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Live Blog: Kouri Richins in court for preliminary hearing

Published August 26, 2024 at 10:59 AM MDT
Kouri Richins, center, a Kamas mother of three who wrote a children's book about coping with grief after her husband's death and was later accused of fatally poisoning him, looks on during a hearing Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Silver Summit.
Rick Bowmer
/
Associated Press
Kouri Richins, center, a Kamas mother of three who wrote a children's book about coping with grief after her husband's death and was later accused of fatally poisoning him, looks on during a hearing Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Silver Summit.

KPCW's live blog has the latest details from reporter Connor Thomas who's in the courtroom during Kouri Richins' preliminary hearing at Summit County’s Third District Court.
See complete coverage of the Kouri Richins case here.

Kouri Richins is accused of fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl back in March of 2022. After her husband's death, Richins then published a children's book about coping with grief.

During the hearing, which is expected to last several days, both the defense and prosecution plan to call on witnesses including family members, to make the case on whether there's enough evidence to proceed to trial.

Jury selection tentatively scheduled for late April 2025

Posted August 27, 2024 at 12:17 PM MDT

Jury selection is scheduled for the last week of April. More discussion is needed about how jury selection will work, Judge Richard Mrazik said.

The parties may meet for a pretrial conference in late September. Jury selection may last a week, the attorneys estimate.

Judge rules Kouri Richins must stand trial, she pleaded not guilty

Posted August 27, 2024 at 12:10 PM MDT

Judge Richard Mrazik said prosecutors showed probable cause for all 11 felonies, and Kouri Richins pleaded not guilty for all 11.

Court is not determining guilt, judge reminds public

Posted August 27, 2024 at 12:02 PM MDT

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik reminds the public about the role of the preliminary hearing, which determines if there is probable cause for criminal charges.

But, Kouri Richins is still presumed innocent.

Court is in recess

Posted August 27, 2024 at 11:33 AM MDT

Proceedings will resume at 11:50 a.m., after a 20-minute break.

Defense attorney argues against attempted murder charge

Posted August 27, 2024 at 11:04 AM MDT

Defense attorney Kathy Nester notes that Utah does not use a grand jury to decide whether to put someone on trial. The judge is the “gatekeeper,” whose decisions have a large impact on the defendant.

With the importance of that in mind, Nester takes aim Kouri Richins’ attempted murder charge.

She refers to the evidence of what Kouri Richins bought from Kamas’ Mirror Lake Diner on Valentine’s Day 2022. She doubts Eric Richins would eat an egg sandwich hours after it is prepared.

After Kouri Richins leaves the family home that morning, Eric Richins drove to other locations. Two hours after they were together he reports symptoms.

Nester believes the state has failed to show causation, that Kouri Richins caused Eric Richins’ alleged health scare that day.

Defense addresses the court on murder, drug charges

Posted August 27, 2024 at 10:50 AM MDT

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis takes on the murder charge first. She says new information that emerged since the 2023 detention hearing makes it less likely Kouri Richins killed her husband.

Lewis points to the housekeeper who allegedly sold Richins fentanyl. The housekeeper’s statement says she “believes” she sold her fentanyl. And Det. Jeff O’Driscoll testified he couldn’t know what the pills were for sure.

Judge Richard Mrazik notes that “knowing” is not the standard at the preliminary hearing, when compared to trial. Mrazik says many of Lewis’ arguments would work best at trial.

Summit County prosecutor reads Kouri Richins’ texts into the record

Posted August 27, 2024 at 10:36 AM MDT

To support the attempted homicide charge, Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth is recounting Kouri and Eric Richins’ movements in February 2022.

But he says the best evidence for attempted homicide is the alleged homicide March 4, 2022. One key piece of evidence for the prosecution is the text to Richins’ alleged drug dealer asking for “something stronger,” as Bloodworth put it.

Bloodworth says Richins learned from the first attempt. The prosecution’s theory is that she gave Eric Richins a spiked shot of alcohol in March.

The prosecutor reminds the court that in a preliminary hearing, the burden of proof is “probable cause,” so “all reasonable inferences go to the state.”

State has shown probable cause for motive, Richins purchasing drugs, judge says

Posted August 27, 2024 at 10:20 AM MDT

During the state’s oral argument, Judge Richard Mrazik says he agrees that Kouri Richins had financial and love interest motives to kill her husband. He also says there is probable cause that she purchased a controlled substance.

But he’s not sure if the state can show probable cause that she gave Eric Richins fentanyl on Valentine’s Day 2022, a month before he died.

It’s the event prosecutors allege was attempted homicide, one of Richins’ 11 felony charges.

Prosecutors make arguments for a trial

Posted August 27, 2024 at 10:15 AM MDT

Summit County Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth is making the state’s case for a trial.

For the financial crimes, he says there’s a paper trail for Judge Richard Mrazik to follow. And for the murder charge, Bloodoworth refers back to the detention hearing last summer.

Mrazik asks about the attempted homicide and drug distribution charges, which Bloodworth explains further. The judge wants clarification on the alleged financial misdeeds later in the hearing.

Richins waives right to testify

Posted August 27, 2024 at 10:12 AM MDT

The state has rested its case, and Kouri Richins’ defense team has advised her not to testify. She has waived her right to do so.

Summit County prosecutors are set to make oral arguments about why there is probable cause for a trial.

No other witnesses are going to testify.

Day two of Kouri Richins’ preliminary hearing beginning soon

Posted August 27, 2024 at 10:07 AM MDT

Members of the media and the public are entering the courtroom at the Silver Summit Justice Center.

Court recesses for the day

Posted August 26, 2024 at 5:22 PM MDT

Judge Richard Mrazik ended the proceedings shortly before 5 p.m. Neither the state nor the defense say they will call any more witnesses.

The preliminary hearing will resume at 10 a.m. tomorrow, half an hour later than initially scheduled. Kouri Richins' defense team has indicated she will waive her right to testify, and Mrazik could rule whether she stands trial for the 11 felonies she's accused of tomorrow.

Defense team addresses life insurance policies

Posted August 26, 2024 at 4:40 PM MDT

Defense attorney Kathy Nester asked the state’s forensic accountant Brooke Karrington about the life insurance policies Kouri Richins took out on her husband during the 2010s.

Nester asks about the signatures on them, though Karrington responded she is not the state’s handwriting analyst. She also asks Karrington whether she knows if Eric Richins needed a medical exam for those policies. The accountant also couldn’t say for sure.

Prosecutors have alleged Eric Richins did not know about some of the life insurance policies, which Kouri Richins stood to gain millions of dollars from.

Cross examination wrapped up around 4:40 p.m.

Defense cross-examines forensic accountant

Posted August 26, 2024 at 4:16 PM MDT

Defense attorney Kathy Nester is crossing Brooke Karrington, the state’s forensic accountant.

She asks Karrington who contacted her about the case—the private investigator hired by the family of Eric Richins. The investigator initially asked her to help with issues related to the trust, and his sister initially hired Karrington for $325/hr.

Karrington worked for the trust, Eric’s side of the family, for five or six months, she said. Afterward, she was approached by the Summit County Attorney’s Office.

She estimates Eric Richins’ family paid her $9,000. Nester asks about the civil litigation, in which Eric Richins’ family and Kouri Richins are vying for control of his property and estate.

Karrington is no longer retained by the trust, she said, and hasn’t spoken with them for about one year.

Forensic accountant addresses Midway mansion, life insurance policies

Posted August 26, 2024 at 3:56 PM MDT

Forensic accountant Brooke Karrington said Kouri Richins purchased the Midway mansion for $2.9 million. The accountant added it was ambitious and larger than Richins’ other real estate ventures.

All the money was obtained from lenders, Karrington said.

The mansion was allegedly a point of disagreement between Eric and Kouri Richins. He was not in favor of purchasing it, family member report. His wife closed on the property a day after his March 2022 death.

She stood to gain millions of dollars from life insurance policies she took out on Eric Richins. Karrington testified about those and the buy-sell agreement Eric Richins had with his business partner.

Judge Richard Mrazik ruled last summer Eric’s side of the family should get the proceeds of the buy-sell.

Forensic accountant describes Kouri Richins’ debts

Posted August 26, 2024 at 3:45 PM MDT

Brooke Karrington is a forensic accountant testifying for the state. She claims Kouri Richins owed as much as $5 million in various forms by the end of 2021.

Richins was allegedly making payments to settle her debts. From June 2021 to February 2022 she paid $320,000 to lenders, Karrington said.

But after December 2021, Richins paid less and less, prosecutor Byron Burmester said. Karrington said her bank was not clearing every transaction and returned some of the payments to her.

Forensic accountant testifies about Eric Richins creating trust

Posted August 26, 2024 at 3:16 PM MDT

Brooke Karrington told prosecutor Byron Burmester about Eric Richins seeking advice from divorce and estate attorneys in the years preceding his death.

He established a trust with his sister as trustee, prosecutors allege, without Kouri Richins’ knowledge. They’ve further claimed her motive to kill him was in part financial—that she believed she would inherit his estate.

Karrington has spoken on properties Richins obtained for her business K. Richins Realty. Richins had about 15 properties in 2021.

Charging documents state some of the mortgages were fraudulently obtained.

Forensic accountant takes the stand

Posted August 26, 2024 at 2:46 PM MDT

The court has sworn in forensic accountant Brooke Karrington, who also testified at the detention hearing last year.

Prosecutor Byron Burmester asks her about Kouri Richins’ alleged financial crimes. On top of attempted and aggravated murder, she’s accused of mortgage fraud, forgery and insurance fraud.

Cross examination of digital forensics expert concludes

Posted August 26, 2024 at 2:32 PM MDT

Defense attorney Alex Ramos is crossing witness and investigative consultant Chris Kotrodimos.

Ramos asks if he knew some of the software he used to analyze phone data in this case was found to be unreliable in court, and Kotrodimos says no.

The defense attorney asks about Kotrodimos not seeking recertification in the digital forensics programs he used in this case.

Ramos also asks about Kotrodimos’ testimony regarding Richins’ movements the night of Eric Richins’ death. He questions whether the expert is certified in “mobility metrics.” Kotrodimos doesn’t know what that refers to.

Cross examination ends around 2:30 p.m.

In his redirect, prosecutor Joe Hill asks about a deleted message from Eric Richins’ phone. Then Kotrodimos steps down.

The court will take a five minute recess.

Digital forensics expert cross-examined

Posted August 26, 2024 at 2:17 PM MDT

A defense attorney for Kouri Richins is cross-examining the state’s investigative consultant Chris Kotrodimos.

He asks about Kotrodimos’ forensics classes and certifications, which he completed in the 2010s.

The attorney also clarifies who send one set of texts Hill previously presented—Eric Richins and not the alleged paramour of Kouri Richins.

Kotrodimos himself did not extract the data he analyzed from Eric Richins’, Kouri Richins’ and others’ phones.

Digital forensics expert testifies about texts between Kouri Richins, alleged lover

Posted August 26, 2024 at 2:08 PM MDT

Investigative consultant Chris Kotrodimos says he recovered texts and call logs from the phone of a man Kouri Richins was allegedly having an affair with.

Prosecutor Joe Hill has directed Kotrodimos to various texts and screenshots, not all of which are visible to the rest of the court. But one is a screenshot from Valentine’s Day 2022, when prosecutors claim Kouri Richins first tried to poison her husband.

Kotrodimos says Richins is telling her paramour she’s an hour away from seeing “him.” She sends a screenshot of her navigation app to verify. It’s implied that she is speaking about someone other than her lover.

Then, Hill asks about the night of Eric Richins’ death. Kotrodimos says there were ongoing messages between Richins and her lover around that time.

Prosecutors believe the messages show motive and that Kouri Richins wanted out of her marriage.

Digital forensics expert discusses calls, texts between Kouri Richins, alleged drug dealer

Posted August 26, 2024 at 1:58 PM MDT

Summit County prosecutor Joe Hill is asking witness and investigative consultant Chris Kotrodimos about Kouri Richins’ deleted phone data.

There are multiple calls and texts around Valentine’s Day 2022, including around 30 on Feb. 11 itself. That’s when prosecutors claim Richins first tried to kill her husband with fentanyl.

There are more communications from the evening of Feb. 26. Richins was allegedly communicating with housekeeper who sold her fentanyl.

The housekeeper’s phone data shows where she traveled Feb. 26, based on which tower was servicing her phone. Kotrodimos says she traveled from Draper to Summit County and back.

Hill and Kotrodimos are going through screenshots of text messages from the housekeeper’s associates. The screenshots are in evidence binders and not visible to the rest of the court.

'A lot of data' deleted from Kouri Richins’ phone around time of husband’s death, expert says

Posted August 26, 2024 at 1:44 PM MDT

Investigative consultant Chris Kotrodimos is testifying that call logs, texts, web history and web searches were deleted from Kouri Richins’ primary phone from January to mid-March 2022.

Richins is accused of fatally poisoning her husband March 4, 2022. Summit County prosecutors are trying to prove there is probable cause for a murder trial.

Kotrodimos says his forensic analysis can’t show who deleted the information or how.

Hearing resumes, digital investigator takes the stand

Posted August 26, 2024 at 1:37 PM MDT

The court has sworn in former Salt Lake City homicide investigator Chris Kotrodimos. The state is using him as a digital forensics expert and has retained him as an investigative consultant.

Housekeeper sold Kouri Richins fentanyl after Eric Richins’ death, detective says

Posted August 26, 2024 at 12:32 PM MDT

During defense attorney Wendy Lewis’ second conversation with Det. Jeff O’Driscoll while he was on the stand, the detective said they believe Kouri Richins’ housekeeper sold Richins fentanyl three times. That includes once after Eric Richins’ death.

The court broke for lunch and O’Driscoll left the stand at 12:30 p.m. The preliminary hearing resumes at 1:30 p.m.

State asks detective about fentanyl 'indicated' in Richins home

Posted August 26, 2024 at 12:22 PM MDT

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis stopped cross-examining Det. Jeff O’Driscoll shortly after 12:15 p.m.

Summit County Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth then rose for his redirect, and asked O’Driscoll more questions about fentanyl being “indicated” and being “found.”

The distinction is that tests can find precursors or related substances that point to fentanyl’s presence.

Fentanyl was indicated but not identified in the THC edibles in the plastic bag they were found in during a search of the Richins home.

Summit County investigators seized a voice recorder from the Richins home

Posted August 26, 2024 at 12:17 PM MDT

Det. Jeff O’Driscoll says the last time they executed a search warrant in the Eric Richins murder case was one to two weeks ago.

It was to seize a voice recorder located in Eric and Kouri Richins’ home.

Cross examination moved on from the item quickly, and it’s not immediately clear who found the recorder or what, if anything, is on it.

Summit County investigators never found fentanyl pills

Posted August 26, 2024 at 12:14 PM MDT

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis has pointed out by cross-examining Summit County Det. Jeff O’Driscoll that they haven’t found pills that tested positive for fentanyl.

Kouri Richins’ housekeeper told investigators she sold her light blue or green pills that were fentanyl. O’Driscoll says he doesn’t know if they were fentanyl for sure but that they match the description of fentanyl pills commonly sold on the street.

State lodges second relevance objection

Posted August 26, 2024 at 12:08 PM MDT

Judge Richard Mrazik overruled this one.

Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth doesn’t see how examining Det. Jeff O’Driscoll’s interviews with Kouri Richins’ housekeeper relates to whether there’s probable cause for a trial.

Mrazik seemed to agree but is allowing defense attorney Wendy Lewis to demonstrate relevance with more questioning.

The state has called O’Driscoll in the spirit of fairness to allow Lewis to cross-examine him. She was not Richins’ attorney during the detention hearing when the detective last testified.

Investigators used drug charges to persuade Richins’ housekeeper to testify

Posted August 26, 2024 at 11:56 AM MDT

Det. Jeff O’Driscoll had said in a previous hearing this is a common tactic in law enforcement. Prosecutors believe Kouri Richins would have obtained fentanyl from a housekeeper she employed, which they say she used to poison her husband Eric.

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis is asking O’Driscoll about his interviews with the housekeeper.

Lewis asks whether the housekeeper told investigators that her daughter overdosed on fentanyl. O’Driscoll doesn’t remember.

After their interviews, Summit County investigators informed other authorities the housekeeper was being cooperative. They told the housekeeper that her cooperation in Richins’ case could reduce her other charges.

Richins associates subject of cross examination

Posted August 26, 2024 at 11:49 AM MDT

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis asked Detective Jeff O’Driscoll why investigators didn’t look at Richins’ alleged paramour.

But Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth objected, citing irrelevance at this stage of the case. Lewis says the paramour could be an alternative suspect.

But Judge Richard Mrazik sustained it, saying that’s a matter for trial, not the hearing to determine if a trial should happen.

Lewis moved on to Richins’ alleged drug dealer, and asked O’Driscoll about his interviews with her.

O’Driscoll discusses initial interview with Kouri Richins

Posted August 26, 2024 at 11:46 AM MDT

The Summit County detective first interviewed Kouri Richins in April 2023. He says an attorney wasn’t present for that interview and that he didn’t know she had an attorney until midway through the conversation.

Lewis asked whether he alerted Richins she could have an attorney present. He remembers saying so midway through the interview.

No fentanyl found in Richins home day of Eric Richins’ death

Posted August 26, 2024 at 11:40 AM MDT

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis is cross-examining Det. Jeff O’Driscoll of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

The cross has focused on the initial search of the Richins’ home the day of Eric Richins’ death. Lewis asked if any illicit drug such as fentanyl was found the day of his death. O’Driscoll said no, despite toxicology showing Eric Richins died of a fentanyl overdose.

Prescription drugs may have been found the day of the death. THC edibles were later found, and months after the initial search, copper cups were seized.

Summit County detective takes the stand

Posted August 26, 2024 at 11:33 AM MDT

Detective Jeff O’Driscoll has been sworn in. The state did not ask him questions, so Richins’ attorney Wendy Lewis began with the cross examination.

Preliminary hearing underway

Posted August 26, 2024 at 11:30 AM MDT

Summit County Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth is providing the court with an overview of the state’s preliminary case.

The witness list includes Det. Jeff O’Driscoll, the investigator the state called in Richins’ detention hearing. At that hearing, 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik ruled the Kamas mother of three should be held without bail until today’s prelim.

Richins' hearing to begin soon

Posted August 26, 2024 at 11:24 AM MDT

People are slowly filtering into the courtroom for Kouri Richins' preliminary hearing that was delayed more than an hour.

Kouri Richins preliminary hearing delayed

Posted August 26, 2024 at 11:09 AM MDT

Kouri Richins is in Third District Court for her preliminary hearing. It has been delayed at least 30 minutes. No word yet on when it is expected to resume Monday.