March 4, 2026, marks the fourth year since Eric Richins' homicide.
My thoughts have been with his children all day. I cant imagine Eric's family's pain.
Full day of testimony (thank you, Nate Eaton)
4:37 p.m. Grossman is released from the stand. Court is in recess until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. Join me tonight on “Courtroom Insider” at 7 p.m. on the East Idaho News YouTube channel for a recap of today.
4:34 p.m. Nothing further from defense. Bloodworth has one follow-up question about the conversation in the Uintahs and how they discussed Eric was a phenomenal father. Eric says yes – and then adds, “a phenomenal father” after Bloodworth has finished questioning.
4:32 p.m. After Eric died, Kouri came across as sad and when he saw her, it appeared she was “bent out of shape.” Kouri ended the relationship. Grossman was sad. “I think she liked me, but it appeared that it was done-done.” They stopped seeing each other. Grossman says today is the first time he’s seen her since they broke up in late 2022 or early 2023. After the broke up, the text messages stopped.
4:30 p.m. After Eric died, Kouri saw Grossman less often than before he died. Lewis asks if she changed after Eric died. “Yes. I would just say in the normal ways anybody would be different after something of that magnitude.”
4:27 p.m. Lewis asks Grossman if, when he and Kouri were together, he was aware Eric had had an affair. Grossman says he was told that. Lewis asks Grossman if he remembers Kouri paying her $25,000 after Eric died. He remembers that money, but doesn’t recall the exact time. That was for a house they flipped together. Grossman says Kouri told him she got a life insurance policy in a text message. He says she seemed surprised and unexpected that she was getting a life insurance policy.
4:26 p.m. Lewis asks if the conversation that Grossman had with Kouri in the mountains was a strange conversation. Grossman says he’s been confused for years and can’t say. The conversation was about life and death, Kouri’s boys, God, shooting a bow, supernatural stuff. At the time the conversation happened, Grossman says the talk was not surprising.
4:23 p.m. Lewis asks Grossman why he told prosecutors that Kouri asked if he had ever killed anyone. He says they had gone a year without speaking to each other, but heard the interview Kouri did about her book. Then he found out she had been arrested. “After I found that out, I was overwhelmed with guilt, sorrow, my wrongdoings, and infidelity.” Grossman tried to get a hold of Eric’s sister. She wasn’t home, so he spoke with her husband. Grossman called the family’s private investigator. The P.I. said Kouri had done it. “That’s changed everything for me,” Grossman says. “I was looking at everything from our past with a different set of goggles on. If she did it, and I could help, that’s what I was gonna do.”
4:19 p.m. Grossman was surprised Eric had died. He didn’t see Kouri for 10 day to two weeks. Lewis asks about the message where Kouri tells Grossman that Eric died of fentanyl poisoning. The text was on April 15, 2022. Lewis asks about the drive Grossman and Kouri took into the Uintah mountains. Lewis asks if Grossman was interviewed by the prosecution team in 2023. He doesn’t remember the specific date/time, but it was warm outside.
4:17 p.m. After reviewing all the text messages from the prosecutor, Grossman says he felt the times were off, or if he was doing bad math because of the time zones. Grossman remembers where he was at, which direction he was facing, when he was told Eric had passed.
4:13 p.m. Lewis asks about meeting for brunch on March 4. Kouri doesn’t show up. He texts her to see what’s happening. It’s not like her to not show up or be a minute late. That’s when Grossman learned Eric died earlier that morning.
4:10 p.m. Grossman mentions that he was having a difficult day. Lewis asks if he remembers why. He doesn’t. Kouri tells him to give it a few days and wait until Friday. The only thing Grossman knew about Friday was brunch and mimosas and Kouri was closing on the house. Lewis asks if, come Friday, the two were going to be together forever. No. Did you ever have any impression that, as of Friday, Eric would be out of the picture. No.
4:08 p.m. Lewis refers to the texts on March 2, 2022, when Kouri talks about closing on the Midway property. Kouri was very excited about the property and said she wanted to get together with Grossman on Friday to celebrate the closing. Lewis asks what the plan was to celebrate. They were supposed to meet mid-morning for brunch and mimosas.
4:06 p.m. Lewis references the Midway mansion texts. Kouri follows up with her dream not being possible, but it’s fun to dream. Lewis asks if the talk about him being with Kouri was more of a fantasy than an expectation. He says yes. More something that he thought he wanted, but he couldn’t picture it in the future.
4:02 p.m. Lewis asks Grossman if he recalls anything about Valentine’s Day 2022. He says he doesn’t remember anything they did that day. He doesn’t remember meeting up with Kouri. Lewis references another text where Grossman told Kouri that he was in love with her. She responded like “your actually in love with me.” This was on Feb. 15, 2022.
4 p.m. Lewis references the text messages Kouri sent Grossman about whether he has taken drugs. They go back and forth. At one point, Kouri says she has a cabinet full of prescriptions but it’s not her thing. Lewis asks Grossman if, on and off, he has used elicit drugs. Fair? He says fair.
3:57 p.m. Lewis asks about a thread of text messages where Grossman and Kouri discussed ending their relationship. Grossman told Kouri she needed to come see him in person if she was saying goodbye forever. He says they could have been tongue-in-cheek but could have also been discussing the end of their relationship. He says the messages sound like “adios” to him.
3:55 p.m. Lewis has questions about some of the text messages and the vacation they were planning. She asks about the Vacation Express reservation that she booked for Grossman for his birthday. The trip was scheduled for April 29, 2022. They never went on the vacation. Grossman says his relationship with Kouri was on-again and off-again over the years.
3:52 p.m. Break over. Lewis begins questioning. She asks about them meeting in South Carolina and how they knew each other for quite a few years before their relationship turned romantic. He says that’s correct. They weren’t in constant contact between 2017 and when they became romantically involved. They had 2-3 years during which they didn’t speak.
3:44 p.m. Bloodworth has no further questions. Court taking recesss before cross-examination from Wendy Lewis.
3:42 p.m. Kouri and Grossman stayed romantically involved for about 6-8-10 months after Eric died. Bloodworth asks what happened. They had a falling out/disagreements. “Things changed after Eric passed,” Grossman says. “Things weren’t the same.”
3:38 p.m. Grossman says he has tons of questions and thoughts but will save them for a call. Bloodworth asks Grossman if he met up with Kouri after Eric’s death. The first time was around two weeks after he died. Grossman says he and Kouri went up into the mountains. They sat in Kouri’s vehicle and talked for quite a while. “I had never seen her that way,” he says. “It was a heavy conversation and I’m not used to that with her. She’s not used to be open like that. At one point, my opinion then, probably still now looking back…I think she was exhausted emotionally.” Kouri is looking at Grossman while he speaks. During their conversation in the car, Kouri asked Grossman if he had ever killed anybody – referring to killing anybody while he was serving in Iraq. She then asked how it made him feel “or something along those lines.”
3:35 p.m. Text exchange is from April 15, 2022. Kouri writes, “I had 22 cops searching my damn house Wednesday for 8 hours. This
just keeps getting worse and worse.” Grossman responds, “Searching your house for what?” She responds, “The autopsy report isn’t done yet, but the toxicology report came back, and he had fentanyl in his system.” She goes on to complain about the cops not reading her rights and Eric’s weed gummies. She says that Eric does not do drugs and ate a ton of edibles. “This is all just so freaking stupid and crazy!”
3:33 p.m. Now we see texts from April 8, 2022. Kouri texts, “I love you.” Grossman responds, “I love you. You were in my dream.” Kouri says, “I think I want you to be my husband one day.” He responds, “I could respond to that a bunch of different ways.”
3:29 p.m. New chain of texts from March 20, 2022, is now published for the jury. They talk about going on a trip and French and eating curry. He says he will get her some eggs Benedict. She says yes please. He says it will be awesome.
3:26 p.m. Bloodworth wants to admit a gif that was sent on March 3, 2022. The gift is a man and woman kissing with “love you” as text.
3:20 p.m. Bloodworth moves to admit text messages from March 3 and 4, 2022. Grossman, on the stand, says, “Oh boy.” Kouri texts Grossman about the possibilities being endless with the mansion. Grossman responds that he wants to be there when the news comes in about the house and celebrate with her with balloons and cuddling with his sweetheart. Later he texts, “What’s going on with you? You good?” She responds, “No. Eric passed away. Talk later” in three separate texts. Then, “Eric passed away. Turning phone off.” He responds, “No words either.” They go back and forth about him expressing condolences and asking who she is with. She says she’s been up since 3 am and called the ambulance. “They think an aneurysm.”
3:16 p.m. More texts from March 2, 2022. Grossman is messaging Kouri about a visit to the dentist and how much it’s going to cost him. He complains about his phone. Kouri writes back and says she hates his hard days. She tells him to hang in there for a few days.
3:14 p.m. Next text message chain is from March 2, 2022. Grossman and Kouri discuss the Midway mansion and things coming together. They talk about their love for each. She sends a message detailing the funding of the Midway mansion. There is so much more on these texts. Hard to type them all, especially as they are moving through them quickly.
3:12 p.m. They discuss the Midway mansion. Grossman says if he were in her space, he’d be on her right now. Kouri responds and says she wants him on her. They text back and forth.
3:10 p.m. Kouri responds with a message and ends it with, “I know that I love you but unsure of your love for me.” Then she follows up with a “JK. I know you love me.” Messages go back and forth.
3:06 p.m. We are back from the break. Bloodworth moves to admit text messages from Feb. 23, 2022. Kouri wishes Grossman a good day and says she misses him. Then follows up with. “Get it? We are starting over.” Grossman responds with some questions about the convoy leaving the next day, where are they staying, asks her for some good news. Next text is from Kouri and she says she had a crazy dream that Robert quit his job, she divorced and they came up with. millions. They bought the Midway mansion and rent it out and charge $12,000 to stay in the mansion. And they start a farm. Grossman says that was a powerful dream. He asks if he is going to see the mansion in its current state. He ends the message with, “I love you you know that?”
3:02 p.m. Judge tells everyone in the courtroom to sit tight. He tells Grossman he can stretch his legs and he needs him to be present. Grossman says he has something he wants to say. Judge tells him he needs to wait. Grossman says he’s ready. Judge says it’s going to take a few minutes. Judge tells Grossman he needs to wait for a question. He clearly has stuff he wants to say.
3:01 p.m. More text messages about them loving each other. Bloodworth asks Grossman if he wants to take a break. Judge says we will take a 5 minute break.
2:57 p.m. We see more text messages where Kouri discusses a business deal with Grossman. Then says she misses him and wants him today, everyday. He responds and then she tells him to keep thoughts to herself. These texts are going quite fast so it’s hard to keep up. Grossman has his head down on the witness stand. He is wiping tears from his eyes.
2:56 p.m. Bloodworth is not having Grossman read these text messages. Instead, they are appearing on a screen in front of the jury. On his way out of court yesterday, I asked Bloodworth why the witnesses are not reading the texts. He says he would rather have the jurors read them in their minds.
2:52 p.m. Another text exchange from Feb. 15. Kouri and Grossman are talking about a business acquaintance. Kouri asks about him telling the person that he’s in love with Kouri. She asks if that’s what he really said – “like in LOVE with me?” He responds, “Yes, in love with YOU!”
2:48 p.m. Bloodworth brings in a Valentine’s Day 2022 text exchange. Kouri says she will call him on the way down. Later she says she is leaving the school in Kamas and headed down. Grossman likes the message and asks if it’s an hour long ride. She says yep. Kouri says she loves him and wanna be one of my valentines. “I can take a no, that’s okay.” Grossman responds that his heart is smiling and when those three words come from her, it’s very unique. “Your love reminds me of how much God loves me!” He wouldn’t trade his love for a million years.
2:42 p.m. Grossman asks the judge for some water. Bloodworth wants to admit text messages from Jan. 9, 2022. Kouri asks him if he’s ever done drugs except smoke weed. Grossman responds that they have already had this conversation. Kouri says no they haven’t – she would remember. Grossman says they have had the conversation more than once. He says he has done other things. “Not all of them.” Then he asks Kouri, “Are you?” Kouri says she’s starting a new series called Dopesick and it made her think of it. Kouri says she hasn’t used other drugs. She has a cabinet full of prescriptions but they aren’t her thing. They go back and forth about prescription drugs and she says they are having steak and mashed potatoes for dinner. Grossman says he’s having Mickey D’s but would want to be with her in her kitchen.
2:38 p.m. Bloodworth moves to admit text messages from Nov. 29, 2021. Grossman writes, “Just be straight babe. My head hurts.” They go back and forth talking about business, Kouri growing up scrubbing rich people’s toilets and other things.
2:33 p.m. Kouri tells Grossman she will always love him. She wants to talk with him tomorrow on the phone. Grossman feels like he’s chopped liver and mentions Kouri loving Eric. These messages were sent Dec. 18, 2021. They talk about saying goodbye to each other. They say they are misinterpreting each other’s text messages. Kouri says the thought of not talking to Grossman and listening to his silly jokes hurts her. He tells her, “Good night lima bean.”
2:31 p.m. The texts continues. Grossman says his phone sucks and he can’t text. There are several things he is annoyed about. He’s working a lot and says he isn’t mad at Kouri. Here are some of Kouri’s responses:
Screenshot
2:26 p.m. Bloodworth wants to admit some text messages. We see messages they sent back and forth where he seems to be frustrated with their relationship. At one point, he says it’s “draining to love you” The first text reads:
2:22 p.m. Bloodworth asks Grossman if he loved Kouri. He says yes. Bloodworth asks if he felt Kouri loved him. He hesitates and says, “Yes. I think she did,” as he looks at her. He says he has a tendency to fall head over heels. They exchanged text messages daily unless they were fighting. They discussed life, house flipping stuff and “things you would discuss with your best friend.”
2:20 p.m. Grossman says his relationship with Kouri became romantic during the outset of Covid. Bloodworth shows the Vacation Express invoice that Kouri planned for her and Grossman to a resort. “I think that was a birthday present. I remember seeing a text or something – she sent it to me.”
2:18 p.m. Grossman moved to Utah in early 2020 to help Kouri flip houses. He and his dog stayed in a house in Heber that Kouri was flipping. They didn’t have a contract, but Grossman says Kouri would give him money and let him live for free. He liked her so he would work for free. She also bought him two trucks.
2:16 p.m. Judge sits Grossman in the witness box and asks if he knows about telling the truth. He says he will tell the truth. Judge asks for jurors to be brought back in. Brad Bloodworth will question Grossman. He asks Grossman how he knows Kouri. He says he’s known her for a decade. They met in South Carolina. She was flipping a house and he answered a help wanted ad.
2:12 p.m. Court is back in session. Next witness if Robert Josh Grossman, Kouri’s boyfriend. He walks over to get sworn in and has questions while getting sworn in. Judge tells him to stand right there and invites the jury to take a walk for a moment.
1:58 p.m. Witness is released. We are taking a break for 15 minutes. Back at 2:10 p.m. Next witness is Robert Grossman – Kouri’s boyfriend.
1:54 p.m. Nester asks about probate and if Kouri ever asked Katie for a distribution from the trust in the year after Eric died. Bowman-Carter has no personal knowledge of that. Nester asks about a bankruptcy lawyer who called Bowman-Carter shortly after Eric died. Nester asks if Bowman-Carter went to Eric’s funeral. She did not. Nester asks if Bowman-Carter is still close to Eric’s sister. She says she has never been close to her – it was a professional relationship.
1:48 p.m. Nester asks about the intake form. We see a summary of assets. The document lists Eric’s total assets of $7.6 million. Nester asks if, while Eric is alive, he can do whatever he wants with his money. Bowman-Carter says that’s correct. “He can do whatever he wants with his property.” Nester responds, “But the minute he dies, Katie Richins can decide how much money to give Kouri.” Bowman-Carter says Katie has to follow the rules of the trust.
1:46 p.m. Nester asks Bowman-Carter if she is aware Kouri and Eric shared an email account. She is not aware if they shared an email, but says Eric told Bowman-Carter that his wife read his emails. Nester asks if there was a time where Bowman-Carter accidentally notified Kouri of something. Yes. Bowman-Carter says after she spoke with Kouri on the phone, she sent an email to Kouri that was meant to be sent to Katie Richins-Benson. This happened on March 4, 2022.
1:43 p.m. Nester asks Bowman-Carter if she investigated where all of Eric’s money came from. She did not and says it wouldn’t matter. Nester asks if Bowman-Carter knows who bought the furniture and other items in the house. She did not. Nester asks if it’s common for Bowman-Carter to do a statement of intent. Bowman-Carter says it’s very unusual. She normally does not include them but did this time because Eric wanted it. The statement of intent in the trust says it was meant to provide for the children and Kouri Richins.
1:39 p.m. Nester asks Bowman-Carter if she remembers being interviewed about a year after Eric passed. She does. Nester asks Bowman-Carter if she remembers telling law enforcement how kind Eric was. Nester asks why Eric was worried about Kouri concerning money. Bowman-Carter says she had used $250,000 of Eric’s money. Eric told Bowman-Carter that Kouri was misusing his power of attorney and she wanted to include stronger language in the document. Eric says she’s the mother of my children, I know she’s made mistakes and she needs more experience. For now I’m doing to do what I’m doing.
1:36 p.m. Chervenak has no further questions. Defense attorney Kathryn Nester will now cross-examine. Nester asks about the power of attorney being revoked. The original document revoking power of attorney was never signed, but another one eventually was, Bowman-Carter says.
1:32 p.m. Bowman-Carter opened probate on Eric’s estate ten days after his death. That was not a typical timeframe. Normally people need to get through services and if the property is secure, there’s no need to open probate. Eric had a fully funded trust. Bowman-Carter says, if at all, she would have opened probate a year after his death, after his creditors’ claims had been cut off.
1:28 p.m. Kouri thought the house belonged to her, Bowman-Carter says, and was unaware of the estate plan. An attorney named Mr. Nate, representing Kouri, contacted Bowman-Carter via email on March 8. He let Bowman-Carter know that he was representing Kouri and asked her to give Kouri time to grieve. Bowman-Carter sent Mr. Nate a copy of the will so he was aware of Eric’s burial wishes.
1:26 p.m. Judge says jury cannot consider what Eric told Bowman-Carter. Bowman-Carter says she was instructed to communicate with Eric’s sister. “It was the first time anyone had asked me to do that,” she says. Bowman-Carter learned on March 4, 2022, that Eric had died. Clint Benson called and told her Eric had died. Later that day, she received a call from a sheriff’s deputy and asked her to talk with Kouri. Kouri was upset about the house and Bowman-Carter told her there was an estate plan in place and the house belonged in a trust. Kouri was livid and upset and said, “What is wrong with you people” and handed the phone back to the officer, Bowman-Carter says.
1:22 p.m. Chervenak admits Eric’s power of attorney document. There was a form showing the revocation of durable power of attorney. Eric never signed it because he was concerned about Kouri’s reaction. Defense objects. Judge asks attorneys to approach for sidebar.
1:18 p.m. The guidelines for distribution show Kouri was able to access money from the truth for her health, education and support. Bowman-Carter transferred the home to Eric’s trust along with C&E Masonry. The living trust was signed on Nov. 3, 2020. It became legally binding on that day.
1:15 p.m. We now see the Eric Richins Living Trust document. Eric was the trustee and manager of the trust. In the event of his death, Eric picked Katie Richins-Benson as the trustee. A trustee is the person who has legal title to the trust and is in charge of administering it to the beneficiary. Bowman-Carter says it was unusual for a spouse not to be picked as the trustee.
1:11 p.m. Bowman-Carter prepared a living will and a trust for Eric. Chervenak shows Bowman-Carter the will and the trust. Chervenak notarized both documents, along with a healthcare directive. Chervenak shows the will on the screen and in the section about burial instructions, he asked to be buried.
1:09 p.m. Bowman-Carter says Eric did not want her to communicate with him via email because he was worried Kouri was reading his email. He wanted to leave everything to his kids. Eric wanted all of his tangible personal property to pass to his sons, who were all very young. Usually those items pass directly to the spouse.
1:03 p.m. Bowman-Carter worked with Eric and had him fill out an intake worksheet. Bowman-Carter reviewed a premarital agreement the day before he signed his estate plan. Part of the agreement says C&E Stone Masonry would remain his own separate property after his marriage to Kouri Richins. Another section highlights that the business is his but if he dies, his interest in the company passes to Kouri.
1:01 p.m. Prosecutor Lindsey Chervenak moves to admit the agreement as evidence. We see it on screen. The agreement says that if one of the partners dies, the decedent’s estate has to purchase the business interest from the surviving partner using life insurance. Cody and Eric each had $2 million life insurance policies and if one of them died, the survivor had to use the life insurance money to buy the other half. Bowman-Carter says this is a common type of agreement in busineses.
12:56 p.m. Court is back in session. Next witness is Kristal Bowman-Carter. She is an estate planning attorney. In June 2018, Eric’s financial advisor contacted Bowman-Carter and on June 25, 2019, they signed a buy-sell agreement. It’s a contract between owners of a company that sets out the terms in advance about what would happen if there is a transfer of a business interest.
12:06 p.m. Lewis has no further questions. The witness is released. We are in lunch until 12:50 p.m.
12:05 p.m. Miller explains divorce as two wet noodles dropped on a plate. One is the emotional side, the other is the legal. Her job is to keep the noodles straight and work through the process. The divorce process is different than the estate planning process. People going through divorce don’t often think about their estate plan – they are thinking about getting through the divorce.
12:01 p.m. Lewis asks about Miller referring Eric to an estate planner. Miller has not done that very many times. At the end of every divorce case, Miller gives every client a list recommending every client see an estate planning attorney.
11:53 a.m. Lewis asks if Eric’s child support would have been high. Miller says it depends. For some, yes. Lewis asks if Miller was aware Eric owned businesses. She became aware of it. Miller did not receive any tax returns or business documents from Eric.
11:51 a.m. Lewis asks about the children’s bill of rights. It’s not an official thing in Utah, but Miller gives it out to her clients that their kids are the sun and everything revolves around them. Finances are a concern, which is one reason a child support form is filled out. Miller filled out a form with Eric about child support. Eric reported his monthly income was around $33,000.
11:49 a.m. Lewis asks if anyone attended the meeting with Miller and Eric. Miller says Eric contacted the paralegal and then the meeting she had with her was just Miller and Eric. Eric did not want Miller to have any contact with him through phone or email. He asked that everything go through Clint Benson, Eric’s brother-in-law. One reason a client might ask for that is because they weren’t ready to let the spouse know they wanted a divorce.
11:47 a.m. Eric never filed a divorce through Miller. Miller says all of her clients have different timelines. Chervenak has nothing further. Wendy Lewis will now ask questions for the defense. Lewis begins by saying that Eric didn’t reach out to meet with her originally, it was the brother-in-law.
11:42 a.m. Miller says there was no further discussion about custody with Eric. Normally she discusses holidays, a year schedule, etc. Miller says it was unusual that Eric didn’t have more questions about custody. Miller gave Eric a to-do list.
11:37 a.m. Miller says she met with Eric for 2.5 hours. She gave him the packet of information that he did not take. Chervenak asks about child custody arrangements in divorces. She explains the old way of thinking was weekends and summers, but things have changed. When Miller met with Eric, she talked with him about “fat weekends” – which was more of a joint physical custody situation.
11:34 a.m. Miller says when someone comes in to meet with her, she gives them a thick packet. It explains divorce, children’s bill of rights, assets, debts, ongoing issues, the path forward, how to prepare, etc. Prosecutor Lindsay Chervenak is questioning Miller. She asks how Miller knew Eric Richins. Eric’s brother-in-law asked Miller if she could meet with Eric. Miller said Eric needed to contact Leslie, the paralegal, and Miller ended up meeting with Eric in October 2020.
11:31 a.m. After the initial meeting, Miller says almost every single one of her clients advances through the process and gets a divorce. Miller says she has been meeting with some people for ten years who have yet to file and move forward with divorce, but that’s rare. The top reasons people don’t move forward with divorce are they are concerned about their children, their religion and health reasons (insurance).
11:28 a.m. Miller says she and her paralegal have a very strict process with their clients. They have forms they use in every case and in 2008, they started to streamline meetings with their clients. New clients would first meet with the paralegal on the phone. The paralegal vets all the clients. If the client gets past the paralegal, they then meet with Miller. The meeting can be anywhere between 2-4 hours depending on the complexity of their case.
11:26 a.m. Next witness is Christina Miller. Miller is a divorce attorney and has been practicing for 30 years. She has extensive experience with custody arrangements. She has been part of over 2,000 divorces. Most of her clients come from word of mouth.
11:24 a.m. The insurance company asked for Eric’s prior medical records. Marijuana use did come back. Ramos has nothing further. Burmester asks about the frequency of marijuana use. Eric said once or twice a year. Witness is released.
11:20 a.m. Ramos asks Coates how they received word that Eric had died. After the company runs their clients’ Social Security files, they use Lexis Nexus to check for obituaries. Ramos asks if there are handwriting comparisons or expert analysis when the applications are received. An employee puts the applications into a computer and the system approves or denies the life insurance applications.
11:17 a.m. Ramos asks when Eric obtained his policies. One was taken out on May 12, 2017, with an application from Eric Richins. The most recent became effective Feb. 4, 2022. That was obtained after the Richins received a mailer from the insurance company. Ramos shows the application on the screen.
11:13 a.m. Burmester asks questions about Kouri being paid out for on the insurance claims. Kouri provided voided checks for the funds to be deposited. Burmester has nothing further. Alex Ramos will cross-examine. He asks her to explain how her company sends out applications. They are sent out to credit union members and others. If they get one in the mail, they can fill it out and send it back in.
11:07 a.m. Burmester shows some notes on Eric’s policy. Kouri called the life insurance company in April asking for the status of the claims on her husband’s account. She was told the insurance company received a pending death certificate, but they needed the final death certificate. The insurance received the final death certificate that said drug intoxication – fentanyl. The life insurance company called Kouri and asked if fentanyl was prescribed to Eric. There was an extra $50,000 policy that would be paid out if he died because of a prescription provided by a doctor. Kouri said it was not provided by a doctor, and she did not know how Eric got the fentanyl. Kouri called back the next day to say the drug was not prescribed and she didn’t know where it came from. Kouri called again in June and was told the $250,000 claim was paid but the $100,000 claim was still being reviewed. Coates said the $100,000 policy was still being reviewed because it was a new policy. If a death is within two years of a new policy, it becomes a questionable claim. An investigation needed to be done.
11:04 a.m. A check was sent out June 17, 2022, to Kouri Richins in the amount of $251,558.82 to pay for the policy and interest. When customers call the insurance company, reports are kept with notes about the conversations and calls are recorded.
10:58 a.m. The first deduction for the life insurance policy was scheduled for Feb. 14, 2022. Eric had other policies with the company. Another form shows Eric had a $250,000 term life insurance policy. Coates says policies are run twice a year against a Social Security master database to see if people with policies have died. That’s how they learned Eric had passed away in March 2022.
10:52 a.m. Next witness is Anne Coates. She is a senior manager of claims at CMFG Life Insurance. Burmester shows a life insurance policy application for $100,000 on Eric Richins. The beneficiary was Kouri Richins. It was received on Feb. 3, 2022. A billing statement was sent to Eric that there would be an automatic withdrawal for the premiums and a welcome letter with the contract.
10:48 a.m. Nester says she has received reports from people that the prosecution is making faces at the jury while the defense is questioning witnesses. Judge says he has a better view than the cameras and he hasn’t seen any faces. Nester says she is going to check timestamps on the livestream.
10:45 a.m. We are back in the courtroom. Jury is not. Wendy Lewis says this morning, Nester received a text message from the state that Carmen Lauber violated drug court. The defense did not know about this. Lewis asks for a mistrial. Bloodworth says he’s not aware of a text message sent this morning. Bloodworth says about ten days ago, the defense submitted a GRAMA request to the sheriff’s office asking for information about Carmen Lauber. Judge says he needs a written motion and the state can respond. Trial will proceed.
10:33 a.m. Bloodworth asks for a morning recess because he needs to use the restroom. We are in recess until 10:45 a.m.
10:28 a.m. Ramos asks Freckleton about obtaining information from New York Life about changes made on the account. No further questions from Ramos. Burmester has one clarifying follow-up question. Witness is released, but he may be recalled as a witness by the defense.
10:25 a.m. Freckleton says Kouri’s email address was the email associated with Eric’s life insurance account. Ramos asks Freckleton if he is familiar with Cody or Eric’s client ID numbers. Freckleton says he knows they have them, but he has no idea what they are.
10:21 a.m. Cody and Eric called him back. Freckleton contacted New York Life in June and spoke with Rodgers. No further questions from the state. Ramos will now ask some questions. He asks Freckleton when he set up Eric’s life insurance policy. A $500,000 term life insurance policy was set up on Eric in 2007.
10:16 a.m. Some jurors are taking notes. Kouri is chatting with Ramos. Freckleton set up some other life insurance policies with Eric. Freckleton says there is a portal system with New York Life that alerts him if changes are made to his client’s policies. On Jan. 1, 2022, Freckleton received an alert. “It was an alert that the policies on Eric and Cody – the beneficiary had been attempted to be changed,” he says. Freckleton says the beneficiary had been changed from Eric to Kouri Richins on Cody’s policy. Freckleton called Cody and Eric. Both of the calls went to voicemail.
10:12 a.m. Freckleton is familiar with C&E Masonry, Eric’s business. He also knows Kouri. Burmester asks about a buy-sell agreement that involved Cody Wright and Eric Richins. They felt the company was worth $4 million at the time, so they put $2 million in life insurance on each of them. Eric would own the policy on Cody and Cody would earn the policy on Eric. In the event of one of their deaths, the owner of the contract would also be the beneficiary, and that money could go to Cody if Eric died. The money would be tax-free, and then Cody would be obligated to buy the stock in the company. He has to come in with the $2 million and buy the stock from Eric’s trust.
10:09 a.m. Between each witness, the deputies in the courtroom fill up a fresh cup of water and put it on the witness stand. Next witness is Brian Freckleton. He owns a firm called Freckleton Financial Group and is involved in finances and life insurance. Burmester asks Freckleton how he knows Cody Wright and Eric Richins. Eric’s family members were early clients of Freckleton and after Eric got married to Kouri, Eric reached out to Freckleton and bought insurance for himself and Kouri.
10:04 a.m. Ramos shows Rodgers a document that she does not recognize. Ramos asks if there is any information that confirms Kouri was the person behind the screen who logged into the life insurance account. Rodgers says the email address used to log in was Kouri’s. Ramos has nothing further. Neither does prosecution. Witness is dismissed.
10:01 a.m. Rodgers explains the login process – you put in an email address and then have to get the email verified. Customers cannot log in with any other credentials than what the life insurance company has on record. Ramos shows Rodgers a document. It has Kouri’s Hotmail email address that is associated with both Eric and Kouri’s life insurance policy login information.
9:58 a.m. Ramos moves to admit an exhibit showing insurance policy information of Cody Wright and Eric Richins. He is comparing the client ID numbers between Cody and Eric. Ramos asks if the client ID was used to change the beneficiary information. Rodgers says the client ID was not used to login when the changes were made.
9:50 a.m. Alex Ramos will now cross-examine Rodgers. Ramos asks about the client ID on the exhibit. It’s Eric’s. Ramos hands Rodgers some papers and asks about the client ID. There are two different policies being discussed – one for Cody Wright and one for Eric Richins.
9:46 a.m. Burmester admits an exhibit showing an email chain showing messages between Brian Freckleton and Rodgers. Rodgers found out that on Jan. 1, 2022, the beneficiary was changed from Kouri to Eric back to Kouri and then Eric again within a few minutes of each other. They were all from Eric Richins’ login and all from the same IP address. On June 9, Rodgers followed up with another email to Freckleton. Upon further investigation, they learned all interaction on the account was coming from Kouri Richins’ email address.
9:42 a.m. Beneficiary changes can be made online or by calling an agent, Rodgers says. Another agent named Brian Freckleton called Rodgers to ask about the changes to Wright’s policy. The beneficiary on Wright’s account changed from Eric Richins to Kouri Richins. The owner and anyone with the owner’s information can log online and change beneficiary information, Rodgers explains.
9:34 a.m. First witness today is Lashawna Rodgers. She works for New York Life Insurance. Burmester is questioning her. Rodgers recalls receiving a call from another agent asking about beneficiary changes made to a life insurance policy. Burmester displays a document on the screen that shows changes were made to Cody Wright’s life insurance policy on Jan. 2, 2022.
9:27 a.m. Public seats are full in the courtroom. Judge Richard Mrazik is on the bench. Kouri Richins is at the defense table with Kathryn Nester, Wendy Lewis and Alex Ramos, her attorney. Brad Bloodworth, Lindsay Chervenak and Fred Burmester are at the prosecution table.
9:15 a.m. It’s day 8 of the Kouri Richins trial. Eric Richins died four years ago today. He died in the early morning hours of March 4, 2022.
From his obituary:
– He lived to the fullest and with few regrets
– He loved his family, hunting, the family cattle ranch, and his insane drive as a successful entrepreneur
– He spent countless hours helping his dad work the ranch, hauling hay, feeding the animals, and mending fences
– He was an attentive and loving father to his three sons
– He loved all sports
– Eric was an avid outdoorsman and dedicated hunter
– There was never a dull moment when you were around Eric
– Eric loved to have fun and was always the life of the party
– He served a two-year mission in Mexico City where he learned to speak Spanish fluently.
– Eric loved fully, laughed loudly, and lived life with reckless abandon.
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 seventh day of the trial. It is...
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