Crime Girl_Season 1-Episode 5-Kouri Richins

Crime Girl_Season 1_Episode 4-Kouri Richins

[00:00:00] Hello, my friends, and welcome back to Crime Girl. I'm Grace, and I'm so glad you're here. I'd planned to talk about the Jeff MacDonald case for this next episode, but there has been a different case at the top of the news this last week that I've become obsessed with. It's just one of those stories where every time you think it cannot possibly get darker and weirder, it does.

I think this case really got under people's skin, including mine, in a very particular way because it hits on one of our deepest fears. What if the person you trust most in the world betrays you completely? What if [00:01:00] the smiling wife, the loving mother, the devoted friend, the grieving widow, is actually someone or something else entirely different behind those closed doors?

You probably already know I'm talking about Kouri Richins, the Utah woman convicted of murdering her husband, Eric, with fentanyl. And then, if that wasn't enough, after he died, Kouri wrote a children's book about grief, a children's book about helping kids cope after losing their father. For months, she publicly presented herself as this devastated widow trying to help her little children heal, while prosecutors [00:02:00] behind the scenes were quietly building a murder case against her.

You couldn't, you couldn't make up anything more chilling than this. And now, after a lengthy investigation and trial, a jury has found kouri Richins guilty. So today, we're gonna go deep into this story because there are so many layers, so many twists and turns; marriage problems, the money, the secret debt, earlier poisoning attempts, fentanyl, image management, that trial, the verdict, the witness, the victim impact statements, and- What I think this case says about [00:03:00] manipulation, performance, and human nature itself because this case is not disturbing simply because of the murder allegation.

It's deeply disturbing because of the betrayal, because of what allegedly came afterward, and because it does remind us that sometimes evil doesn't look evil at all. Sometimes it looks sweet. Sometimes it can look sympathetic. Sometimes it smiles into the television cameras and talks about healing. And you know what?

That's just terrifying. So let's get into it. So the family everyone thought they knew, just the perfect little [00:04:00] family, Eric and Kouri Richins. They lived in Utah, near Park City. They had three little boys and by all appearances, a beautiful life. They had this gorgeous home, a wonderful image. They went on amazing vacations.

Kouri had real estate projects that were very impressive. Lots and lots of, uh, social media photos, of course. And they're just the kind of family people probably looked at and thought, "They've got it all." But as we know from so many of these cases, appearances can be very deceiving. Eric was reportedly hardworking, financially cautious, and very devoted to his children.

Kouri was [00:05:00] ambitious and heavily involved in real estate investments and business ventures. According to prosecutors, that's where some of the trouble began because investigators later alleged that Kouri was in very serious financial trouble. Not the things are a little tight kind. The millions of dollars in debt.

Supposedly, she had taken out loans and entered financial obligations tied to her real estate projects without Eric fully being aware of what was happening. Eventually, according to testimony, Eric discovered some of the financial issues, and he was furious. You know- A lot of couples survive debt. They can survive [00:06:00] stress.

They can survive arguments. But secrecy on that level? Well, it destroys trust, and prosecutors argued that trust inside this marriage was collapsing rapidly. In fact, according to evidence later presented at the trial, Eric had started taking steps to protect himself financially, and that matters because prosecutors would eventually argue that Corey believed, ugh, that Eric's death would solve her problems.

And when you hear the full story of this, that theory is impossible to dismiss.

Here's where this case starts getting especially chilling. According to prosecutors, [00:07:00] Eric may not have only been poisoned once. There was allegedly an earlier incident on Valentine's Day. According to testimony, Eric became violently ill after consuming a sandwich that Corey gave him, and afterward, prosecutors said Eric believed his wife had poisoned him.

Can you imagine what it would be like to have a realization like that? Sitting there thinking, "I think the person that I'm married to, the mother of my children, may have just tried to kill me with poison." Ugh, that, it really blows my mind. So the truth is that Eric had a warning, and he, he knew he was in danger.

He [00:08:00] told his family that this had happened, but, normal people, we don't all think like killers. Most decent people understand that, human beings lie sometimes. They manipulate, they can be unfaithful. But murder? Poison? That leap is so psychologically enormous that many victims, they just don't fully recognize the danger they're in until it's too late.

And prosecutors argued that's exactly what happened here.

The night Eric died, which was March 4th, 2022, according to Corey's original story, she and Eric were celebrating the closing of a house deal. She said she prepared a [00:09:00] Moscow mule cocktail with a lemon drop chaser. Later, according to her account, she found him cold in their bed and unresponsive.

At first glance, this did not seem like an homicide. There were no visible injuries, no violent crime scene, no gun, no gunshot, no stabbing, no blood.

Initially, authorities did not publicly treat Eric's death as suspicious, and early on, Corey's story appeared to work. But then the toxicology results came back.[00:10:00]

Because Eric didn't just have fentanyl in his system, according to prosecutors, he had approximately five times the lethal amount, and that immediately raised enormous questions because Eric was not known to be a fentanyl user. So investigators began asking, how does a healthy man suddenly die from massive fentanyl poisoning?

Well, pretty quick there, Corey became the focus because she was the last person known to be with him, the person who prepared the drink he consumed, and the person who had the most to gain. But I think what deepened the investigators' suspicions was everything they allegedly uncovered afterwards. You know, the financial problems, huge life insurance [00:11:00] policies, that earlier poisoning allegations, allegation, texts where Corey was seeking drugs,

the deleted Communications, very suspicious, forged insurance paperwork, on and on. Piece by piece, investigators built what prosecutors argued was a picture of planning rather than some accident, and during all of this, Kouri continued publicly presenting herself as a grieving widow. She wrote that children's book.

She gave interviews. She talked about helping her sons process the grief. So the public experienced this case almost in real time. All of a sudden, [00:12:00] this became something very different than an unexpected death of a beloved father.

Several members of Eric Richan's family appeared to become suspicious early on. Eric had shared with them the sandwich incident, Kouri's financial dealings behind his back, and especially once they learned of the toxicology results and hearing more details about Eric's death. Their suspicion was that they knew that the marriage was already in serious trouble.

Eric had expressed concerns about the finances. He had discovered the secret [00:13:00] debt and the loans. He changed, quite a few aspects of his estate planning. He had reportedly told people that Kouri tried to poison him during that Valentine's Day sandwich incident.

Once Eric suddenly died from being poisoned only weeks later, family members apparently began to connect those dots very quickly. Eric's sister, Katie, became one of the most vocal figures throughout the investigation and prosecution, and the family consistently maintained that they believed that Kouri had murdered Eric.

And, if I put myself in their position, I understand why they felt that way Imagine grieving someone you love while simultaneously beginning to suspect that the person standing beside [00:14:00] you at the funeral may have caused the death. It's unbearable.

One detail from this case that people could not stop talking about involved text messages prosecutors later uncovered. According to investigators, Corey allegedly contacted someone asking for what she called, quote, "The Michael Jackson stuff," unquote. Prosecutors argued she was referring to powerful narcotics, and according to testimony, she ultimately obtained fentanyl.

She told the person who got it for her that it was for a client who was in pain. Now, text messages can't convict someone, but prosecutors also presented phone records, financial evidence, [00:15:00] witnesses, internet searches, and testimony regarding Corey's alleged attempts to obtain fentanyl before Eric died.

She didn't snap. She planned.

Two very different things. Now, this is the part of the case that made international headlines. After Eric died, Corey Richens wrote a children's book called Are You With Me? Just FYI, she didn't really write it. She hired a ghostwriter to write it for $2,500. But anyway, the book focused on helping children cope with grief after losing a parent.

Corey passed it off as she and her three little children wrote the [00:16:00] book together. And you know what? If you didn't know anything else about this story, it sounds quite touching, a grieving mother trying to help her children heal. But once she was accused of murdering him, that entire thing became almost surreal.

Suddenly, those interviews came off completely differently. There she was, smiling, you know, tear just falling down her cheek, talking about healing, and grief, and helping those boys, and all the while, investigators believe she had caused the whole thing I think that's why this case draws you in so much and why people really were so affected by it, because if prosecutors were right, then this grief itself [00:17:00] had become part of the performance, and that's, you know, that's pretty disturbing.

By the time the trial began, this case had become national news. Prosecutors laid out an incredibly damaging case with the fentanyl, the financial motives, the earlier alleged poisoning attempt, the, all the witnesses, the messages, life insurance, internet searches, even attempts to influence testimony after Corey's arrest and, oh yeah, Corey's boyfriend.

Corey had a boyfriend, Josh Grossman, an Iraq War veteran, who worked with her on flipping the homes in Utah. I mean, for years she was sleeping with this guy, and prosecutors suggested that the relationship [00:18:00] was part of the motive because according to testimony, while Corey was publicly living this married life with Eric, she was also involved in a serious romantic relationship behind the scenes.

Now, people cheat every day without killing anybody, but prosecutors argued that the relationship with Grossman became part of the larger picture, the collapsing marriage, all that financial pressure, resentment between the two spouses, and the very likely possibility that Corey Richens wanted an entirely different life.

And I'll tell you what, that boyfriend's testimony was, it was poignant. He really, he really loved her, and he did not know anything [00:19:00] about her plans to kill her husband.

And all this going on while, Eric is still alive. Something incredibly sad about watching Josh Grossman realize that he'd been pulled into such a dark situa- situation by someone he loved. He cried, and he appeared to be suffering I think his testimony helped reinforce something prosecutors were trying very hard to show through the trial that Corey Richens was portraying multiple roles.

She was playing multiple roles all at the same time. She was the grieving wife, the devoted mother, this children's book author, the highly educated graduate student, which is in doubt, [00:20:00] the successful real estate businesswoman, the girlfriend planning another future with another man, the woman prosecutors said was secretly drowning financially.

Most likely when jurors looked at all of those pieces together, the prosecution's theory of motive started feeling pretty darn believable. Another especially damning detail involved what prosecutors called the walk the dog letter, which they argued showed Corey's efforts to coach witnesses, especially her family members, and influence testimony with lies about Eric and his non-existent drug use.

And it's called walk the dog because that's the first thing in the letter. And it meant that her mom, to whom the letter was sent, should get up, go outside, [00:21:00] and make the letter disappear after she read it before anyone else could see it. Well, the defense fought that aggressively. They claimed walk the dog was a work of fiction by an aspiring writer, Corey. Another witness whose testimony really stayed with me was Corey's longtime best friend, Chelsea Barney. These two had been close for 20 years. So we're not talking about some casual acquaintance.

Chelsea trusted Corey completely, stood by her side through everything, defending her the whole way. According to testimony, Corey convinced Chelsea to enter into an arrangement to buy a house from her. Chelsea put down $45,000 and then started making $2,900

[00:22:00] monthly payments, believing she was gradually purchasing the property herself. At the beginning, Chelsea understood that the deed and the mortgage would temporarily stay in Corey's name. So this wasn't presented as some obvious scam from day one. That's the part that made the whole thing so sad. It sounded like one of those situations where somebody trusts a friend so completely that they don't question things they probably should have.

Meanwhile, according to prosecutors, Corey was still using the property financially as if it fully belonged to her, taking out loans and continuing financial activity tied to the house, while Chelsea kept making her payments and believing that everything was legit. Well, needless to say, [00:23:00] Chelsea lost the house and all the money she'd put into it.

The jury clearly found the prosecution's case convincing. Deliberations reportedly lasted only three hours. That's pretty fast for a complicated murder case, and it certainly suggests that this jury did not see the case as a close call. So on March 16th, 2026, Corey Richens was found guilty in less than three hours of jury deliberation, guilty of aggravated murder, guilty of attempted aggravated murder connected to the earlier alleged Valentine's Day poisoning allegation, guilty of forgery, guilty of insurance fraud.

When I read the verdicts, I immediately thought about Eric's family, because imagine wading through [00:24:00] all of this, his death, then the suspicions, all the media, trial, headlines, endless speculation, ugh, and finally hearing, "Guilty." Sadly, that doesn't bring Eric back, does it? Nothing will. But accountability matters, truth matters, and surely it mattered deeply, those things, to the people who loved him.

Before I get to my take, I want to stop for a moment and talk about the real tragedy here, and I know you know what it is. Three boys lost their father, and by all accounts, a wonderful father. And now, effectively, they've lost their mother, too. [00:25:00] That's the part of the case I just can't forget, because someday those boys will fully understand all of this.

And imagine carrying that story for the rest of your life It's heartbreaking.

The thing that is so compelling to me about true crime is always the victims. The victims. These boys did not ask for any of this, and the emotional damage from something like losing your father and then your mother because she killed him, well, it lasts forever. Thank God they have a family who loves and cares about them so much.

The boys are with Katie Richens, Eric's sister, and her [00:26:00] husband. My take. Ugh. All right, friends, I hope you're ready. Here's my take. Corey, Corey, Corey. I'd like to believe that all people have redeeming qualities, that everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes terrible mistakes that harm the people in their lives.

But Corey Richens really pushes the limit on that, doesn't she? This case horrifies me because it has two aspects that I find especially disturbing, all that premeditation and her cold-blooded, what, pragmatism. If prosecutors got this right, and clearly the jury believed that they did, this was not a [00:27:00] crime of passion.

It was methodical, calculated, purposeful. Poisoning is one of the coldest forms of murder imaginable because, what, it weaponizes trust. Eric Richens accepted a drink from his wife even after she tried to poison him already on Valentine's Day. Think about that. The person who should have been his safest harbor, so according to prosecutors, his love for her and his trust in her is exactly what killed him.

I'm guessing that despite his suspicions about Corey, he really wanted to believe in her I keep asking myself, how in hell did Corey think she was gonna get away with poisoning Eric [00:28:00] if an autopsy was obviously going to be called for when this healthy young man s- died suddenly?

According to testimony, Corey and her mother reportedly floated possible explanations immediately. Oh, maybe it was an aneurysm, allergy issues, THC gummies he had eaten. Here's an important fact to consider: most people do not fully understand forensic toxicology, though intelligent.

I suspect Corey may have believed one of several things, that they would not test for fentanyl, that it might look like an accidental ingestion if they did, and investigators might assume recreational drug use. [00:29:00] She didn't think suspicion would ever land on a suburban wife and mother with no criminal history.

Plus, she had tried to poison Eric on Valentine's Day, but he survived without any police involvement. That may have given her what turned out to be a false sense of security. There's another thing people underestimate in cases like this. Murderers often think about the moment of death for the victim more than the aftermath.

They think strategy, "How do I do this?" And then they get stuck there, so impressed with themselves for pulling that part off. They're not thinking what happens once toxicology, phone records, financial records, text messages, deleted searches, and witness testimony [00:30:00] all start converging over time. Oh, what makes this case unforgettable to me is everything that came afterward, after Eric's death.

The book, the interviews, with all that emotional storytelling, that grieving widow image. The audacity. Grief became a part of her performance, and I just think that's what, that's why people hate her There's something diabolical about someone causing such pain to everyone around, and then publicly positioning herself as a victim and a healer.

Before I wrap up, I wanna talk just briefly about the sentencing hearing, because I watched the entire thing on YouTube, and honestly, [00:31:00] ugh, I can't forget it. Corey Richens was sentenced on May 13, 2026, that would've been Eric Richens' 44th birthday, to life in prison without parole. The victim impact statements from Eric's family were heartbreaking, especially those from their

sons in letters read in court. hearing children talk about missing their father and fearing their mother was devastating. But what really struck me watching the hearing was Corey herself. As Eric's family members spoke about their murdered son and brother, often crying, you couldn't help but notice Corey repeatedly making faces, obviously disdainful [00:32:00] facial expressions all through their statements, little looks of annoyance or disbelief.

Everyone noticed it. So inappropriate considering the gravity of what those people were saying and the depth of the loss they were dealing with. There was something really off about it. And then, then came Corey's own statement, which just went on and on. It was excruciatingly long, and directed entirely toward her sons, rather than even one mention of condolence for Eric's family.

There was no sense of accountability or remorse for her husband. Instead, Corey continued proclaiming her innocence. Her attorneys did the same thing. Even Corey's mother, in a statement that was [00:33:00] read, insisted Corey was innocent. So even after the conviction, after all of the evidence, even at the sentencing, there was still this insistence that Corey was somehow the wrong party.

She's the victim. One phrase Corey kept repeating to the boys was, in this, her message to them, "Be like your dad." And I have to tell you, hearing her say that over and over again made me sick.

That's probably what's disturbed me most about this case from the beginning, that performance she does and all the image management and, the emotional presentation versus that conniving mind beneath it. Even at her sentencing, here's Corey seizing [00:34:00] control of the narrative rather than confront the devastation left behind for others in any way.

By the end of the hearing, I just felt so sad for those boys and that family. Because whatever anyone believes about Corey Britchens, those young men are the ones who will carry the emotional wreckage of this case for the rest of their lives. And I wish them well. Oh, whoa. That was a tough one. Thanks so much for spending this time with me today.

If this case affected you the way it affected me, I'd really love to hear your thoughts. What's really got your goat? What disturbed you the most? The poisoning? The children's book? All of that manipulation afterwards? The sentencing hearing? You can find [00:35:00] all my contact information in the show notes. And if you're enjoying Crime Girl, please leave a review and share the show with your true crime fan buddies.

I'll be back next time with the case I promised about Jeff McDonald. So friends, this is Grace, aka Crime Girl, signing off until we meet again. Keep your eyes open and your back door locked. Bye for now.