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

[mickey2942]

Be honest... has anyone here forged their spouse's signature?... even if for non-consequential efficiency? I think most have it could be something simple like both parents signing a child's report card or a time share weekly booking request.

I could do it fairly well I think... but a real expert (like I know a forensic hand writing expert) would spot my errors.

My husband hasn't signed his own name on anything for years. Between his Parkinsons and ARMD, it is all me. Of course, I am his POA, so maybe that is different.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

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??

It's like the Lori Daybell/Charles Vallow case. Spouses need to learn that if you remove a shady spouse as a death beneficiary, you need to tell them so they no longer have that incentive. You have to tell them or divorce them. You have to do at least one or both.

 

[MarciB]

Witness just asked if the Defense attorney was referring to jail calls.

Oops.

Jurors don't know she's been in jail.

Sidebar.

JMO

definitely an oops

 

[Luna20]

Dr Patrice Berry on her youtube podcast addressed this, saying there are various reasons for staying. She is a Psychologist in VA, and has very good instincts, as well as experience.

Addressed what?

 

[303gmf]

definitely an oops

I don’t blame her, Nester was hammering with ridiculous questions trying to make the witness appear wrong

 

[303gmf]

Dr Patrice Berry on her youtube podcast addressed this, saying there are various reasons for staying. She is a Psychologist in VA, and has very good instincts, as well as experience.

Apparently he stayed too long
Did she address those deadly consequences?

 

[GeorgiaRai]

Do we know the fentanyl wasn't (or couldn't have been) a tablet or powder placed between his cheek and gum, maybe after he was already asleep?

 

[AnyNameIWish]

I don’t blame her, Nester was hammering with ridiculous questions trying to make the witness appear wrong

It's her own fault then, since it makes HER client look bad. The way she worded her own question is her issue.

I hope everything with Judge M are okay, I hope it wasn't something bad that canceled court today. We are such fans of this kind and fair judge with a smooooooth voice.

LYN (the lawyer you know) youtube channel is hammering on about how all this talk of gummies could be confusing the jury... also isn't giving much detail (yet?) on how the fent got into Eric's system. He is critical of the evidence collection and the fact that the officers on March 3rd did not see this as a possible crime scene.

Emily Baker (also lawyer) is more critical of the defense, and says the officers did their job.

I'm petty so I am keeping track of Kouri's outfits. I did like today's pastel cardigan look. Yesterday was the beige blouse. Day 1 was white blouse and black blazer.

Kouri could have just sat as a pretty wifey and shopped to her heart's content, didn't need to engage in bad real estate deals and hook up with a rando when she had 3 kids and a husband at home. Life choices.

 

[tricia]

HEY LOOK AT THIS


HEY LOOK.
Lauren from Hidden True Crime and Kit from WordWise will join us tonight. on Websleuths YouTube LIVE.
Lauren has gone deep into the Richins case and Kit from WordWise has done a great video about the book Kouri wrote about grief...after she (alegedly) kills her husband.
The book is called Are You With Me.
JOIN US AT 10:30 PM EASTERN TONIGHT.

 

[Megnut]

I don’t blame her, Nester was hammering with ridiculous questions trying to make the witness appear wrong

It's so blatant. Purposefully asking the right questions to the wrong witness.

Did you catch this one? She's asking the investigator if she looked here and there, tested this and that. Witness says she didn't go into the kitchen at all, and Nester thanks her for clarifying that and adds -- then I won't waste my time asking you more questions about the kitchen.

At least we're all agreed -- Defense is simply wasting time. Putting of the inevitable.

JMO

 

[Kemug]

It's like the Lori Daybell/Charles Vallow case. Spouses need to learn that if you remove a shady spouse as a death beneficiary, you need to tell them so they no longer have that incentive. You have to tell them or divorce them. You have to do at least one or both.

What a horrible "marriage" - she caring absolutely nothing for him, except for what she could get out of him, and he trusting her less and less. Probably also beginning to be afraid of her.

 

[Niner]

Thursday, February 26th:
*Trial continues (Day 4) (@ 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 (2/23-2/24/26) reference post #1237 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...ted-death-last-year-may-2023-3.711978/page-62
2/25/26 Wednesday, Trial Day 3: State witness: Chelsea Gipson [lead crime scene tech. She oversaw the crime scene evidence room at the Sheriff's Dept.] back on stand for cross. The judge had taken an hour break to handle another matter. When he came back on the record, he cited unforeseen emergency circumstances that are unrelated to the case he dismissed court for the day. Gipson will be back on stand. Trial continues on Thursday, 2/26/26.

 

[mrjitty]

LYN (the lawyer you know) youtube channel is hammering on about how all this talk of gummies could be confusing the jury... also isn't giving much detail (yet?) on how the fent got into Eric's system. He is critical of the evidence collection and the fact that the officers on March 3rd did not see this as a possible crime scene.

Emily Baker (also lawyer) is more critical of the defense, and says the officers did their job.

RSBM

As ever, I would treat these LYK takes as hot takes, which are easy to give but don't always line up with practical reality. People die in their sleep every day. In rare cases, it turns out to be murder, which can be difficult to discover - and certainly in this case, not before the autopsy.

The idea first responders are going to search the house without a warrant or probable cause is silly - and you can imagine the uproar if this became standard for grieving/shocked families who discover a loved one dead in bed from unknown causes.

One of the things we have to be careful about is the continual running down of first responders who do difficult jobs in good faith 99.9% of the time.

IMO

 

[mrjitty]

It's so blatant. Purposefully asking the right questions to the wrong witness.

Did you catch this one? She's asking the investigator if she looked here and there, tested this and that. Witness says she didn't go into the kitchen at all, and Nester thanks her for clarifying that and adds -- then I won't waste my time asking you more questions about the kitchen.

At least we're all agreed -- Defense is simply wasting time. Putting of the inevitable.

JMO

Yeah - this is one of my least favourite tactics. I could of feel like witnesses should answer that counsel should ask the correct witness.

Funny it blew up in her face

 

[twall]

Did the witness get a bloody nose or get sick? Attorney was questioning her, looking down at her notes, looked up and said "oh, are you ok?" and witness said "I just need some napkins" then judge jumps in and says he has a scheduling conflict.

 

[Seattle1]

LIVE UPDATES | Day 3 of Kouri Richins murder trial​

Published at 8:20 am, February 25, 2026 | Updated at 11:08 am, February 25, 2026

Today is the third 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.

11:00 a.m. We’ll be live tonight at 7 p.m. for “Courtroom Insider” to talk about what happened today.


10:52 a.m. Court is back in session. Jury is seated and judge says court is dismissed for the day. Trial will resume tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. Judge apologizes to Gipson for the delay and she says she will be ready to testify tomorrow. Prosecution and defense have nothing more to say.

9:24 a.m. A person named Mr. Smoot from the US Postal Service was at the home while the warrant was being served. Judge says he has a scheduling conflict from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. We are taking a one-hour recess.


9:22 a.m. Gipson says Kouri Richins was not in the home when they went to serve the warrant. Nester asks if the search warrant covered the vehicles at the house. There were two vehicles in the garage, but Gipson was not part of the team searching the cars. Nester asks Gipson if she remembers the weather that day. It was cold and snow was on the ground. Gipson and the team were at the house for about a half day – several hours.

9:20 a.m. Prosecution raises objection about Nester using the term “y’all.” Nester says it’s a southern thing and it’s part of her vocabulary. She says she will try to refrain from using it. Nester asks Gipson what steps she took before the search warrant was executed. There was a briefing beforehand. Gipson thinks she was there for part of it.

9:18 a.m. Nester asks about Gipson going to the home on April 13, 2022, with a search warrant. Nester asks if people are given a heads-up before a search warrant is served. They are not. Gipson clarifies that she is not a law enforcement officer and it’s up to the detectives on how search warrants are executed.


9:16 a.m. Nester asks if it’s possible for someone to store illicit drugs in old prescription bottles. Gipson says it’s possible. On the day of the death, Gipson did not go upstairs or downstairs. Nester asks about the kitchen and liquor downstairs. There was a fridge in the basement filled with beer. There were liquor bottles in the kitchen downstairs. Nester asks if any of these items were photographed. Gipson says if she did, they would be in her collection of images.

9:15 a.m. Nester asks about the gummies and if they were all stored high up where children would not be able to reach them. Gipson responds, “I believe so. Yes.” Nester asks about drug paraphernalia – if Gipson saw any on the day of the death. Gipson did not.

9:12 a.m. Nester asks what happened to the hydrocodone bottle found in the nightstand. Gipson says the Medical Examiner has it. Gipson has never tested it. Nester asks if there was fentanyl residue in the bottle, we wouldn’t know because it was never tested. Gipson says she was never given the bottle. Nester asks Gipson if she took photos of the kitchen or the closet. She took photos of one side of the closet.

9:10 a.m. There is some confusion over the different hydrocodone bottles – where they were located in the home and which ones are in evidence. Gipson retrieves the bottles from her evidence box and the attorneys approach the witness stand to look at the bottles.

9:07 a.m. Nester shows a photo of the nightstand in the bedroom. There is a wallet on the nightstand. She asks Gipson how it got there. Gipson believes it was in the kitchen and placed on the nightstand. Nester asks if anything under the wallet could be contaminated because it was placed there. Gipson says it was just placed there. Nester asks if she was aware a hydrocodone bottle had been removed from one of the drawers. She is aware, but did not personally take the bottle.

9:05 a.m. Nester asks about a photo taken in the master bedroom showing a sheet off the bed. Dispatchers told Kouri to give Eric CPR and because he was heavier than her, she pulled him off the bed onto the floor with the sheet underneath him. The sheet is still in evidence. There was some blood on it, Gipson says. Nester asks why Gipson kept it as evidence. “Because it was where he died on,” she responds.

9:02 a.m. Nester asks about calls and whether Gipson was involved in making transcripts of the calls. She was not. Nester wants to go through a timeline. She asks Gipson if EMTs were still doing CPR on Eric Richins when she arrived at the home. They had stopped. Gipson was on scene to assist Detective Woody. Woody told Gipson she needed assistance in documenting the bedroom.

9 a.m. Judge explains to jury that, at times, legal issues come up and he needs to consult with the attorney. He also tells the jury not to speculate or discuss whether the defendant was in custody or has been in custody at any time.


8:57 a.m. Nester asks if there were calls between Kouri and her family that Gipson obtained recordings of. “On about a weekly basis for a while, were you downloading calls between Kouri and her family?” Gipson responds, “Are you talking about jail calls?” Nester responds, “Your honor, move to strike and need to approach.”

8:56 a.m. Sidebar over. Nester asks about 911 calls – how they are gathered for evidence purposes. They are taken from the dispatch center and put into evidence. Nester says the 911 call will be revisited later in the trial, Nester says.

8:55 a.m. Attorneys still in sidebar. Lots of open seats in the courtroom gallery today.

8:45 a.m. Gipson’s office does not handle blood, other bodily fluids. The medical examiner stores those items. Nester moves to admit the 911 recording. Prosecution objects based on hearsay. Judge asks for sidebar with attorneys.

8:40 a.m. Defense attorney Kathryn Nester is questioning Chelsea Gipson, the evidence scene technician. Nester goes through the responsibilities associated with Gipson’s job – logging evidence, keeping the scene secure, making sure evidence is handled appropriately, etc.

LIVE UPDATES | Day 3 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 third day of the trial. It is scheduled...

www.eastidahonews.com

 

[Serononin]

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

Sorry if someone else already mentioned this and I missed it, but didn't Eric grow up Mormon? Even if he wasn't an active member as an adult (I don't remember if it's been said whether he was or not) he might have internalised some strong feelings about divorce

 

[mrjitty]

I do wonder how Nester lands with the jury. I liked her opening tbf.

 

[Cedars]

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

JMO

Just my opinion , I think it was primarily about the children. Given her extremely manipulative, domineering personality, I think he'd worry that in a divorce she would turn the boys against him and his family, plus take all his assets.

Also, like all abusers, I think she'd be extra nice to win him back and keep him hooked to her, whenever he started to seem distant.

Also, spouses spend years hoping their partner will go back to being what they seemed when they married.

JMO