Chilling 911 Recording Opens Murder Trial of Utah 'Grief Author'
An eerie 911 call was played to jurors on Monday as the trial began for Kouri Richins, a 35-year-old author accused of murdering her husband by spiking his Moscow Mule cocktail with a lethal dose of fentanyl. The recording captured Richins' sobs as she told the operator her spouse, Eric Richins, was lying "cold" and motionless in their bed in March 2022.
Prosecution Alleges Financial Motive and Marital Unhappiness
Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth, dressed in a charcoal suit with a light-gray patterned tie, outlined the state's case to the jury in Park City, Utah. He asserted that Richins killed her 39-year-old husband for financial gain and to escape an unhappy marriage. The prosecution revealed that Richins had taken out $2 million in life insurance policies on Eric without his knowledge and was approximately $1.8 million in debt at the time of his death.
Text messages and internet searches were presented as evidence of her alleged guilt. Richins reportedly exchanged messages with her lover, Iraq war veteran Robert Josh Grossmann, expressing her desire for a divorce and discussing a luxury all-inclusive trip to St. Marten scheduled for a month after Eric's passing. Additionally, prosecutors claimed she repeatedly googled how to remotely scrub an iPhone clean and whether police can force someone to take a polygraph test.
Defense Counters with Alternative Explanations
Defense attorney Kathryn Nester opened her statement by playing the same 911 call, describing it as the moment "a wife became a widow." Nester, a veteran lawyer also on the defense team for high-profile defendant Tyler Robinson, argued that while the marriage had its ups and downs, there was no concrete evidence linking Richins to the fentanyl that killed Eric.
Nester acknowledged that Richins had purchased street drugs through a housekeeper but insisted it was oxycodone, not fentanyl, and done with Eric's knowledge to help manage pain from a Lyme Disease diagnosis. She also pointed out that Eric had been in Mexico two weeks before his death, questioning the jury: "And where does fentanyl come into this country from? Mexico."
Richins' Children's Book and Courtroom Demeanor
A few months before her arrest in May 2023, Richins self-published a children's book titled "Are You with Me?" about a father with angel wings watching over his son after dying. Prosecutors suggested this could indicate she plotted the murder and attempted to cover it up, especially after she promoted the book on a local TV station.
Throughout the opening arguments, Richins sat silently, dressed in a white blouse and black blazer with her hair in a bun. She occasionally shifted from side to side and looked down at the table as the 911 call was played. The case, which has been winding through court for years, charges her with aggravated first-degree murder and attempted murder.
Background and Ongoing Proceedings
Eric Richins was found dead at the couple's home in Kamas, Utah. At the time, they were building a $2 million mansion on 10 acres of land. The Park City Justice Court, known for high-profile trials including the civil case against Gwyneth Paltrow, is now hosting this emotionally charged proceeding.
The trial continues with witness examinations, starting with Eric's grieving father, Eugene. Grossmann is also scheduled to appear, potentially shedding more light on the alleged affair and its connection to the case. As the legal battle unfolds, the jury must weigh the prosecution's claims of premeditated murder against the defense's assertions of insufficient evidence.
