The jury returned guilty verdicts on all five charges.

Court staff have announced the jury has arrived at a verdict. It will be announced around 6:20 p.m.

Court staff checked in with jurors after about 2 hours after the case was submitted to them. They have decided to continue deliberations and may do so as long as they wish.

The case is now before eight Summit County residents.

Judge Richard Mrazik says his practice is to check with the jury each day at 4:30 p.m. about whether they'd like to go home for the day or continue working into the evening.

Only the eight primary jurors will render a verdict, so Judge Richard Mrazik dismissed the four alternates who also sat for the past three weeks of testimony.

However, one of them might still be called back if one of the eight primaries cannot complete the trial during deliberations. So they are still not allowed to talk about or research the case.

Exhibits, notes and jury instructions will be allowed in the jury room.

The bailiffs are taking an oath to oversee jury deliberations dutifully.

Then, the judge instructs the jury to elect a foreperson once they enter the jury room and instructs them on how to arrive at a verdict.

Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth is rebutting some of the defense's arguments and again arguing that Kouri Richins is guilty.

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis acknowledges that Kouri Richins appears to have deleted texts from her phone. She offered other explanations for that, besides murder: having an affair and buying oxycodone.

"You probably want that off your phone," Lewis said. She says Richins searched about things related to investigations and prisons on the internet because even an innocent person would be justifiably worried.

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis is saying the Richins family's private investigator tainted the state's investigation into Eric Richins' death.

"Everything about this investigation was led by the Richins family," Lewis said.

For the defense, that included the family initially hiring experts who went on to be the state's expert witnesses. And that includes the role played by private investigator Todd Gabler.

Lewis reminds the jury how Gabler is not bound by the same rules or laws as normal police. She pointed to how he handled evidence at the family home sometimes alone and without gloves.

The defense thinks the state's investigators were focused on one theory and didn't investigate others raised in the Walk the Dog letter Kouri Richins wrote, for example. Lewis questions why they didn't look into the idea that Eric Richins was communicating with someone in Mexico shortly before he died.

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis is arguing why the jury should decide Kouri Richins is not guilty. She reminds the jurors about how high the burden of proof is.

Lewis begins with the night of March 3, 2022. She's offered a different explanation for Richins' phone records that night.

And she's offering a different explanation of her actions, saying the state is trying to prove Richins didn't grieve correctly. Lewis approached the jury and said she herself was widowed when she was about Richins' age.

Lewis pushed back against the idea that there's a right or wrong way to grieve, and that the wrong way would indicate guilt.

Judge Richard Mrazik denied the defense's motion for mistrial based on the prosecution's closing argument.

In summary, the statements the chief prosecutor made were either not improper or not improper enough to require a mistrial, according to Mrazik. He said the defense misconstrued some of the statements.

But the judge made a "curative instruction" to the jury before the lunch break. It pertains to references to Kouri Richins' "affect" during the trial. Jurors can take into account their own observations but not attorneys' comments about what her affect was.

After lunch, defense attorney Wendy Lewis is expected to make closing arguments on behalf of Kouri Richins.

All of her motions for a mistrial have now either been denied or withdrawn.

Defense attorney Kathy Nester motioned for a mistrial after the jury went on a break after the prosecution's closing argument.

She says Kouri Richins was dehumanized by the chief prosecutor and that it was improper for him to refer the jury to Kouri Richins' "affect" during various witnesses' testimony. Nester says that is an unfair reference to her decision not to testify.

Further supporting her motion, Nester says that the prosecution speculated and misstated an element of aggravated murder to the jury.

Nester says it's incorrect that any "illicit street drug" could support the aggravated murder charge, not just fentanyl.

Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth has resumed closing arguments after a short break.

He told the jury that the alleged attempted murder and alleged aggravated murder Kouri Richins is charged with mutually reinforce one another.

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The chief prosecutor points to Kouri Richins' orange notebook, an apparent journal entry about the night Eric Richins died. In it, she says the couple had Moscow mules and lemon drop shots.

Bloodworth says that's how Kouri Richins would have administered the fentanyl. It's perhaps the first time prosecutors have gotten this specific about how Kouri Richins would have committed the murder she is charged with.

Bloodworth also notes for the jury how Eric Richins' toxicology showed quetiapine, which Kouri Richins asked the medical examiner about. She appeared not to know what it was, but she was prescribed quetiapine.

Now he is discussing what he calls a "cover-up." That is the fact that Kouri Richins wrote in her notes that she "immediately" called 911 but her phone appears to unlock and move about the house for minutes before.

Now he plays the 911 call, saying the first minute is the sound of not a "widow," echoing defense attorneys, but a "black widow." Bloodworth says she's already presenting an alibi — sleeping in her son's room March 3, 2022 — in the 911 call.

He takes the jury through her alibi narrative, which prosecutors think shows she planned to kill her husband.

Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth is arguing why the state has proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Kouri Richins killed her husband Eric Richins and is guilty of aggravated murder.

He told the jury that she used "illicit street drugs," including propofol, oxycodone or fentanyl. Some of the witnesses during the trial differed on what drug was sought or bought by Kouri Richins' housekeeper allegedly at her request. Bloodworth says it doesn't matter; he says what matters is she "intended to cause Eric's death."

The evidence proves at least that Kouri Richins knew what she received from her housekeeper was fentanyl, according to Bloodworth.

Medical professionals involved with Eric Richins' autopsy testified he had likely ingested a lethal amount of fentanyl, which was found in his stomach contents and blood after his death.

The judge finished reading the jury instructions around 9 a.m. Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth is giving the state's final remarks. He may be allowed a rebuttal later today too.

"Kouri Richins feels aggrieved and is thus an intensely ambitious person," he begins.

Judge Richard Mrazik will read juror instructions before closing arguments begin.

The instructions guide the jury, comprised of the eight primary jurors, in their deliberations. There are also four alternate jurors — the court has so far not had to tap any of them to replace a primary juror.

Only the primary jurors render a verdict.

Kouri Richins' charges are aggravated murder, attempted murder, forgery and two counts of insurance fraud. She has pleaded not guilty.

The parties met to draft jury instructions on Friday.

Closing arguments from both sides are scheduled today, with Summit County prosecutors going first.

During a scheduling discussion, chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth told Judge Richard Mrazik his remarks will last about 2 hours. The jury is about to enter.

The parties met to discuss juror instructions today. Closing arguments begin Monday.

The victim representative for Eric Richins' family asked Judge Richard Mrazik if he can make more room for family members or friends in the courtroom for closing arguments.

Mrazik said he could but did it for family and friends on both sides of the case to be fair.

But that means, under the amended decorum order he will issue, no members of the rest of the public will be able to sit in the courtroom.

Of the five rows of the gallery, the first row will still be for credentialed media.

Now, Kouri Richins' family members will get two rows, and Eric Richins' family members will get two rows. The families will still alternate who sits in front and behind each day.

The back right section of seating in Summit County's courtroom B is still reserved for court staff and media livestreaming the trial.

Defense attorneys, after consulting with Kouri Richins, decided not to call any witnesses or make a case.

They had technically called Ali Staking, Kouri Richins' friend, during the state's case because of travel difficulties.

But no other witnesses will be called by the defense.

Both sides have now rested. It means the state won't present a rebuttal case.

The court is recessing until Monday. Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth suggests that's when closing arguments could happen.

The case will soon be in the hands of the jury.

Judge Richard Mrazik denied Kouri Richins' Rule 17 motion. The court will break for lunch.

Defense attorney Alexander Ramos is making the defense's Rule 17 motion, a request at the end of the state's case that the judge dismiss charges based on insufficient evidence.

After redirect examination by chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth, Det. Jeff O'Driscoll steps down form the stand. Bloodworth rests the prosecution's case-in-chief.

Defense attorney Kathy Nester pressed Det. Jeff O'Driscoll about his investigation into Eric Richins' trust.

O'Driscoll says there may have been information that indicated Kouri Richins knew the trust existed. But he says everything indicated that Kouri Richins didn't understand how it worked.

What the trust did is leave Eric Richins' assets and money to his sister, with instructions about how to manage them. Whether or not Kouri Richins knew that is important for prosecutors' theory about motive.

The day will proceed as planned after the defense decided not to try to induce testimony related to David Norris' allegedly uninvestigated statements to sheriff's deputies.

Defense attorney Kathy Nester indicated that they may try to introduce those details later in the trial, but not right now. It's risky because, if they bring the Norris evidence in, prosecutors may be able to introduce other previously inadmissible evidence too.

The prosecution had said Det. Jeff O'Driscoll likely wouldn't be able to speak authoritatively about Norris' statements anyway, meaning some other witness would need to be called to the stand.

O'Driscoll is taking the stand now for more cross-examination from Nester.

"This is high-stakes poker," Judge Richard Mrazik said as the morning's evidentiary discussion dragged on longer than expected.

The defense wants to introduce the idea that a man named David Norris contacted the Summit County Sheriff's Office saying Eric Richins sought fentanyl in 2019.

But the prosecution says that means they can introduce additional statements made by Nick Bonsavage and Hayden Jeffs in recorded phone calls or interviews with investigators that implicate Kouri Richins in her husband's death.

The defense is taking half an hour to talk over the implications of introducing evidence that Norris contacted the sheriff's office through witness Det. Jeff O'Driscoll.

O'Driscoll has yet to take the stand. He was expected to be the state's last witness, but there may be more needed if they end up introducing evidence from Bonsavage and Jeffs.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys continue discussing evidence that the sides would like to admit while Det. Jeff O'Driscoll is on the stand.

In this case, Kouri Richins' attorneys want to show that her late husband Eric Richins sent her a photo of gravel he allegedly spread at the "Midway mansion" March 3, 2022, the day before he fatally overdosed.

Testimony from Det. Jeff O'Driscoll will continue on Thursday.

After that, the state is expected to rest, and the defense is expected to motion for an acquittal. They also said they'll meet with Kouri Richins for about a half hour to discuss the case. Defense attorney Kathy Nester says Richins will need to make some decisions after prosecutors rest.

Summit County sheriff's deputies found the letter in Kouri Richins' jail cell. It was written to her mother.

Det. Jeff O'Driscoll read it aloud for the court.

The jury is not allowed to consider whether Kouri Richins is or ever has been in custody, so the letter is being presented with redactions. Prosecutors simply referred to it as being found "among her personal possessions," not in her jail cell.

In the letter, Kouri Richins provides a narrative about her late husband Eric Richins getting edible marijuana gummies in Mexico that were potentially laced.

When it was first found in September 2023, prosecutors accused Kouri Richins of trying to induce her friends to testify falsely at trial. She was never charged with witness tampering.

Now O'Driscoll will be cross-examined by defense attorney Kathy Nester.

During Det. Jeff O'Driscoll's testimony, prosecutors showed the jury Kouri Richins' alleged journal entries regarding the days surrounding and following Eric Richins' death. They are the entries found in the "orange notebook" in the family home during a search.

The notebook also contained a timeline of Summit County's investigation written from Kouri Richins' perspective.

The jury is being shown text messages between Kouri Richins and her brother DJ Khouri.

In it, Kouri Richins describes working on "Are You With Me?" also in part to understand the process of writing a book to prepare for "the bigger book." Her and her brother talk about changing names to avoid a lawsuit.

Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth asked Det. Jeff O'Driscoll about Kouri Richins' book "Are You With Me?" She says she wrote it to help children grieve and cope with the loss of a parent.

O'Driscoll says the Summit County Sheriff's Office subpoenaed the ABC4 television station in Salt Lake City to investigate how Richins came to appear on the "Good Things Utah" show to promote her book. The jury read emails between Richins and television producers.

He then testified about Richins coming on KPCW's "Local News Hour" to promote the book in April 2023 as well.

An anonymous person sent "Are You With Me?" to the Summit County Sheriff's Office around that time. It was from Amazon and had a note attached.

"There are two sides to every story. This is the true Kouri, a devoted wife and adoring mother. Thought you should know. From Anonymous," the note read.

O'Driscoll said the Amazon account that sent it was registered to Lisa Darden, Kouri Richins' mother.

Bloodworth asked the detective who wrote the book. He says "Book Writing Lane," a ghostwriting service, wrote it.

Carmen Lauber is being cross-examined again by defense attorney Wendy Lewis.

The court is in recess until 12:45 p.m.

Judge Richard Mrazik denied one of the defense’s motions for a mistrial. It was filed based on new information about Carmen Lauber allegedly violating the terms of drug court after she began cooperating with investigators.

That contradicted some of her testimony. So as part of his ruling denying the mistrial, Mrazik is having prosecutors recall Lauber to the stand today at 1 p.m. so that defense attorneys can cross-examine her based on the November 2023 violation.

The alleged violation is that she was “observed holding an alcoholic drink,” according to Mrazik. The parties in the case are discussing an unsigned affidavit that says she consumed it, but that may not be admissible since it’s not signed.

Third District Court is back in session at the Summit County Justice Center.

The prosecution is now hoping to publish to the jury, not admit into evidence, redacted portions of investigators’ interviews with Carmen Lauber.

Lauber is the housekeeper prosecutors think bought fentanyl for Kouri Richins. But during cross-examination, the defense portrayed Lauber as self-serving or bullied by investigators.

“Give us the details that will ensure Kouri gets convicted of murder,” Det. Jeff O’Driscoll said during an interview the defense played for the jury.

The state hopes a fuller portion of that interview with investigators will show Lauber wasn’t influenced to make up her testimony. Judge Richard Mrazik hasn’t yet ruled which parts of the interview can be shown to the jury.

The jury is expected back in the courtroom around 1 p.m. O’Driscoll is expected to be the next, and the state’s final, witness.

Prosecutors are recalling digital forensics expert Chris Kotrodimos to testify briefly this morning. Then court will recess.

The state was seeking to admit law enforcement interviews with Kouri Richins' housekeeper Carmen Lauber to rebut the defense's charge that she fabricated testimony. But the defense wants time to go through her hours of interviews with investigators.

Judge Richard Mrazik granted the defense's request for a delay and court will reconvene tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.

Court began Tuesday with a discussion about jail calls the state hopes to introduce as evidence during Det. Jeff O'Driscoll's testimony today.

The attorneys on both sides are working on appropriate redactions with 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik.

Jurors are not supposed to know or factor into their verdict the fact that Kouri Richins has been in the Summit County jail since May 2023.

The jury is scheduled to arrive at 9:30 a.m.

Todd Gabler was the last witness on day No. 10, and Det. Jeff O'Driscoll is expected to be the state's witness tomorrow morning.

Todd Gabler, a private investigator for Eric Richins' family, testified about how he pulled Eric and Kouri Richins' phone billing information.

It showed a large volume of messages between Kouri Richins and her housekeeper Carmen Lauber. Lauber is who prosecutors say bought fentanyl for Kouri Richins that they then claim she used to poison Eric Richins.

Deputy Jayme Woody, initially the lead investigator for Eric Richins' death, is testifying.

Among other things, she spoke about how Todd Gabler, a private investigator hired by Eric Richins' family, helped advance the investigation in 2022. Progress slowed between the late spring and fall. But the investigation accelerated near the end of 2022 based on information he provided, she testified.

Det. Jeff O'Driscoll became lead investigator in early 2023 after Woody became a K9 deputy.

Gabler and O'Driscoll are expected to testify next after Woody is cross-examined.

Before calling the next witness after lunch, prosecutors played the entire 911 call Kouri Richins placed March 4, 2022, to report her husband's death.

Matthew Throckmorton is prosecutors' 40th witness of the trial. He is expected to be a key part of their effort to prove that Kouri Richins committed forgery, one of the five felony charges she's on trial for.

The state's first witness was Cody Wright, who co-founded C&E Stone Masonry with Eric Richins.

Wright testified that he had never seen Eric Richins use prescription or illicit street drugs. Defense attorney Kathy Nester called up testimony from Kouri Richins' preliminary hearing in which Wright said he had heard Eric Richins took "red devils" in high school.

Judge Richard Mrazik ruled that there needs to be further examination of Wright before the prior testimony can be shown to the jury. Nester questioned him while the jury was on a break.

Wright said he thinks "red devils" referred to pseudoephedrine, or Sudafed.

After the extra questioning, Nester argued she is entitled to show the jury that some of Wright's prior testimony wasn't fully accurate. Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth argued against allowing that.

Mrazik ruled that Wright's testimony — regarding what he had heard Eric Richins did in high school — would still be inadmissible hearsay. That means the evidence regarding Richins taking "red devils" in high school still won't come into the trial.

Nester says that's a constitutional violation and called it a "reversible error." That means it could become an issue if the case is appealed. The defense's position is that if Eric Richins "had a drug problem" then his wife is innocent of his alleged murder with fentanyl.

Before calling Wright and the jury back into the room, Mrazik asked the prosecution if they'd like to go ahead with testimony about "red devils" anyway, to insulate the jury's verdict from a likely appeal.

Bloodworth conferred with the state's other attorneys, and they declined. Evidence regarding Eric Richins' alleged high school drug use will stay out of the trial.

Court is in session for day No. 10 of the trial. The parties are talking about motions filed last night, including a written motion for mistrial filed under seal.

Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth says the state can respond to the motion for a mistrial immediately, but Judge Richard Mrazik asked for it in writing.

There was a third motion for a mistrial at a sidebar March 5, which defense attorney Wendy Lewis said Kouri Richins has now withdrawn. They had made it after Richins referred to "charges" in a recorded phone call entered into evidence.

Now the court is in recess, since a juror has not yet arrived to the courthouse.

After testimony from Kouri Richins' childhood friend, Ali Staking, the court recessed for the day.

Staking testified about a conversation after Valentine's Day and before Eric Richins' death in 2022 in which he joked about Kouri Richins trying to poison him with the sandwich. She also spoke about how Kouri Richins was "distraught" in the days after his death.

Prosecutors introduced as evidence a "life story" Kouri Richins wrote in the third person while at a retreat in Sedona, Arizona, with Staking in 2021.

Court recessed for the weekend and will resume Monday, March 9.

During Chelsea Barney's testimony, she spoke about moving into a house she thought she bought with Kouri Richins' help. But she was evicted after Richins' arrest after Richins allegedly gave the deed to a lender to avoid foreclosure.

Prosecutors are also playing phone calls between Barney, Richins and Richins' husband's friend.

Kouri Richins herself speaks at length in phone calls, which she taped after Eric Richins' death. She speaks with his friend about searches at her house and losing the house because of the trust.

After Becky Lloyd, an C&E Stone Masonry employee and family friend, testified, the owner of Mirror Lake Diner Gabe Morin took the stand.

Then prosecutors called Josh Kaze and Chelsea Barney.

Except for Morin, the witnesses have been recounting their side of conversations they had with Eric and Kouri Richins before Eric Richins fatally overdosed.

Especially in the case of Eric Richins, his friends are barred from repeating his statements as they remember them since they are inadmissible hearsay.

But Kaze remembered speaking with Eric Richins on the phone on Valentine's Day in 2022. He said his friend seemed uncharacteristically "somber" and "sincere." It was the day prosecutors believe Kouri Richins attempted to kill her husband with a poisoned breakfast sandwich from the diner.

The court is playing a call between Kouri Richins and her brother Ronney Darden from while she was in jail on Dec. 18, 2023.

The jury is not allowed to consider whether Kouri Richins is or has ever been in jail. She is still in the custody of the Summit County jail, and has been since her May 2023 arrest.

The next witness is Becky Lloyd, an employee at C&E Stone Masonry who said she was Kouri Richins' friend and neighbor.

During a scheduling discussion this morning, chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth said the state's last witness will likely be Det. Jeff O'Driscoll. Bloodworth thinks they will call him late Monday or early Tuesday.

The witnesses expected to testify today include Cody Wright, Eric Richins' business partner.

Court began Thursday with testimony from Marie Bramwell, an attorney Kouri Richins met with in May of 2021. Bramwell says she practices law in the area of "domestic relations," which includes divorce.

The defense stressed Bramwell's practice includes more than just domestic relations.

Next, prosecutors want to play a phone call for the jury. The defense is objecting.

Robert Josh Grossmann's testimony continued with cross-examination from attorney Wendy Lewis. He said that Kouri Richins seemed to change after Eric Richins' March 2022 death.

He said yes when Lewis asked if Kouri Richins seeming "sad" or "grieving" afterward.

Grossmann says today is his first time seeing Kouri Richins since the day they broke up around the end of 2022 or beginning of 2023.

After Grossmann's testimony, the court recessed for the day.

Prosecutors continued to show Robert Josh Grossmann and the jury texts between him and Kouri Richins up to, including and after the day Eric Richins died.

Grossmann testified about driving into the Uinta Mountains with Kouri Richins one day after Eric Richins died and talking for hours. He said at one point she asked him if he'd ever killed anyone while serving in Iraq, and then about how it made him feel.

Eventually, the two broke off their relationship months after Eric Richins died. Grossmann said he and Kouri Richins had a falling out and that things weren't the same after Eric Richins' passing.

The defense will cross-examine Grossmann after a break.

Prosecutors are showing the jury text messages between Kouri Richins and Robert Josh Grossmann from Nov. 29, 2021; Dec. 18, 2021; Jan. 9, 2022; plus Valentine's Day 2022, the day of the alleged attempted murder, and the day after.

They contain declarations of love for one another. In January, Richins asked Grossmann if he'd ever done drugs besides marijuana. She wrote that the TV show "Dopesick" about the prescription opioid epidemic reminded her.

The jury continued reading texts from Feb. 19, 2022, and Grossmann was emotional. The judge had the jury break for the witness to stretch his legs.

"It ain't the legs," Grossmann said, adding that he's ready again. The jury will return shortly.

Prosecutors have called Robert Josh Grossmann to testify.

The next two witnesses were Christina Miller and Kristal Bowman-Carter. Miller was the divorce attorney Eric Richins consulted in 2020, who referred him to Bowman-Carter to plan his estate and set up a trust.

The estate planning essentially ensured Eric Richins' assets would go to his sister and not Kouri Richins upon his death.

After a quick recess, defense attorney Wendy Lewis told the judge her colleague Kathy Nester received a text message this morning from the prosecution disclosing information that witness Carmen Lauber had violated drug court rules after beginning to cooperate in the investigation.

That, and texts between Lauber and Summit County Det. Eric Mainord, are "Giglio material" that should've been provided to the defense earlier, according to Lewis. She motioned for a mistrial.

Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth says he doesn't know what message Nester received this morning since he didn't send it.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik told the parties to submit their arguments on the matter in writing and declined to rule immediately.

After that, Nester also mentioned that the prosecution has been "making faces" at the jury. She says people watching the trial's livestream have informed the defense about the issue, and she asked Mrazik to admonish the prosecution not to make faces.

Mrazik says he has a better view of things than the camera does, and he does not believe the prosecution is making faces. The only "faces" he said he sees are being made at him personally.

After the back-and-forth, Summit County prosecutors called Anne Coates from TruStage life insurance to testify.

The state called Lashawnda Rodgers to testify to begin the eighth day of the trial. She works in the call center for New York Life Insurance.

She's testifying about how a the beneficiary on a New York life policy on Cody Wright's life changed in January 2022. On the same day, the beneficiary changed from Eric Richins to Kouri Richins and back to Eric Richins, all done at the same IP address.

Kouri Richins' email was listed as making changes to the policy in New York Life's system. Defense attorney Alexander Ramos clarified during cross-examination that doesn't mean Richins herself was behind the screen making policy changes.

Next on the witness stand is Brian Freckleton, of Freckleton Financial Group.

After 1.5 hours of cross-examination and further questions, Brooke Karrington has been released from her subpoena and likely won't testify for the remainder of the trial.

Court will recess for the day.

Brooke Karrington answered questions from chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth for around five hours Tuesday. She says her opinion is that Kouri Richins was "in financial distress" around the time of Eric Richins death, and that her "financial enterprise" was "collapsing."

She says Kouri Richins did receive $1.4 million in life insurance money upon her husband's death. A little less than half paid off debts. Some $25,000 of it Kouri Richins paid to her alleged boyfriend.

Karrington also provided more information about the state of disrepair of the Midway mansion Kouri Richins closed on the day after her husband died for $2.9 million.

The defense will cross-examine Karrington after a short break.

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Prosecutors and witness Brooke Karrington are walking the jury through Kouri Richins' bank statements, accounts, balances, loans and real estate transactions in 2021 and leading up to March 2022.

Overall, Karrington is painting a picture of a business that was both growing quickly and mismanaged. She says Kouri Richins' accounts were in the red and in decline shortly before Eric Richins died.

The jury has entered the courtroom and Brooke Karrington's testimony is starting.

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Prosecutors told 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik they'll call forensic accountant Brooke Karrington to the stand today. Defense attorney Kathy Nester expects Karrington to testify to a "vast" array of topics.

Part of her testimony will be about Kouri Richins' alleged motive for murder and attempted murder, and other parts will directly conern the fraud and insurance charges Richins is also on trial for.

Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth expects Karrington's testimony to take most or all of the day. The parties are discussing how to lodge objections during Karrington's testimony, as Mrazik put it, "to not unnecessarily slow down the presentation of evidence."

Defense attorney Alexander Ramos cross-examined Chris Kotrodimos before Judge Richard Mrazik excused the jury, attorneys and spectators.

Chris Kotrodimos also discussed texts that Summit County prosecutors admitted between Kouri Richins and Eric Richins, as well as the logs of messages between Carmen Lauber and Kouri Richins.

Chris Kotrodimos is testifying about cell data he reviewed for the state and explaining it to the jury.

He's showing how Carmen Lauber and Robert Crozier's phones traveled on Feb. 11, 2022. It's during one of the alleged drug buys ahead of the alleged attempted murder on Valentine's Day.

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Lauber's device travels to Draper from the Heber area, while Crozier travels south from the Davis County area.

Kouri Richins's phone is messaging Lauber's throughout that time.

Det. Jeff O'Driscoll, the chief investigator in the case at the Summit County Sheriff's Office, has taken the stand.

He spoke to the chain of custody of cell phones the state would like to admit into evidence then stepped down.

O'Driscoll has been in the courtroom for the entire trial so far, opposite the defense's investigator Chris Bertram.

The next witness is Chris Kotrodimos, a digital forensics expert. He reviewed phone data and phone records in the case for the state.

Investigators have seized and extracted data from phones owned by people such as Kouri Richins, Eric Richins, Robret Crozier and others.

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis asked the judge to dismiss a juror who said today that they recognized the state's witness Molly Crosswhite.

The juror said they had done a business transaction which involved Crosswhite in the past.

The prosecution does not think there's grounds to dismiss the juror mid-trial, but the defense believes the juror would not have gotten through jury selection if they'd realized the knew Crosswhite. Crosswhite apparently used to go by a different name.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik says he will consider legal standards and precedent and make a ruling on the issue later.

Shortly before lunch, Judge Richard Mrazik disclosed more information and the motion for a mistrial filed by the defense.

It was in response to lead crime scene technician Chelsea Gipson's testimony in which she briefly asked for clarification about phone calls, asking if they were jail calls.

The defense objected at that time, and Mrazik instructed the jury not to base any of their verdict on and to disregard whether Kouri Richins is currently in custody. She has been at the Summit County jail for almost three years, having been denied bail three times.

During a sidebar, the defense had asked for a mistrial based on the jail calls comment. Mrazik said he denied it.

The judge said after lunch that the comment was "improper" but "relatively innocuous," "in passing" and "inadvertent." He says the instruction he gave to the jury helps avoid a mistrial.

Allison Wright took the stand after Molly Crosswhite, a real estate professional who purchased the small Midway home from Kouri Richins. Prosecutors say the small home is where Richins and her housekeeper had a dead drop for the money and pills.

Wright testified about a February 2019 she and Richins had about Richins' marriage. Wright says Kouri Richins "felt trapped" since she was having trouble at home but, if she divorced, she wouldn't get any money under a prenuptial agreement.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Kathy Nester pressed Wright about Eric Richins' alleged affair during that time. Wright said she was aware that he may have had intimate feelings for a woman coworker around 2019, which Nester indicated was a reason Kouri Richins would be having trouble in the marriage.

The prosecutors are playing Summit County sheriff's body camera video from May 4, 2023. In it, detectives are interviewing Robert Crozier, who allegedly sold drugs to Carmen Lauber who passed them on to Kouri Richins.

Crozier testified Friday he sold Lauber oxycodone. He also testified he did not remember the May 4, 2023, interview even after he was provided with the transcript of it.

But in the video of the interview, Crozier says he sold Lauber fentanyl pills and that "she knew what she was buying."

Jurors are only allowed to consider Crozier's side of the conversation, not law enforcement's, when it comes to eventually rendering a verdict.

Kouri Richins was arrested May 8, 2023, and charged with murder. Prosecutors think she used the pills she got from Lauber to poison her late husband Eric Richins.

Prosecutors played a call Kouri Richins placed to the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner. In it, she asks many of the questions prosecutors have asked Dr. Erik Christensen about the gastric contents of Eric Richins' stomach.

Christensen also asked Kouri Richins if her husband appeared to be abusing fentanyl prior to his death. She said no.

The state has called Dr. Erik Christensen to testify, and court is underway.

Court began with a false start Monday. As the state prepared to call its first witness, the defense objected that it had been unable to consult with the witness beforehand, violating court rules.

The court is currently in recess to allow defense attorney Alexander Ramos to consult with the state's witness before his testimony. It's unclear when it will resume.

The other attorneys also discussed more evidence to be presented this week. That includes a May 2023 interview Robert Crozier had with investigators. Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth says it rebuts much of Crozier's testimony from last Friday.

In that testimony, Crozier recanted his story that he had sold Carmen Lauber fentanyl. He said he was out of it and in withdrawal when investigators initially spoke with him. Bloodworth also wants to show that Crozier wasn't pressured to say certain things by the Summit County Sheriff's Office.

The court recessed for the day just after 4 p.m. after testimony from Sgt. Eric Haskell of the Salt Lake City Police Department and Marcos Garaycochea from the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.

Judge Richard Mrazik briefly mentioned there was a motion for a mistrial some time during the first week. It's unclear who filed it, but he denied it. Mrazik indicated he may say more about the motion and his ruling next week.

Court resumes at 8:30 a.m. Monday.

Robert Crozier says that he, like Carmen Lauber, has immunity in exchange for true and complete testimony during the trial.

He says a friend of a friend, whose name he doesn't remember, asked him for "Roxy," meaning oxycodone. He met her at a Maverik in Draper to sell her pills. It appears he's speaking about Kouri Richins' housekeeper Carmen Lauber.

He signed a sworn statement about selling Lauber drugs that he later amended. He now maintains he sold not fentanyl but oxycodone to her. He says he sold M30s and "blues," which he understood in early 2022 to be oxycodone.

According to Crozier, he didn't write the statement himself but it was read to him.

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis is rising to cross-examine Crozier.

After Carmen Lauber, Anna Isbell took the stand. She was Kouri Richins' late handyman's romantic partner. The handyman Hayden Jeffs died in a motorcycle accident between the time of Eric Richins' death and the trial.

Now prosecutors have called Robert Crozier to the stand.

Lauber said she sold him fentanyl, which she provided to Kouri Richins.

Summit County prosecutors are seeking to admit the transcripts that the defense used to cross-examine housekeeper Carmen Lauber into evidence.

Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth says the defense cherry-picked statements Lauber made. He acknowledges she might be confused but that doesn't mean she isn't credible or truthful at trial. He thinks the full transcripts will show she is in fact credible.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik questioned whether he can admit the interviews into evidence in their entirety, since they might contain inadmissible hearsay, be inconsistent or be unrelated to the trial.

He ruled against prosecutors. Lauber was dismissed from the witness stand but may be called to testify later in trial, set to last four more weeks after this.

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis' cross-examination of Carmen Lauber, Kouri Richins' alleged drug dealer, continues.

They're speaking about investigators' interviews with Lauber in May 2023, shortly before Kouri Richins' arrest on suspicion of her husband's murder.

Just before the court recessed for the day, 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik read a note from one of the jurors in the case. They were concerned about whether a member of the audience was sketching jurors and if that was allowed.

The court staff confirmed someone was sketching jurors and removed them from the court from the remainder of the trial earlier in the day.

Mrazik then dismissed court until Friday, when it will resume with testimony from Carmen Lauber, Kouri Richins' housekeeper.

To close the day of testimony, defense attorney Wendy Lewis is cross-examining Carmen Lauber.

Lewis is focusing on the housekeeper’s past drug use and offenses, including failing to meet the requirements of Wasatch County drug court in the past.

She tried to portray Lauber’s cooperation with investigators as self-serving. And Lewis combed through her prior interviews with investigators to point out inconsistencies with her testimony today.

Lauber does indeed have immunity in exchange for her testimony, which she maintains is the truth. She says she's been sober for years.

Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth has been slowly walking through the four drug deals she says she made to procure opiates for Kouri Richins.

She says Kouri Richins gave her the cash to buy the drugs, which in the second and third instance she believed to be fentanyl. The jury will hear about the fourth deal, which allegedly happened after Eric Richins' March 4, 2022, death, after a break.

The attorneys are currently discussing some of the text message and cell phone evidence supporting some of Lauber's account.

Carmen Lauber is emotional recounting how she found out that Eric Richins had died of an overdose from investigators.

She says she wanted to take "accountability" for her "part" in what happened and hoped that cooperating would lead to immunity.

She spoke to them prior to being granted immunity, but now has written promises of immunity from Summit County, Salt Lake County and the federal government.

Lauber testified she would clean Kouri Richins' home and properities, and she worked for her aunt Doreen Kouri. She also said she knew Eric Richins from seeing him at the family home in Francis.

She just testified she bought drugs for Kouri Richins, at her request, four times.

The prosecution has just called Carmen Lauber to the stand. She is the housekeeper the prosecutors believe sold fentanyl to Kouri Richins.

After the toxicologist, the jury heard from Summit County sheriff's Det. Frank Root and FBI forensic data scientist Cheney Eng-Tow about cell phones seized as evidence during the case.

Then Bryan Holden from the Utah state crime lab took the stand. He was directed to look for fentanyl on items sent into the lab by the Summit County Sheriff's Office. He says he never detected the drug on 19 items he received.

He's being cross-examined by Kathy Nester from the defense.

Toxicologist Dr. Brianna Peterson explained what was found in Eric Richins' gastric fluid, from his stomach.

There were various amounts of ethanol, quetiapine, fentanyl, norfentanyl and acetylfentanyl. Peterson says acetylfentanyl can indicate that a person ingested fentanyl that was illicit, not medical, since it's not present in hospital samples.

Peterson also explained, based on the volume of gastric fluid, exactly how much ethanol there would have been. According to Peterson, Eric Richins probably had 1,900 mg of ethanol in his stomach. But she says an average drink would contain 14,000 mg of ethanol.

There was about 11 mg of quetiapine. Now, defense attorney Wendy Lewis is going to cross-examine Peterson.

After the crime scene technician, the state called Dr. Brianna Peterson to the stand.

Peterson is a toxicologist who reviewed test data from blood and other fluid samples that the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner took from Eric Richins after his death.

She explained standard operating procedures at her lab to the jury and how she produced a report based on the test results.

Peterson attested that tests only showed fentanyl and its metabolite, norfentanyl, in Eric Richins' system. She says tests came back negative for hydrocodone; no other opioids were found.

Defense attorney Kathy Nester has resumed cross-examining lead crime scene technician Chelsea Gipson after the unexpectedly abbreviated day three.

It's still unclear why Judge Richard Mrazik dismissed court yesterday. The Summit County Attorney's Office later issued a statement saying it was unaware of the reason.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik dismissed court early after just an hour of testimony and hour break. He says an unexpected, urgent circumstance arose on his own schedule.

Lead crime scene technician for the Summit County Sheriff's Office, Chelsea Gipson, is back on the stand as court resumes.

Kouri Richins' attorney Kathy Nester is cross-examining Gipson and seeking to admit the 911 call Richins made March 4, 2022, in its entirety.

Court broke for the day just after 4:30 p.m. after more testimony from Chelsea Gipson, the lead crime scene technician at the Summit County Sheriff's Office.

After showing the jury a 3D rendering of the Richins home, prosecutors went room to room as Gipson described where certain items and evidence had been found and taken during searches.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik admitted various pieces of evidence to be used in the murder trial during the whirlwind tour. That includes four cell phones, various THC edibles, prescription medications and tweezers.

Summit County sheriff's crime scene technician Chelsea Gipson has taken the stand.

Prosecutors are showing the jury a 3D, virtual reality scan of Eric and Kouri Richins' Francis home that Gipson's division created using software called Matterport.

The jury is watching the home on a video screen, moving through it similar to an indoor version of Google Maps Street View.

Gipson also took photographs of the master bedroom and bathroom where Eric Richins died, which were shown to the jury.

Gipson is answering prosecutor Lindsay Chervenak's questions about how crime scene technicians and investigators processed the crime scene March 4 and later searched the home with various warrants.

For the remainder of the morning and early afternoon, prosecutors called members of the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner to testify, including Maggie Mobley, Dr. Pam Ulmer and Allyson Christensen.

They were involved at various steps of the process to receive and perform an autopsy on Eric Richins' body after his death. Ulmer testified her autopsy did reveal the presence of fentanyl in his system. There was also ethanol and quetiapine in his stomach contents.

The ethanol could indicate he drank alcohol, or it could mean there was decomposition of the stomach contents.

Deputy Vincent Nguyen, one of the sheriff's deputies who first responded to Eric Richins' death, finished testifying.

Then, the prosecutors called evidence and medical technician Camrynn Larson, Deputy David Pimentel, AEMT Margaret Offret and Sgt. Andrew Crnich to describe the crime scene, especially the Richins' bedroom, as they arrived in March 2022.

Attorneys asked numerous questions about how first responders affected the scene, including their search for medications prescribed to Eric Richins. Crnich was the one who found the bottle of hydrocodone dated 2016 in Eric Richins' nightstand.

Pimentel had looked for medications in the bathroom, including in a cupboard above the toilet. THC gummies were later found out of sight atop that cupboard, but he testified it was not his role, nor did he have a warrant or probable cause, to look for narcotics.

Prosecutors are about to call their ninth witness of the trial.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik is about to invite the jury back into the courtroom. Defense attorney Alexander Ramos will resume cross-examining Deputy Vincent Nguyen from the Summit County Sheriff's Office.

Third District Court recessed for the day shortly before 5 p.m. during defense attorney Alexander Ramos' cross-examination of Deputy Vincent Nguyen.

After Katie Richins-Benson, her husband Clint Benson took the stand. He spoke about his role controlling access to the family home after Eric Richins' death, as well as his experience on the night of the incident.

Then the jury heard from Summit County sheriff's Deputy Vincent Nguyen. He was one of the first responders early March 4, 2022.

Prosecutors are playing Deputy Nguyen's body camera footage from the night of the incident. Kouri Richins is distraught and answers law enforcement's questions in the video. Medical personnel are heard unsuccessfully performing life-saving measures on her husband.

Lisa Darden, Katie Richins-Benson and later Eric Richins' father also arrive. The video mirrors some of the testimony that the family of Eric Richins shared about that night.

At that point, there had been no autopsy to determine the cause of death. Deputies wonder if it was an aneurysm, and Kouri Richins and her mother mention Eric Richins had an allergy shot the day before.

Kouri Richins also told deputies her husband may have taken a THC gummy that night.

The morning began with testimony from Eric Richins' father, Gene Richins, and his sister, Katie Richins-Benson.

They both spoke to Eric Richins' character, saying he was a good dad, son and uncle.

They also both spoke about the day he died, the night of March 3 and early March 4, 2022.

Richins-Benson said she was first family member to reach the house in Francis. She said Kouri Richins, her mother Lisa Darden, the children and first responders were already there.

She thought Richins seemed businesslike and put together despite the circumstances. After a lunch break, Richins-Benson is now being cross-examined by the defense.

They're showing a clip of body camera footage from the night of Eric Richins' death, in which the defense says Kouri Richins is squatting to console Richins-Benson.

Defense attorney Kathy Nester also probed Richins-Benson's understanding of the Eric Richins Living Trust. She's the trustee in charge of that fund, she has said is for the Richins children's college.

Kouri Richins has filed separate litigation to fight for control of the trust and its assets, which include the family home in Francis.

Witness testimony is expected to continue for the rest of the afternoon.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik swore jurors in again after a short recess following opening arguments.

The oath that the jury took earlier this morning was incorrect.

Defense attorney Kathy Nester indicated before the recess that it wouldn't pose an issue since opening arguments aren't evidence anyway.

Evidence includes exhibits and witness testimony, not what the attorneys say.

Prosecutors called their first of likely many witnesses, Gene Richins, Eric Richins' father shortly before 10:45 a.m.

Defense attorney Kathy Nester resumes opening arguments after Summit County prosecutors asked to approach 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik at the bench.

The parties were conferring after Nester began discussing Kouri Richins buying pain pills from her employee and housekeeper Carmen Lauber.

Lauber is expected to testify she sold Richins fentanyl, but Nester says that wasn't Lauber's original story. She says she changed her tune after facing the threat of jail time and the prospect of a deal with investigators for a reduced penalty.

Finally, Nester introduces the jury to an optical illusion to demonstrate how the same set of facts can point to different conclusions. If you can see both images in the illusion, Nester says, "that's reasonable doubt."

The state has to prove Richins is guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt," the highest legal standard.

The defense reminds the jury that their client is presumed innocent until then. Nester asks the jury to "be courageous."

Defense attorney Kathy Nester directed the jury to a photo taken by crime scene technicians at the Richins' family home in Francis.

It shows an empty pain pill bottle in Kouri and Eric Richins' bedroom. Nester says it's hydrocodone prescribed to Eric Richins, which expired in 2016.

Nester says Eric Richins had pain related to his work in masonry and outdoor recreation.

And she admits Kouri Richins bought pain pills from Carmen Lauber. The defense says she was seeking hydrocodone, not fentanyl.

But Nester says the state has never been able to determine how fentanyl made it into Eric Richins' system. Investigators searched the family home as recently as two weeks ago, she said.

Glassware was left in the sink during initial searches of the home, according to Nester, so that a nanny was allowed and able to put cups through the dishwasher after Eric Richins died.

People around Eric didn't know how he died at first, according to the defense. Some people talked about aneurysms. But Nester says Eric Richins' family immediately started telling police that Kouri Richins probably killed him, and they hired a private investigator who shared his findings with police.

Nester says the private investigator had access to Eric Richins' computer before Summit County's investigators did.

Meanwhile, she says Kouri Richins' story hasn't been changed. She alleges that law enforcement listened in to Richins' calls with family and friends in the year after Eric Richins' death.

Nester says the prosecution's slides showing Kouri Richins' text messages amounted to "entertainment" and character assassination. She's urging jurors not to jump to conclusions.

The defense does not think the evidence supports the Valentine's Day attempted murder charge, either.

The trial is scheduled to last five weeks, and dozens of witnesses could be called and questioned.

Defense attorney Kathy Nester stands before the jury after chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth sits down.

She doesn't talk, but instead she plays the 911 call Kouri Richins places to Summit County dispatchers at 3:21 a.m. March 4, 2022.

Richins is heard crying, saying her husband Eric Richins is "cold" and not breathing.

"Those were sounds of a wife becoming a widow," Nester says to begin.

She contends Eric and Kouri Richins were celebrating because Kouri Richins was about to close the purchase of a Midway mansion. Richins planned to flip and resell it for "millions more," at least $2 million, Nester says.

The defense attorney says Eric Richins, a stone mason, was a part of the plan, having spread gravel at the property to beautify it for open houses. She shows text messages of him proposing "celebratory shots" related to the real estate deal.

Nester emphasizes how much money he was bringing into the marriage for both of them.

She discusses Eric Richins' hunting trips. He allegedly visited Mexico a couple weeks before his death. Nester says both Eric and Kouri Richins loved their three kids.

Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth introduces the jury to the children's book Kouri Richins wrote about how to cope with the grief of losing a parent, "Are You With Me?"

He says she wrote, published and promoted it while knowing that an investigation into the death of Eric Richins was underway.

Bloodworth believes the evidence will show Eric Richins did not kill himself or die accidentally.

Bloodworth says his wife, Kouri Richins, had "means, motive and opportunity" to kill him. And he implores the jury to consider evidence that shows "no one else did."

He leaves the jury with three memes accessed on Kouri Richins' phone the morning of March 4. One is of President Donald Trump saying, "I'm really rich."

Brad Bloodworth, Summit County chief prosecutor, is still making opening statements as the murder trial of Kouri Richins gets underway.

He has turned to one of the most serious charges against her: attempted murder.

Prosecutors think Richins bought fentanyl pills from a housekeeper she employed, Carmen Lauber, who got them from another street dealer. After buying pills the first time, Richins asked for "something stronger," Bloodworth says.

Prosecutors think Richins attempted to poison her husband twice in early 2022 and that, the second time, it was fatal. Toxicology shows Eric Richins died of a fentanyl overdose, according to Bloodworth.

Now Bloodworth turns to the morning of his death, March 4, 2022.

He quotes from a notebook that is expected to be introduced as evidence. Kouri Richins allegedly wrote what happened the night and morning of March 3 and March 4. She appears to discuss finding Eric Richins dead in their home in Francis, Utah.

Many of the text messages Bloodworth is quoting from during opening statements, he says, have been deleted. He also brings up Kouri Richins' phone searches, which he says deal with how to permanently delete messages from an iPhone.

Summit County chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth is making opening arguments for the state.

He's beginning with a narrative about the day of March 3, 2022, the night prosecutors think Kouri Richins fatally poisoned Eric Richins, her husband, with fentanyl.

Bloodworth says Kouri Richins gave him a drink that night. He notes that she unlocked her phone and moved about before calling 911, and he said that Kouri Richins texted with her boyfriend that evening.

Bloodworth introduces himself and other prosecutors to the jurors.

He begins to tell them that Richins took out an insurance policy on Eric Richins' life before his death. Kouri Richins' attorneys immediately object and approach the bench. It's the first of many objections expected during the trial, which is scheduled to run until March 27.

Bloodworth clarifies that the insurance policy is related to the charges of fraud and forgery. He and the other prosecutors are expected to argue that Richins was in debt and in love with another man, both of which provided the motive for murder.

Eric Richins' estate was worth over $4 million when he died, according to Bloodworth. He thinks Kouri Richins thought she'd inherit that, but was wrong.

Bloodworth claims Richins was "chronically unhappy in her marriage." He details her texts, planned vacations and interactions with her alleged boyfriend, Robert Josh Grossmann.

The defense team will be able to make opening statements and arguments after Bloodworth or after the state presents all its evidence. Defense attorneys are not required to make opening statements at all.

The 12 jurors have entered the court room and were sworn in by 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik's court staff. There are eight jurors and four alternates. All will hear the evidence over the next five weeks.

Mrazik is reading the charges Summit County has brought against Kouri Richins.

The charges include five felonies: aggravated murder, attempted criminal homicide, forgery and two counts of insurance fraud. Richins has pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Summit County prosecutors are seeking to prove that Richins fatally poisoned her husband in March 2022. They also say she attempted to kill him on Valentine's Day in 2022, which is what the second charge refers to.

The alleged financial crimes speak to motive. The prosecution has claimed Richins wanted to leave the marriage and needed money from insurance policies and her husband's will.

The trial of Kouri Richins began at the Summit County Justice Center just outside Park City, Utah, around 8:30 a.m. this morning.

Summit County prosecutors and defense attorneys for Richins are discussing preliminary matters with 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik. That includes whether members of the two families involved with the case can stay in the court room after they take the stand as witnesses.

The jury has not yet entered the courtroom.

About two dozen spectators are allowed into the court room each day due to limited seating, not including credentialed media, friends and family members.