And the only matching PJs I have are Christmas pajamas. Lol. I just have separate pieces that I throw together most of the time. Maybe that's what Katie was referring to?

FWIW, my focus was on her bare feet. No socks? No house shoes? My feet felt cold just watching that!

MOO on all of this!

 

[Niner]

Tuesday, February 24th:
*Trial continues (Day 2) (@ 8:30am MT) - UT - Eric Eugene Richins (39) poisoned with a lethal dose of fentanyl by wife on Mar. 3, 2022 in Kamas. - *Kouri Darden Richins (33/now 35) arrested (5/8/23) & charged (6/5/23) & arraigned (8/27/24) with 2nd degree aggravated murder & 3 counts of possession of drugs with intent to distribute. [These charges were dismissed on 3/25/24-see recharges]. *Re-charged (3/25/24) with 1 count of 1st degree criminal homicide aggravated murder (DV), 2 counts of 2nd degree distribution of a controlled substance [charges dismissed 11/12/24], 1 count of attempted aggravated urder, 2 counts of 2nd degree mortgage fraud (Iron Bridge Financial & Boomerang Finance), 2 counts of 2nd degree insurance fraud & 2 counts of 3rd degree forgery. Plead not guilty (8/27/24). Held without bond. Bond denied (6/12/23). Bond denied (11/18/25). DA will not seek DP (8/18/23).
*Charged (6/27/25) with 5 counts of mortgage fraud, 5 counts of forgery, 7 counts of issuing a bad check, 7 counts of money laundering, 1 count of communications fraud & 1 count of a pattern of unlawful activity. 3rd Judicial District Court Summit County
Jury selection began on 2/10/26 & ended on 2/11/26. Jury consists of 8 jurors [2 women & 6 men] & 4 alternates. [4 women].
Murder Trial began on 2/23/26 [thru 3/26/26]. Court in session from Mondays to Thursdays.
Third District Court Summit County Judge Richard Mrazik presiding. Prosecutors Patricia Cassell & Summit County Deputy Attorney Brad Bloodworth & Defense attorneys Kathy Nester & Wendy Lewis & Alex Ramos.
Case & court info from 6/5/23 thru 2/2/26 & Jury Selection Day 1-2 (2/10-2/11//26) & thru 2/18/26 reference post #716 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...ted-death-last-year-may-2023-3.711978/page-36
2/23/26 Monday, Trial Day 1: *See post #726 for “housekeeping items” discussed. Jury is sworn in. Judge thanks jury for their patience. He gives instructions on how the trial will unfold and says more instructions will be given at the end of the trial. Judge reads the charges: Count 1 - aggravated murder. March 3-4, 2022, the defendant is accused of intentionally or knowingly causing the death of Eric Richins. Court 2 - attempted aggravated murder. Count 3 - insurance fraud. Count 4 - insurance fraud. Count 5 - Forgery.
*Opening statements by Summit County Dep. Attorney Brad Bloodworth & by Defense attorney Kathryn Nester.
*Judge sends jury out for morning recess. Bloodworth says they need some clarification for the exclusionary rule. Nester names two family members - DJ & Ronnie - who can not stay for the trial. Judge says they can not listen to the testimony or talk to anyone about it. "You are ordered not to be exposed to the testimony of this case." Rest of the family can come back in.
*There is some question over the oath the judge read to the jury. Apparently there was a mistake. They will be re-sworn in after the break. Jury is back in. The judge reads the correct swearing-in verbiage.
*State witnesses: Eugene Richins [Eric's dad]. Katie Richins Benson [Eric's sister]. Clint Benson [Katie’s husband]. Summit County Sheriff's office Patrol Deputy Vincent Nguyen [responding officer-with body cam footage shown]. The Deputy will be back on the stand tomorrow. Trial continues on Tuesday, 2/24/26.

 

[Megnut]

I’m confused why he stayed with her after he suspected she tried to poison him with the sandwich. He also knew she was financially defrauding him. I’m not blaming the victim-I’m genuinely baffled. He spoke with a divorce attorney but changed his mind. He disinherited her from his assets, essentially.

I can’t make sense of it. Even if he felt he should stay for the boys, my god! At what cost??

JMO

Good people can have a hard time believing other people can be that bad.

JMO

 

[Megnut]

So how are you suggesting she got it into him- injection?

I've since been convinced it was in the drink.

JMO