Texts about money, marriage fuel Kouri Richins murder trial

Text messages about marriage, money and a “fresh start” took center stage in the murder trial of Utah author Kouri Richins, as prosecutors laid out what they say was her plan to move on from her husband and profit from his death.

Richins, 35, is charged with aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and multiple financial crimes in the March 3, 2022 death of her husband, Eric Richins. Prosecutors allege she poisoned him with a fentanyl-laced Moscow mule so she could collect life insurance money and begin a new life with her boyfriend. She has pleaded not guilty.

During opening statements, Summit County Deputy Attorney Brad Bloodworth read aloud a series of text messages he said were exchanged between Richins and a man identified in court as her boyfriend.

In one message sent the day before Eric’s death, Richins allegedly wrote: “If I was divorced right now and asked you to marry me tomorrow, you would?”

Weeks earlier, prosecutors said she sent another message: “If he could just go away, and you could just be there, life would be so perfect.”

Jurors also heard that 16 days after Eric’s death, Richins allegedly sent her boyfriend a link to a Caribbean resort and wrote, “Are we there yet?” About a month after the death, prosecutors said she texted him, “I think I want you to be my husband one day.”

Bloodworth argued the messages reveal Richins’ desire to start over and pointed to what he described as mounting financial pressure.

According to prosecutors, Richins was facing substantial debt and believed she would inherit millions from Eric’s estate if he died. Bloodworth told jurors a prenuptial agreement would have limited what she received in the event of a divorce.

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“Kouri Richins murdered Eric for his money and to get a fresh start at life,” Bloodworth said in court.

Prosecutors also highlighted phone activity from the early morning hours of March 4, 2022.

Bloodworth told jurors Richins first accessed her phone at 3:06 a.m. but did not call 911 until 3:21 a.m.

The state further referenced internet searches conducted after Eric’s death, including: “Can cops uncover deleted messages iPhone?”

Jurors were also told that three money-themed memes — including one that read “I’m rich!” — were accessed on Richins’ phone the morning Eric died.

Prosecutors allege the killing was tied to life insurance proceeds.

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Court documents state Richins purchased multiple life insurance policies totaling nearly $2 million and later changed the beneficiary designation to herself without Eric Richins’ authorization. Authorities say Eric discovered the change and switched the beneficiary back to his business partner.

Investigators also allege Richins intended to use insurance money to complete and flip a roughly $2 million Wasatch County mansion, an investment Eric’s family has said he did not approve of.

Defense attorney Kathryn Nester told jurors Eric struggled with chronic pain and substance use and died from an accidental overdose. In pretrial filings, Richins’ legal team has argued that a key prosecution witness changed their story and that the evidence against her is largely circumstantial.

“No family ever wants to believe that behind closed doors someone you loved is using drugs,” Nester said during opening statements.

The defense played Richins’ 911 call in court, in which she can be heard crying and telling a dispatcher her husband was not breathing.

“Those are the sounds of a wife becoming a widow,” Nester told jurors.

The third day of testimony ended unexpectedly after roughly an hour on the stand from the state’s lead crime scene technician.

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Chelsea Gipson, the CSI technician who processed the Richins home, faced cross-examination focused on the evidence she collected, including prescription medications removed from the scene and whether she observed alcohol or THC gummies inside the residence. Gipson acknowledged the hydrocodone bottle recovered from the home was not tested for fentanyl and testified that no drug paraphernalia was found.

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Defense attorneys also questioned how certain areas were documented, noting that no photographs were taken of the kitchen, sink or closet during the initial processing of the scene.

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Judge Richard Mrazik called a recess around 9:30 a.m., citing a scheduling conflict. When court resumed shortly after 10:30 a.m., he dismissed jurors for the day, referencing “unforeseen emergency circumstances unrelated to the case.”

On Thursday, Kouri Richins’ housekeeper testified that she bought pain pills for her after repeated requests in early 2022. Carmen Lauber said Richins asked in early February 2022 for pain meds for an “investor,” took the pills and deleted their texts, and later left $1,000 at her Midway home for Lauber to pick up for another purchase.

Lauber also said she helped Kouri Richins obtain increasingly stronger drugs. She said she first sought out strong painkillers through a friend after Kouri Richins allegedly said her “investor” wanted something stronger, calling it the “Michael Jackson stuff.”

Lauber’s testimony followed a state toxicologist’s testimony acknowledging that Eric Richins could have taken fentanyl before having a drink, potentially undercutting prosecutors’ claim that Kouri Richins laced his Moscow mule.

Richins was arrested in May 2023. The case later drew national attention after she published a children’s book about grief following her husband’s death.

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The trial is expected to continue for several more weeks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].

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