During cross-examination two weeks ago, Kouri Richins’ attorneys tried to show Carmen Lauber was fabricating testimony.
She was Kouri Richins’ housekeeper, who defense attorney Wendy Lewis called the Summit County prosecutors’ “star witness.”
The defense team says Lauber is saying what investigators want her to say because of a deal that gives her immunity in exchange for her cooperation.
Summit County Det. Jeff O’Driscoll says that’s not a fair picture.
“It was apparent to me that she probably had some level of guilt or concern over her possible involvement in Eric's death,” he testified Wednesday.
Lauber says she bought fentanyl at Kouri Richins’ request before Eric Richins’ fentanyl overdose death in 2022.
Kouri Richins has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated murder, attempted murder and other financial crimes.
During the investigation, a private investigator provided Eric and Kouri Richins’ phone records, and O’Driscoll said his team compared those to the data on the phones themselves.
There appeared to be numerous missing messages between Kouri Richins and Carmen Lauber, which eventually led them to search Lauber’s house in April 2023.
O’Driscoll, who took over as lead investigator on the case, said they found a hat from Eric Richins’ business and his obituary in her bedroom.
“It seems like she had all of these inspirational quotes that helped motivate her through her progression in drug court. And amongst them were photos of her loved ones, her family, and then amongst all of that was Eric Richins’ obituary,” the detective said. “Right in the middle of [Lauber’s] mirror.”
Then, O’Driscoll said he and his partner Det. Eric Mainord interviewed Lauber six times over the next month.
When Lauber testified at trial, defense attorneys used parts of those interviews to discredit her.
The detectives told her at times she had a “get-out-of-jail-free card” or that she needed to divulge “the details that ensure Kouri gets convicted of murder.”
Judge Richard Mrazik allowed chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth to play longer excerpts of those interviews Wednesday to put those parts in context.
“Certainly, there was a self-serving piece [for Lauber], but there was a lot more than a self-serving piece,” Bloodworth told the judge Tuesday without jurors present.
But prosecutors also had another issue as it relates to Lauber: the defense said it wasn’t made aware that she had violated conditions of drug court in November 2023.
They motioned for a mistrial March 4 because they hadn’t been able to cross-examine Lauber based on that information.
Mrazik has denied the defense’s request. But he did instruct prosecutors to recall Lauber to testify Wednesday for additional questioning.
The cross-examination problem is one of numerous issues Kouri Richins’ attorneys have been raising that could become central to the case if it is appealed. The defense is also continuing to object to much of prosecutors’ evidence, even if Mrazik had already ruled it was admissible before trial.
Bloodworth has said O’Driscoll is the state’s last witness. Defense attorney Kathy Nester said she needs to confer with Kouri Richins to make “some decisions” before the defense presents a case.
