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

[Megnut]

@NateNewsNow


We see a photo of a cabinet above the toilet. There are items that were not collected from the cupboard. But two gummies, two chocolate brownies, two clear baggies of gummies and some other items were seized. Prosecution moves to admit the photo, defense objects. Judge asks attorneys to approach the bench.


Sidebar is over. Prosecutor asks Christensen to open an exhibit. She asks for a sanitary wipe. She opens the bag. Before she booked them into evidence, they were photographed.


We see an image of the master closet. This is where a bag of gummies was found. Prosecutor asks Christensen to open the evidence bag containing the gummies. She cuts open the package and we see the gummies.


I have mistakenly been referring to the witness as Christensen - I meant to type Gipson. My apologies!


6:00 PM · Feb 24, 2026

Actually.... I think the witness knocked her water over, while she had the evidence bag open and contents laid out. In trying to prevent the spill, I think she knocked the gummie evidence off whatever may have been lining the tabletop.

 JMO

 

[AnyNameIWish]

Wait.... the Quetiapine level was found in Eric but the bottle of Quetiapine had Kouri's name on it!!!

 

[Megnut]

@NateNewsNow


Gipson collected a pair of tweezers that were inside a woman's jacket. It was taken to the sheriff's office and sent to the state crime lab. The prosecutor continues to play the scan of the house. We see markings where items of significance were collected.


6:05 PM · Feb 24, 2026

Will we learn they tested positive for fentynal?

JMO

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


Gipson talks about finding documents in a backpack with Eric's and Kouri's names on them. A phone belonging to Kouri was also seized. The witness pulls the phone out. Gipson reminds the jurors that all the items were collected on April 13, 2022. Eric died on March 4.

Prosecutor shows the scan again and now we see tags for a different date when the house was searched. They were looking for electronics and documents.

The search was done on May 8, 2023. Gipson shows an orange notebook that was discovered in the nightstand. Prosecutor says they will come back to it. A blue iPhone was also collected from the nightstand.

We see a photo taken inside the master bedroom. Gipson shows where the phone was in relation to the bedroom. The detached office was also searched that day. Prosecutor moves to admit a 3D rendering of the office. A document was collected from a cabinet in the office.

 

[303gmf]

That's a small class, just my opinion.

Mine was 89 of us seniors!

 

[Megnut]

Kouri is expressionless, except for looking like she's waiting outside the principal's office.

None of this evidence is new to her.

JMO

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


A phone was seized from Kouri Richins on May 8, 2023. The phone was downloaded and admitted into evidence. Another search of the home was done on Nov. 7, 2024. A 3D scan was also done that day and tags were placed on the scan to show where items of interest were in the home.

During the November search, a timeline was found inside a kitchen cabinet. Prosecutor goes through other items that were found in the home and seized for evidence.

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


A Motorola cell phone taken from Carmen Lauber, the house cleaner, was also seized for evidence. Prosecutor asks Gipson what happens after phones are booked into evidence. In 2022, the sheriff's office did not have the ability to download a cell phone. If they wanted a download, it needed to go to the forensic institution. In early 2023, the sheriff's office got Cellebrite, a program to download cell phone data.


6:29 PM · Feb 24, 2026


Prosecutor continues to ask questions about cell phone downloads and the Cellebrite program. Gipson helped in the process of downloading Kouri Richins' blue iPhone. She did. Prosecutor has nothing further.


6:34 PM · Feb 24, 2026

 

[arielilane]

Court in recess until 8:30 am MT and 10:30 am ET

 

[arielilane]

@NateNewsNow


Judge says we will wrap up for the day and cross-examination will begin in the morning. Judge reminds jurors not to research the case. Jury exits the courtroom.


6:37 PM · Feb 24, 2026



Court is adjourned until tomorrow morning. Join me for "Courtroom Insider" tonight at 7 p.m. MST on the @EastIDNews YouTube channel.


6:40 PM · Feb 24, 2026

 

[Megnut]

Court in recess until 8:30 am MT and 10:30 am ET

FYI 15 minutes earlier than that, for counsel, iiuc.

 

[AnyNameIWish]

They also mentioned they have Hayden Jeffs cell phone!! OOOOPs they blurted it out. That's the handyman Kouri knew and she asked him for propofol and fentanyl.

Hayden Jeffs died in an accident so he won't be testifying but they can use his phone(?)

Yeah. This is going to hang on a LOT of circumstantial evidence. We might not see fentanyl tablets or residue on Kouri.... but honestly this is damning so far we have seen in evidence in the past 2 days....

1. Kouri's defensive reaction on camera to officers. .. "he has chest pain... he has Lyme disease.. his mom had a fungal infection.... he took gummies". Plus the lack of real tears.

2. Kouri calls her mom 1st? What? Huh? To me that is odd.

3. Quetiapine in Eric's blood...when Kouri has a prescription for it?

4. Kouri doesn't rush to her kids and doesn't seem unconsoleable at all when Katie shows up

 

[Cindizzi]

 

[justme11]

I didn't get to listen to much today so thank you @arielilane and everyone for the updates!

 

[Seattle1]

2/24/26

COURTROOM INSIDER | Autopsy, gummies, evidence and more on day 2 of Kouri Richins trial​

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

There was enough gummies in the house to open a dispensary.

 

[Niner]

Wednesday, February 25th:
*Trial continues (Day 3) (@ 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 (2/20/26).
*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 r& Trial Day 1 (2/23/26) reference post #1031 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...ted-death-last-year-may-2023-3.711978/page-52
2/20/26 Docket update: Prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty after conferring with the victim’s father and two sisters, according to a court filing Friday.
2/24/26 Tuesday, Trial Day 2: *Out of presence of jury hearing arguments as to whether data from KR's digital phone footprint of meme & gifs accessed the morning of March 4th. D efense really want those items out as they are too prejudicious to their client. The judge determines the GIFs are circumstantial evidence of defendant's state of mind & not overly prejudicial. <<This could have been from yesterday.
*State witnesses: Summit County Sheriff's Office Patrol Deputy Vincent Nguyen [back on stand for cross]. Ms. Cameron (Larson) Sessions [Works as ME investigator [photograph & document evidence] with Park City PD]. Larson worked with Chelsea Gibson & Detective Jayme Woody from the Summit County Sheriff's Office. Summit County Sheriff's Office Patrol Deputy David Pimentel. Park City Advanced EMT Margaret Offret. Sgt. Andrew Crnich [works for Summit Co. Sheriff’s & responded as “on call” firefighter]. Maddy Mobley [works for the Utah Office of Medical Examiner. She worked as a morgue clerk in 2022. She explains the process when collecting & transporting a body]. Dr. Pamela Uhlmer [now retired medical examiner & forensic pathologist; did autopsy on Eric]. Allyson Christensen [worked for ME's office in 2022. Her duties were as autopsy assistant & autopsy tech. She helped ME with autopsies. She assisted with ER's autopsy she was assigned to handle toxicology samples]. Chelsea Gipson [lead crime scene tech. She oversaw the crime scene evidence room at the Sheriff's Dept]. Prosecutor admits a 3D scan taken inside the home & shown to jurors. Gipson will be back on the stand tomorrow for cross. Trial continues on Wednesday, 2/25/26.

 

[mrjitty]

I thought the opening args from State and Defence were good. Doesn't look great for the defendant obviously. Didn't love blaming the family for investigating. I'd be investigating if it looked suss!

 

[Justice101]

Man, I agree. She is a bad actor. The details she spoke of sounded forced and awkwardly delivered. geez

I wouldn't be any better at acting than her....but then again, I am not going to plan to kill my spouse and thnk that I could possibly get away with it.

 

[Justice101]

They also mentioned they have Hayden Jeffs cell phone!! OOOOPs they blurted it out. That's the handyman Kouri knew and she asked him for propofol and fentanyl.

Hayden Jeffs died in an accident so he won't be testifying but they can use his phone(?)

Yeah. This is going to hang on a LOT of circumstantial evidence. We might not see fentanyl tablets or residue on Kouri.... but honestly this is damning so far we have seen in evidence in the past 2 days....

1. Kouri's defensive reaction on camera to officers. .. "he has chest pain... he has Lyme disease.. his mom had a fungal infection.... he took gummies". Plus the lack of real tears.

2. Kouri calls her mom 1st? What? Huh? To me that is odd.

3. Quetiapine in Eric's blood...when Kouri has a prescription for it?

4. Kouri doesn't rush to her kids and doesn't seem unconsoleable at all when Katie shows up

To me, that is so that Eric can lay there without medical aid a little longer and have a greater chance to die.