Judge weighing whether to move Kouri Richins case to trial as prosecutors present evidence

Emily Ashcraft , KSL.com

PARK CITY, Utah (KSL.com) — Witnesses took nan guidelines successful a Park City courthouse connected Monday to attest astir nan investigation of a Kamas female charged pinch sidesplitting her hubby by poisoning him successful 2022.

Kouri Richins — who besides wrote a children’s book astir dealing pinch condolences that featured her precocious husband, Eric Richins, and children — wore a achromatic blazer for nan first time of her preliminary hearing. She was often penning and showing notes to her caller attorneys.

During nan hearing, prosecutors called 3 witnesses to nan guidelines who testified astir grounds showing Kouri Richards purchased forbidden fentanyl aggregate times successful nan weeks earlier her hubby died of fentanyl overdose, arsenic good arsenic grounds showing she would profit financially from his death. Witnesses besides testified that location whitethorn person been romanticist affairs going connected extracurricular nan marriage.

Messages and interviews

Summit County sheriff’s detective Jeff O’Driscoll testified astir interactions betwixt Kouri Richins and Carmen Lauber, a female who cleaned homes for Kouri Richins, who he said provided fentanyl to her.

Richins’ lawyer Wendy Lewis asked him whether he was judge that nan fentanyl consumed by Eric Richins that led to his decease was nan aforesaid constituent obtained by Kouri Richins done Lauber, and he confirmed he could not beryllium certain.

He said Lauber helped Richins get fentanyl connected Feb. 11, Feb. 26 and March 9, 2022. Eric Richins died connected March 4, 2022.

Lewis said O’Driscoll looked into Kouri Richins’ narration pinch a man referred to successful immoderate tribunal documents arsenic her “paramour,” Robert Grossman, and questioned if officers investigated immoderate affairs for Eric Richins aliases looked astatine telephone records for different suspects.

The serviceman verified that he had not interviewed immoderate suspects isolated from Kouri Richins but said he tried to support an unfastened mind for different imaginable suspects, and investigators did reappraisal different physics devices.

O’Driscoll said his agency is continuing to analyse nan case, and a hunt warrant was executed successful nan past fewer weeks to retrieve a sound recorder.

Chris Kotrodimos, a retired serviceman and interrogator who testified astir telephone records successful nan lawsuit during nan detention hearing, testified astir communications connected Lauber’s telephone and Grossman’s phone. He said Kouri Richins began interacting pinch Grossman successful November 2021 and continued communicating pinch him almost daily, mostly done texts, until aft her husband’s death.

Kotrodimos besides testified astir telephone activity connected Valentine’s Day, weeks earlier Richins’ decease erstwhile she was accused of attempting to execution him. He said Kouri Richins texted Grossman that she was driving to him, pinch a screenshot of her location and route.

He said Kouri Richins deleted “a batch of data” from her phone, including applicable telephone logs, texts and net history.

He testified again astir Kouri Richins’ smartwatch, which he said was unlocked astir 14 minutes earlier she called 911 astatine 3:21 a.m. to study her husband’s death. He said information from nan watch shows she moved astir 250 feet soon aft nan watch was first unlocked and astir 140 feet astir nan clip she called 911.

Financial investigation

Brooke Karrington, a forensic accountant, testified astir financial documents she reviewed successful nan lawsuit including slope statements, existent spot documents and indebtedness documents associated pinch Kouri and Eric Richins. She was first hired by Eric Richins’ family but stopped moving for them erstwhile she was hired by nan county.

She said successful Kouri and Eric Richins’ premarital agreement, Eric Richins’ business would beryllium to him successful a divorce. The only measurement Kouri Richins would get his business, C&E Masonry, was done his death. The institution besides had an security argumentation that would use Eric Richins’ business partner connected his death, giving him nan costs to bargain retired nan institution from Kouri Richins.

Karrington said successful item astir nan finances of Kouri Richins’ realty business, Richins Realty, which she said began successful 2019 and chiefly fixed and flipped homes. She said nan institution had aggregate loans from difficult money lenders, which person stricter indebtedness position and a higher liking rate, and owned astir 15 homes.

By December 2021, nan witnesser said Kouri Richins was making astir 100 payments a period to various lenders, immoderate regular and immoderate weekly.

On March 4, 2022, she said Kouri Richins closed connected a spot for which she began to acquisition a statement nan erstwhile December, which Karrington called a “very, very eager project.” She said nan acquisition value for nan unfinished location was $2.9 million, and Richins had estimated it would return much than that to decorativeness nan home.

All of nan money for this task was borrowed, Karrington said.

Karrington said connected astatine slightest six occasions, Kouri Richins utilized a header for her slope relationship pinch a ledger for C&E Masonry, her husband’s business account, erstwhile applying for a loan. Karrington said though she was turning complete properties, she was not gaining money but alternatively expanding her debt, including getting loans not secured by existent property.

She testified that Eric Richins had met pinch an lawyer astir a divorce, and nan attorneys’ notes said he had learned of a location equity statement of in installments connected their location soon before. She said Eric Richins group up a surviving spot and a will pinch that lawyer to thief his children, of which his sister was nan beneficiary alternatively than Kouri Richins.

What’s next?

The proceeding will proceed connected Tuesday greeting erstwhile Kouri Richins will beryllium fixed 1 much opportunity to attest earlier attorneys springiness closing arguments. Then, 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik is expected to determine whether location is capable grounds to bid her to guidelines proceedings connected each of nan charges.

Kouri Richins is charged pinch aggravated execution and attempted criminal homicide, some first-degree felonies; 2 counts of distributing a controlled substance, 2 counts of security fraud and 2 counts of filing a fraudulent security claim, each second-degree felonies; and 3 counts of forgery, a third-degree felony.