Photo: Kouri Richins/Facebook
As the outlet reports, prosecutors called the phone searches “incriminating," as they allegedly include the following phrases and questions: “can cops force you to do a lie detector test,” “Luxury prisons for the rich in America,” “death certificate says pending, will life insurance still pay,” “If someone is poisoned what does it go down on the death certificate as,” and “How to permanently delete information from an iPhone remotely.” The alleged searches can beviewed online.
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CNN now reports that her defense wrote in a motion that “law enforcement never identified or seized any fentanyl or other illicit drugs from the Family Home.”
“The State has provided no evidence that there was fentanyl found in the home," a motion reportedly read. “Nor have they provided any evidence that Kouri gave Eric the fentanyl at issue.”
Richins — who publisheda children’s book on griefa year after her husband’s death and threw a party at the couple’s Kamas, Utah, home the day after his alleged murder, authorities say — has also been accused of trying to change a life insurance police and withdrawing money without her husband’s knowledge, per CNN.
On Monday, Richins' attorneys argued in court that she should be released on bail during the trial, calling the prosecutions' evidence circumstantial since police didn’t seize fentanyl from their home, local networkWJWreports.
Her legal team argued that prosecutors “worked backward in an effort to support” the idea that she poisoned Eric, the outlet reports. Her defense also accused detectives of unlawful detaining and question following a search warrant in 2022.
In March 2023, a year after her husband’s death, Richins released a children’s book on grief, titledAre You With Me?Its product description on Amazon said the book was “written to create peace and comfort for children who have lost a loved one.” The book has since been pulled from Amazon.
According toKCPW News, Richins had a sequel in the works, titledMom, How Far Away is Heaven?She and Eric share three children.
Prosecutors previously cited a medical examiner and said Eric died of a fentanyl overdose, with an autopsy indicating he had approximately five times the lethal amount in his system.
After Eric’s death, investigators obtained search warrants and seized the family’s electronic devices, during which they discovered several texts between Richins and an acquaintance she was allegedly buying drugs from, perpreviously reviewed documents.
Investigators interviewed the acquaintance, who alleged Richins purchased hydrocodone from them sometime between December 2021 and February 2022. She allegedly reached back out to the acquaintance weeks later requesting a more potent drug — “some of the Michael Jackson stuff,” the acquaintance said Richin told them, per the documents. She then allegedly obtained 15 to 30 fentanyl pills worth $900 in February 2022. Prior to Eric’s death, court documents alleged Richins tried to fatally poison Eric onmultiple occasions in the past.
Eric’s obituary states he “lived to the fullest and with few regrets.”
“Eric did absolutely everything in his power to provide his family with every possible opportunity to learn, grow, and have fun,” it reads, in part.
source: people.com
