ERIC RICHINS: Utah vs. Kouri Richins - Murder via fentanyl poisoning

Utah mom accused of killing husband with fentanyl in drink tried to poison him multiple times before, family says

Despite the suspicions, Eric Richins stayed in the marriage with Kouri Richins because of his children, his family's spokesperson said.

www.nbcnews.com

May 10, 2023, 6:16 PM EDT / Updated May 11, 2023, 9:18 AM EDT
By Minyvonne Burke, Antonio Planas and Andrew Blankstein

A Utah man who died after his wife allegedly spiked his drink with fentanyl — and then wrote a children's book about grief — had suspected she tried to poison him multiple times and said “she was to blame” if anything happened to him, according to court records.

Despite the suspicions, a family spokesperson told NBC News on Wednesday that Eric Richins stayed in the marriage with Kouri Richins because of his children.


Eric Richins, 39, died March 4, 2022, at his home in Kamas, about 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, after he was found unresponsive in his bedroom. Kouri Richins, 33, was arrested Monday on charges of aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

An attorney for Kouri Richins, Skye Lazaro, declined to comment Wednesday.

According to affidavits for search warrants obtained Wednesday from the Summit County Sheriff's Office, relatives of Eric Richins told investigators to look into his wife's involvement.

"They advised he warned them that if anything happened to him she was to blame," the records said. Eric Richins, according to the records, suspected his wife had tried to poison him on multiple occasions.

"According to a sister, Eric and his wife went to Greece a few years ago and after his wife gave him a drink he became violently ill and called his sister saying he believed his wife had tried to kill him," the records said.

"On Valentine’s Day of 2022, his wife brought him a sandwich, which after one bite Eric broke into hives and couldn’t breathe. He used his son’s epi-pen as well as Benadryl before passing out for several hours," according to the records.

He was looking into a divorce and had changed his power of attorney, his will and the beneficiary of his life insurance policy from his wife to his sister, the records said.

Two family members said Eric Richins told them he was worried “Kouri would kill him for money and he wanted to make sure the kids were taken care of financially,” the records said.

<snip>

The medical examiner said that he had five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl in his system and that it was "illicit" fentanyl, not medical-grade. It is also believed he ingested the drugs orally, according to the statement.

It appears she never performed CPR on him as she claimed, the search warrant records said, because of the large amount of blood that came from his mouth.

His family said that Eric Richins never told his wife he had “cut her out of the will” and that the couple were also arguing over buying a $2 million home that she wanted to flip, according to the records.

The family said he was planning to tell her he wasn’t going to sign the papers, but the day after his death, she signed the closing papers on the home, the records said.

After she closed on the home, she invited her friends over for a large party at her home where she was drinking and celebrating, an affidavit for a search warrant said.

 

[Mel70]

Utah. I have to remind myself as I am starting to confuse ID and UT with each other in cases....

Yeah. They both have no letters in common.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Children's book author accused of murdering husband is suing his multimillion dollar estate

Utah mom Kouri Richins claims she is owed money from her late husband Eric's estate.

www.today.com

June 23, 2023, 7:24 PM EDT / Source: TODAY
By Elise Solé

Utah mom and children's book author Kouri Richins, who is accused of killing her husband, Eric, is suing his estate for a share of his business sale and their $1.9 million family home.

<snip>

"Kouri is entitled to half of all equity in the Family Home," reads the new lawsuit, filed June 9 in the Third Judicial District Court in Summit County, Utah. "Alternatively, if she is not entitled to half of all the equity, she is at least entitled to half of the increase in equity value that occurred after her marriage to Eric."

<snip>

The lawsuit also asks for approximately $2 million in proceeds from the sale of Eric's business, C&E Stone Masonry, LLC. According to the couple's prenuptial agreement, which is included in court filings, Kouri Richins has no claim to the business unless Eric dies during their marriage. In that case, the agreement says, "Husband’s partnership interest in said business shall transfer to the Wife.”

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Utah woman accused of killing husband after writing book about grief is sued for over $13 million

Prosecutors say Kouri Richins, 33, poisoned Eric Richins, 39, by slipping five times the lethal dose of fentanyl into a Moscow mule cocktail she made for him.

www.boston.com

By Associated Press
updated on June 29, 2023 | 9:19 AM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A lawsuit against a Utah woman who wrote a children’s book about coping with grief after her husband’s death and now stands accused of his fatal poisoning was filed Tuesday, seeking over $13 million in damages for alleged financial wrongdoing before and after his death.

The lawsuit was filed against Kouri Richins in state court by Katie Richins, the sister of Kouri Richins’ late husband Eric Richins. It accuses the woman of taking money from the husband’s bank accounts, diverting money intended to pay his taxes and obtaining a fradulent loan, among other things, before his death in March 2022.

<snip>

“Kouri committed the foregoing acts in calculated, systematic fashion and for no reason other than to actualize a horrific endgame — to conceal her ruinous debt, misappropriate assets for the benefit of her personal businesses, orchestrate Eric’s demise, and profit from his passing,” the lawsuit said.

<snip>

The lawsuit also seeks to bar Richins from selling the book and to turn over any money made from it, saying it makes references to events and details from Eric Richins’ life and his relationship with his children.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Children's book author accused of murdering husband is suing his multimillion dollar estate

Utah mom Kouri Richins claims she is owed money from her late husband Eric's estate.

www.today.com

June 23, 2023, 7:24 PM EDT / Source: TODAY
By Elise Solé

Utah mom and children's book author Kouri Richins, who is accused of killing her husband, Eric, is suing his estate for a share of his business sale and their $1.9 million family home.

<snip>

"Kouri is entitled to half of all equity in the Family Home," reads the new lawsuit, filed June 9 in the Third Judicial District Court in Summit County, Utah. "Alternatively, if she is not entitled to half of all the equity, she is at least entitled to half of the increase in equity value that occurred after her marriage to Eric."

<snip>

The lawsuit also asks for approximately $2 million in proceeds from the sale of Eric's business, C&E Stone Masonry, LLC. According to the couple's prenuptial agreement, which is included in court filings, Kouri Richins has no claim to the business unless Eric dies during their marriage. In that case, the agreement says, "Husband’s partnership interest in said business shall transfer to the Wife.”

This woman is horrible.

And if she wants to look even worse, and more guilty, this does it. Her attorney is no slouch though but how long can she afford her and how can she afford her? Needs money to pay her I guess. Don't know why she would need money for anything else, she's in jail. She isn't going to be flipping houses, not that she was successful at it anyhow from all I've read and lacks basic math I think as to budgets and profit versus loss and living within one's means.

But then knowing her from the little known it seems also likely she is doing this to cause his family or sisters, etc. more pain and trouble. But she is ALL about money. Notice. Maybe fame. And she is such a nothing. Maybe thinks she is but she's not.

She destroyed her children's father and affected their lives for the rest of their lives.

Even though her attorney is no slouch, she doesn't have a great case, she is going to be found guilty imo.

She's another one who isn't and wasn't real bright in planning her crime.

Take a nap Kouri and drop your stupid suit. Although I guess the argument of her attorney elsewhere that she should have at least half the home's appreciation might hold water but it is so wrong when she stole and murdered...

There was a prenup that she only ever can get his business if he dies. Should have added so long as she isn't the cause of his death.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Utah woman accused of killing husband after writing book about grief is sued for over $13 million

Prosecutors say Kouri Richins, 33, poisoned Eric Richins, 39, by slipping five times the lethal dose of fentanyl into a Moscow mule cocktail she made for him.

www.boston.com

By Associated Press
updated on June 29, 2023 | 9:19 AM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A lawsuit against a Utah woman who wrote a children’s book about coping with grief after her husband’s death and now stands accused of his fatal poisoning was filed Tuesday, seeking over $13 million in damages for alleged financial wrongdoing before and after his death.

The lawsuit was filed against Kouri Richins in state court by Katie Richins, the sister of Kouri Richins’ late husband Eric Richins. It accuses the woman of taking money from the husband’s bank accounts, diverting money intended to pay his taxes and obtaining a fradulent loan, among other things, before his death in March 2022.

<snip>

“Kouri committed the foregoing acts in calculated, systematic fashion and for no reason other than to actualize a horrific endgame — to conceal her ruinous debt, misappropriate assets for the benefit of her personal businesses, orchestrate Eric’s demise, and profit from his passing,” the lawsuit said.

<snip>

The lawsuit also seeks to bar Richins from selling the book and to turn over any money made from it, saying it makes references to events and details from Eric Richins’ life and his relationship with his children.

Don't know enough to know if they have a standing or legal foundation for this but hope so. Good for her!

This "family" are clearly going to go at each other.

Maybe the one sister should also file a personal injury suit against her from when Kouri assaulted her from getting into her way over Eric's safe.

Not that I mean anything by it, but he was LDS. Not sure if Kouri is but I'd imagine since they marry their own, date in their own wards, etc. so the kids probably were being raised that way too.

In that sense, hard not to think of Lori Daybell and the money incentive and husbands as well...

 

[GrandmaBear]

12L30 in covers court hearing yesterday on Kouri suing the estate of her dead husband.

I think judges should be able to just say until you are clear from any chance of you murdering your spouse, NO, don't think so!

That would be a somewhat logical world and a common sense law/legal system.

 

[Mel70]

12L30 in covers court hearing yesterday on Kouri suing the estate of her dead husband.

I think judges should be able to just say until you are clear from any chance of you murdering your spouse, NO, don't think so!

That would be a somewhat logical world and a common sense law/legal system.

Yeah that takes alot of nerve. That's just unbelievable. Does she know Lori or Leticia?.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Yeah that takes alot of nerve. That's just unbelievable. Does she know Lori or Leticia?.

They do seem to be in a a few ways, though in various scenarios, members that could be of the same ilk or club. You know maybe like you and I, we may not be in the same pizza or food preference club and I doubt I'd see you in my garden club, but we may be in the same crime following club, opinions on soft sentencing and release of criminals club, etc....

So yeah, the three have a LOT in common if not all...

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Kouri Richins, accused of killing husband, becomes visibly emotional after latest court hearing

A judge has granted more time to prepare for a preliminary hearing for a Utah mom accused of killing her husband.

kutv.com

by Daniel Woodruff, KUTV
Fri, September 1st 2023, 5:30 PM EDT

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah (KUTV) — A judge has granted more time to prepare for a preliminary hearing for a Utah mom accused of killing her husband.

Kouri Richins made another court appearance Friday in Summit County, sitting next to her defense attorney, Skye Lazaro. Kouri is charged with murdering her husband, Eric Richins, with fentanyl in March 2022 at their Kamas home.

During the brief hearing, Lazaro told Judge Richard Mrazik said there are a lot of documents to go through, and she needs time to prepare for that preliminary hearing to determine if there's probable cause for the high-profile case to move forward.

Mrazik agreed and set another status update on November 3 at 1:30 p.m.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

State won't seek death penalty for Kouri Richins in case of husband's death

The state has officially provided a notice that it will not seek the death penalty for Kouri Richins in the case of her allegedly poisoned husband.

kutv.com

by VICTORIA HILL | KUTV Staff
Fri, August 18th 2023, 5:33 PM EDT

KAMAS, Utah (KUTV) — The state has officially provided a notice that it will not seek the death penalty for Kouri Richins if she is convicted in the case of her husband's death.

Eric Richins was found dead in their Kamas home in the early morning hours of March 4, 2022. Kouri was arrested for his death after an autopsy revealed he had a level of fentanyl in his system that was five times the lethal dosage.

Court documents filed on Friday stated that the decision to not seek the death penalty for Kouri was made "in careful consultation with Eric Richins' father and his two sisters, who are Eric Richins' Personal Representative and Victim Representative, respectively."

 

[GrandmaBear]

State won't seek death penalty for Kouri Richins in case of husband's death

The state has officially provided a notice that it will not seek the death penalty for Kouri Richins in the case of her allegedly poisoned husband.

kutv.com

by VICTORIA HILL | KUTV Staff
Fri, August 18th 2023, 5:33 PM EDT

KAMAS, Utah (KUTV) — The state has officially provided a notice that it will not seek the death penalty for Kouri Richins if she is convicted in the case of her husband's death.

Eric Richins was found dead in their Kamas home in the early morning hours of March 4, 2022. Kouri was arrested for his death after an autopsy revealed he had a level of fentanyl in his system that was five times the lethal dosage.

Court documents filed on Friday stated that the decision to not seek the death penalty for Kouri was made "in careful consultation with Eric Richins' father and his two sisters, who are Eric Richins' Personal Representative and Victim Representative, respectively."

I'd suspect if the family wanted this that the reason is more to do with the problems with DP cases than wanting to spare her, even if they wanted to for her kids which I'm not sure they'd do either as she killed their dad and used them to write a book about the grief of the children when SHE killed him.

Personally, although I don't like it, I'm not sure from what we know the DP would be easy here. I think there is ample proof to prove her guilty of murder but DP requires a lot and jurors that can deliver it and more.

I'm honestly not surprised they decided against it. Not that she doesn't deserve it. As far as ID cases, the Kohberger case would be the more likely of the two to go with the DP and even then, the things required and the problems with the DP nowadays well...

 

[GrandmaBear]

I don't think I will get time but maybe someone will. Apparently they found a letter written by this woman in her cell trying to get her brother to lie and her mother to tell him to do o for her. Wants him to give a connection her attorney needs or some such tying Eric to getting drugs in Mexico. While the letter wasn't sent, apparently there was also another letter another time and what she does is holds it up for her mom to read when visiting and that one was destroyed or disappeared or some such. I only got a moment or two on break to catch a bit of this today. I have had but an hour or so tonight and it has all been spent on catching up on threads here in cases and I have to stop as I can't keep at it, no time and nothing done to get back to work very early tomorrow.

So I am just giving a heads up that this made some pretty big splash so if anyone has time to update or find a good article etc. on it, this is what is going on in it.

 

[GrandmaBear]

 

[GrandmaBear]

Has anyone ever heard that saying "walk the dog" means "outsmart others/ people"? Her letter says prominently on the top "walk the dog!"

Before it goes into a whole lot of detail on what her brother needs to say to her attorney, etc. to help h er case.

Another thing she did in it, was she put in her letter for her mom to tell her brother to get pictures of her sister in laws girls/daughters, and she didn't care if he found pictures she had of them with her sons, and to send them anonymously to a number of news outlets who would show the pics of the SIL's girls to hurt her, get to her. she didn't care if her sons were in them or her nieces, etc., she knew it is the one thing that would bother her SIL to n o end and worry her THIS is in her LETTER. She pretty much said the one thing that would bother the SIL or get to her was showing her kids' faces to the news. But DO IT anonymously as to who was the sender. And sh ealso didn't care if her minor sons were shown to get those pictures either. This woman SHOWED her colors. What a NASTY piece of work.

Oh and she needs her mom to send contraband to her attorney in the form of Crest Whitening Strips.

She kind of put her attorney in a hot seat her in a couple of spots. Worse than the whitening strips by far.

Any wise attorney would be dumping her arse and letting her hear it. As she will take her own attorney down with her or anyone clearly.

 

[GrandmaBear]

This is probably the better of the two shows but BOTH had some different good points and covered some different things. He was first but she talks of how they are after her rmedical records as she has been in the hospital a number of times since arrest and claims she has gotten the wrong medication like six times and her defense is fighting the release of the records. This attorney's theory is Kouri is doing drugs in jail which would be significant as she claims to never have but says now her husband did but formerly said to LE he never did drugs. Quite the deal. So she covers some things the first guy above I linked didn't... Both GOOD though.

That's all the time I have to help with updates/breaking news in cases.

 

[GrandmaBear]

If you are going to watch one, watch this last one. It just has more info, etc.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/20/us/kouri-richins-husband-fentanyl-murder-letter/index.html

By Jeremy Harlan and Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN
Updated 1:49 AM EDT, Wed September 20, 2023

A Utah woman charged with killing her husband with fentanyl and subsequently accused of writing a letter encouraging her brother to provide false testimony claims the letter was part of a fictional book she was writing, court documents show.

Kouri Richins is facing murder and drug charges on suspicion of killing her husband, Eric Richins, in March 2022, allegedly by giving him a drink containing a lethal dose of fentanyl. She has yet to enter a plea.

Prosecutors have said a six-page handwritten letter, which was found in Richins’ cell last week, amounts to witness tampering because it allegedly contains instructions for Richins’ brother to repeat “a false narrative” that would suggest her husband had gone to Mexico to buy pain pills and fentanyl, according to a motion filed last week.

But the widow claims the letter was an excerpt of a “fictional mystery book” in which she and her father go to Mexico to find drugs, according to a memorandum filed by state prosecutors on Tuesday.

Richins defended the letter in a phone call with her mother on Saturday, telling her, “When I first got in here I was telling you I was writing a book … those letters were not a paper to you guys, they were a part of my freaking book,” according to Tuesday’s memorandum.

 

[GrandmaBear]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/20/us/kouri-richins-husband-fentanyl-murder-letter/index.html

By Jeremy Harlan and Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN
Updated 1:49 AM EDT, Wed September 20, 2023

A Utah woman charged with killing her husband with fentanyl and subsequently accused of writing a letter encouraging her brother to provide false testimony claims the letter was part of a fictional book she was writing, court documents show.

Kouri Richins is facing murder and drug charges on suspicion of killing her husband, Eric Richins, in March 2022, allegedly by giving him a drink containing a lethal dose of fentanyl. She has yet to enter a plea.

Prosecutors have said a six-page handwritten letter, which was found in Richins’ cell last week, amounts to witness tampering because it allegedly contains instructions for Richins’ brother to repeat “a false narrative” that would suggest her husband had gone to Mexico to buy pain pills and fentanyl, according to a motion filed last week.

But the widow claims the letter was an excerpt of a “fictional mystery book” in which she and her father go to Mexico to find drugs, according to a memorandum filed by state prosecutors on Tuesday.

Richins defended the letter in a phone call with her mother on Saturday, telling her, “When I first got in here I was telling you I was writing a book … those letters were not a paper to you guys, they were a part of my freaking book,” according to Tuesday’s memorandum.

Have had little time too but did come here to report on seeing this.

hadn't heard her call to her mother. Have considered cops were probably all over talking with the brother and mother and what she was doing and that she has now put them front and center in it. I can only hope or imagine her mother came down on her and listen to Kouri tell her it was part of her "freaking" book, sounds angry to me. She has well made her parents and brother look as if they have and would lie for her or do anything.

This isn't the first letter or sharing with her mother either allegedly.

I had not heard this ridiculous story of she was writing a book. In the book you tell your brother to say this and that, well tell your mother to tell your brother. That is no book, you'd never put something so dumb in a book and spell out all that is in the letter telling him what to say with each specific word almost. That is a DUMB remark.

I did hear what I believe her attorney's response to be and that is they didn't find the letter in the cell but that it was in the legal container of things meant confidential for her attorney and that they are NOT to go through everything in that, it is confidential. yeah, I'm sure this came from Kouri to her atty. And EVEN if it was, they are allowed to lookf or contraband and glance in a basic way if I understand it correctly.

Why is Skye defending her, there are "hints" in the letter about Skye wanting the brother's info and that she would pass white strips to Kouri no problem (not allowed). If she doesn't drop Kouri she will be thrown under the bus by her one day. Or Kouri will attempt it if that's her only option. I'd be dumping her like a hot potato and no judge is going to deny she has reason to withdraw from this toxic, idiotic, game playing client.

From what I've seen of her, Skye seems to be a pretty good attorney but if she's not looking for publicity and I"ve had no reason to think she is, she'd bail on Kouri. Any attorney worth their salt would.

 

[GrandmaBear]

She would never be intending to send this letter to Skye when it contains plans of harming Eric's sister and her minor children. So IF it WAS in the legal packet, it wasn't intended for Skye. It was to hide it where she thought it couldn't be found OR it was for Skye to give it to her mother (not allowed) OR Skye is corrupt as well.

I wish I had time to keep up with these at least three cases with huge stuff going on lately. Delphi, this one and Murdaugh and they aren't the only ones, there are others with huge news but these are the top known ones. There ARE others as well. Can't even name them all or recall right now. No time ever at all will do that to ya.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Brother of Kouri Richins Speaks Out, Insists She Is Innocent of Murdering Her Husband

A brother of Kouri Richins, the children's book author accused of poisoning her husband, insists that his sister is innocent in a new interview with ABC News

people.com

By
Brenton Blanchet
Published on September 23, 2023 04:38PM

A brother of Kouri Richins, the children's book author accused of murdering her husband, is now opening up about his sister's case — and he's insists that she is innocent.


Richins' brother, DJ, sat down with Good Morning America on Friday to discuss his sister's charges, now several months after Kouri, 33, was accused of murdering her husband of nine years, Eric Richins, by lacing his cocktail with fentanyl in March 2022.


"We know Kouri's innocent, and all that's going to come out in court. And I think that's going to shock people," DJ said in the new discussion about Richins, 33, who has been charged with one count of first-degree aggravated murder along with additional drug charges.


"When I got the news that Eric had died, I broke down into tears," DJ added. "He was a good guy."


"But it's my sister, I knew Eric, she didn't do this."