Kouri Richins: Behind the Facade

Summary

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48 Hours: "Kouri Richins: Behind the Facade"

Date: May 25, 2026
Host: CBS News

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Episode Overview

This episode of "48 Hours" dives deep into the trial and conviction of Kouri Richins, a mother and real estate agent from Utah accused of poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, with fentanyl in 2022. The episode reconstructs the investigation and trial, providing an intimate look at the evidence, key testimonies, and the emotional fallout for the family, especially the three young sons left behind. Through interviews with jurors, family spokespeople, prosecutors, and friends, the podcast explores the facade Kouri maintained and the devastating consequences of her actions.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime and Initial Investigation

• The Discovery of Eric’s Death:
  • Eric Richins was found dead on March 4, 2022. His wife, Kouri, called 911 claiming to have found him unresponsive and “cold.”
• Early Suspicions:
  • Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis:
    • "The family had been alerted by Eric that if something happened to him, to look at Kouri... it was almost like they knew something like this could happen someday." [04:03]
  • Eric himself had expressed fear for his safety in the months leading up to his death.
• Initial Ruling:
  • Authorities originally suspected an accidental overdose, but as inconsistencies mounted, the investigation shifted to possible homicide.

2. The Prosecution’s Case

• Charges and Motive:
  • Kouri faced charges of murder, insurance fraud, and forgery. Prosecutors asserted she killed Eric with fentanyl for financial gain (“to perpetuate her facade of privilege, affluence, and success.” [07:20]).
  • Kouri was heavily in debt (~$8 million) from her real estate endeavors (Midway Mansion purchase) and had forged Eric’s signature on a new $100,000 life insurance policy a month before his death.
• Evidence and Testimony:
  • 911 Call Analysis:
    • Prosecution argued Kouri performed inadequate CPR, backed by digital forensic data showing she kept the phone to her ear instead of following instructions on speaker ([09:28], [10:11]).
    • Juror Laura: "The digital download expert could actually see that Kouri did not put the phone on speaker… that means she wasn't doing compressions." [09:44]
  • Strange Behavior:
    • Kouri accessed celebratory GIFs on her phone and discussed real estate business hours after Eric's death, further raising suspicion ([12:01], [12:47]).
  • Purchase and Use of Fentanyl:
    • Carmen Lauber, Kouri’s housekeeper, testified that Kouri solicited and purchased fentanyl from her ([17:36], [18:00]). Text message data corroborated the timeline, and Carmen’s testimony was deemed credible by jurors despite her criminal history.
    • Prosecutor: “Did Kouri Richins ever ask you to purchase for her illicit drugs? … Four times.” [17:53-18:03]
  • Alleged Previous Attempt:
    • On Valentine’s Day, Eric reportedly became ill after eating a sandwich made by Kouri, which prosecutors argued was a failed earlier attempt ([20:23]).
  • Affair as Additional Motive:
    • Kouri had a two-year affair with Josh Grossman, planning a romantic getaway for shortly after Eric’s death; prosecutors suggested this was further proof of premeditation ([21:40], [23:46]).
    • Juror Laura: "The reservation for that trip was damaging... it made it look like she had been planning something for a while." [24:08]

3. The Defense's Argument

• Countering the Motive and Timeline:
  • The defense claimed Kouri and Eric had just closed a major real estate deal and were celebrating the night he died; his recreational drug use and recent trip to Mexico were highlighted as alternative explanations for his overdose ([26:22], [27:41]).
  • Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor: “Wives everywhere sign their husband’s names on a lot of things.” [32:34]
  • The $8 million debt was described as temporary, standard risk in house flipping.
• Discrediting Key Witnesses and Evidence:
  • The defense attacked Carmen Lauber’s credibility, noting her deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time ([29:15]), as well as gaps in forensics—no tested drink cups, the presence of an old hydrocodone bottle, and lack of direct evidence linking Kouri to the fatal dose ([31:09]).
  • The affair and planned trip with Grossman were downplayed—Grossman testified the romance ended before Eric’s death ([32:53]).
• Lack of Physical Evidence:
  • Defense: “You know what you're never going to hear is how that fentanyl got inside of him, because there is zero evidence of that.” [25:19]

4. Trial Drama and Key Testimonies

• Jury Perspective:
  • Juror Eric: “I came to see her as pretty cold and pretty calculating.” [05:16]
  • Both jurors interviewed (Eric and Laura) described being underwhelmed by the defense’s case—in particular, their decision to rest without calling any witnesses (to everyone’s surprise) left the jury with only the prosecution’s narrative ([37:13], [37:18]).
• Human Impact:
  • Emotional testimony from Eric’s sister Katie and the couple’s sons (via letters) underscored the depth of family trauma.
  • The boys, now 9, 11, and 13, wrote of feelings of betrayal, anger, and grief ([46:12]–[47:13]).
    • "She took away my dad. It's made me have a hard time trusting people." —Weston, youngest son [46:16]
    • "What she did is very sick." —Unattributed son’s statement [47:13]

5. Closing Arguments and Deliberations

• Prosecution’s Summary:
  • Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth: “Behind the facade... Kouri’s business was imploding... there was a way forward. Eric had to die.” [39:31]
• Defense’s Plea:
  • “They want you to look at a woman in the worst moment of her life… the investigation was nothing but sloppy. It was driven by bias.” [40:16, 40:20]
• Jury Decision:
  • Deliberations lasted only three hours. Jurors unanimously found Kouri guilty not only of aggravated murder, but of attempting to poison Eric previously and committing insurance fraud and forgery ([43:42], [44:17]).
    • Juror Eric: “I thought the evidence was devastating against Kouri and that she was guilty... that opened the door to other people to share exactly where they stood.” [43:54, 44:17]

6. Sentencing and Aftermath

• Sentence:
  • On what would have been Eric’s 44th birthday, Kouri received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole ([45:20], [48:25]).
    • Judge Richard Morazic: “The court hereby sentences you to life without parole.” [48:25]
• Corey’s Final Words:
  • Addressing her sons in court, Kouri denied responsibility:
    • “As much as you've been influenced into thinking that dad was murdered, that I took your dad from you, that is completely wrong and an absolute lie... that's a far reach for [me] to be capable of murder.” [47:52]
• Family’s Pain:
  • Eric’s children and family expressed enduring grief and anger.
    • “This crime didn't just happen once. It happens every single morning when those boys wake up and realize their father is still gone.” —Eric’s sister Amy [45:43]
    • Greg Skordis: “I can’t think of anything worse as a child than to lose your father, except to know that it was because of your mother.” [49:04]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Motive:

  • "More than anything, she wanted his money to perpetuate her facade of privilege, affluence, and success." —Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth [07:20]

• On Forensic Evidence:

  • "The digital download expert could actually see that Kouri did not put the phone on speaker… she was still holding it up to her ear. That means she wasn't doing compressions." —Juror Laura [09:44]

• On the Housekeeper’s Testimony:

  • “I put a lot of weight on Carmen Lauber's testimony. I found it very impactful… her testimony was corroborated with digital evidence.” —Juror Eric [19:27]

• On the Financial Pressure:

  • "She was in such a position that she had to take drastic action to dig out of the financial hole... I thought the evidence was devastating." —Juror Eric [43:54]

• On The Defense’s Surprise Move:

  • "My mouth just dropped open. I was just like, what? I was so shocked and I was actually really disappointed." —Juror Laura, when the defense chose not to call witnesses [33:47, 37:13]

• On the Family’s Trauma:

  • "When someone talks about Kouri, it makes me feel hateful and ashamed. She took away my dad. It's made me have a hard time trusting people." —Weston, youngest son [46:12]
  • "This crime didn't just happen once. It happens every single morning when those boys wake up and realize their father is still gone." —Eric’s sister Amy [45:43]

• On Sentence:

  • “The court hereby sentences you to life without parole.” —Judge Richard Morazic [48:25]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jurors Introduction & Case Overview: [02:41]–[03:24]
• Eric’s Warnings & Investigation Shift: [04:03]–[04:24]
• 911 Call—Critical Evidence: [09:01]–[09:44]
• Housekeeper’s Testimony: [17:36]–[19:27]
• Financial Motive & Affair: [20:29]–[24:08]
• Defense Opening: [26:22]–[27:56]
• Carmen’s Cross-examination: [29:15]–[30:38]
• Surprise Defense Rest: [33:47]–[37:13]
• Prosecution & Defense Closings: [39:31]–[41:28]
• Jury Deliberations and Verdict: [43:30]–[44:45]
• Sentencing & Family Impact: [45:20]–[48:25]

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Summary

“Behind the Facade” masterfully reconstructs the unraveling of Kouri Richins’ carefully maintained public image, revealing a story of mounting debt, marital strife, and calculated deception ending in murder. Jurors, guided by a web of circumstantial evidence, damning digital forensics, and emotionally charged testimony, ultimately saw through Kouri’s performance. The case stands as a stark illustration of the stark contrast between outward appearances and underlying reality, spelling tragedy for a shattered family and drawing a clear line between justice and public sympathy.

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Transcript

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[Juror Eric]

This case is about a wife and a mother who found herself in perhaps a failing marriage, a business in trouble. What's your first name and took some could argue an easy way out I

[Juror Laura]

think she really wanted to improve her life and be free and be rich and have this facade of being the successful person that she wanted to be.

[Juror Eric]

My name is Eric.

[Juror Laura]

My name is Laura, and we served as jurors in the Corey Richins trial.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

Please have a seat.

[Juror Laura]

Corey Richards didn't seem to me like someone with a very strong moral compass.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Eric Richence was found dead in his home on March 4, 2022. Eric was married to Corey Richins, and they had three children.

[Corey Richins]

911 looks bad. This is the emergency. My husband's not breathing. He's cold. I just came in the bed, in our bed, and I turned over and he's just cold. He's just col.

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

So what happened today?

[Corey Richins]

He was just fine. We were fine.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I don't know. It just.

[Corey Richins]

It didn't really fit.

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

The family had been alerted by Eric that if something happened to him. To look at Corey, it was almost like they knew something like this could happen someday.

[Narrator/Host]

This was in the months leading up to his death. He felt that his life could be at risk.

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

Right. They suspected Corey would take part in his death before it happened.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The state alleged that Corey Richens killed her husband Eric by giving him a lethal dose of fentanyl.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

A Summit county woman who wrote a children's book about coping with grief following

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

her husband's death now accused of being

[Judge Richard Morazic]

the one that actually killed him.

[Friend Greg Hall]

The book was to honor him, to express to these boys, to remember their father.

[Narrator/Reporter]

She's accused essentially murdering the person who is the topic of the book. Words of wisdom. Do not write books while you're being investigated.

[Narrator/Host]

As we were preparing for trial, Corey

[Friend Greg Hall]

was 100% pure goodness and kindness. She's a good, good human being.

[Juror Laura]

She might have had these good sides to her where she was giving, but she was willing to give that part up.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

Did Corey Richards ever ask you to purchase for her illicit drugs?

[Corey Richins]

Yes.

[Juror Eric]

Based upon the testimony and the evidence we saw against Corey. I came to see her as pretty cold and pretty calculating.

[Friend Greg Hall]

You have to understand that the jurors did not know her. They didn't know her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

There was no smoking gun in this case. There was never one thing in this case that was absolutely. Corey did it. And there's no question.

[Juror Laura]

She basically sacrificed her husband to get what she wanted.

[Narrator/Reporter]

My sweet baby boys. And as much as you've been influenced into thinking that dad was murdered, that I took your dad from you, that is completely wrong and an absolute lie. Corey did not just kill Eric. She attempted to kill the spirit of everyone who loved him. She lied to his children. She lied to the world and has shown no remorse while dancing on his grave for profit.

[Friend Greg Hall]

Natalie Mirandas reports. Corey Richards behind the facade.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

The evidence will prove that Corey Richens murdered Eric for his money and to get a fresh start at life.

[Narrator/Host]

In February of 2026, in a packed courtroom in Summit County, Utah, chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth laid out the state's case against Corey Richens for the murder of Eric Richins, her husband and father of their three sons. It had been nearly four years since Eric died on March 4, 2022, of a lethal dose of fentanyl served to him by Corey in a cocktail, say prosecutors. She had spent almost three years in jail awaiting trial.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

More than anything, she wanted his money to perpetuate her facade of privilege, affluence, and success.

[Narrator/Host]

Eric Richards owned a lucrative contracting business, and Corey worked as a real estate agent, buying and flipping houses. She was facing not just murder charges, but also insurance fraud and forgery counts.

[Friend Greg Hall]

She was absolutely convinced that she would be found not guilty.

[Narrator/Host]

Greg hall is a friend and former colleague of Corey's. What made her so convinced of that outcome?

[Friend Greg Hall]

Because she knows that she didn't do it.

[Narrator/Host]

Initially, authorities thought Eric may have died from an accidental drug overdose. But as investigators dug deeper, they concluded that Corey poisoned Eric for financial gain.

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

Watch out for Corey. Watch out if something happens to me.

[Narrator/Host]

According to Greg Skordis, a spokesperson for Eric's family, Eric had raised concerns about Corey to his family the night Eric died. Were they immediately suspecting that Corey took part in his death?

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

They suspected Corey would take part in his death before it happened. And so when it did happen, it was everyone's worst nightmare come true.

[Narrator/Host]

As the state billed its case against Cory Richence, her 911 call saying she found Eric unresponsive in bed was an integral piece of evidence.

[Corey Richins]

If you need to put me on speaker, put me on speaker. I'm going to guide you through cpr, okay?

[Narrator/Host]

The prosecution used the recording throughout the trial to call into question whether Corey was even trying to resuscitate Eric.

[Corey Richins]

Start counting out loud so I can count with you, okay?

[Narrator/Host]

The operator repeatedly asks the phone to be put on speaker so Corey can listen while performing CPR.

[Corey Richins]

1, 2, 3, 4. Am I on speaker? Yes.

[Narrator/Host]

But a prosecution digital forensic analyst testified that phone receiver sensor activity showed Corey was actually holding the phone to her ear during the call.

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

There's a proximity sensor inside the device

[Narrator/Host]

that activates the receiver.

[Juror Laura]

The digital download expert could actually see that Corey did not put the phone on speakerphone. She was still holding it up to her ear. That means she wasn't doing compressions. Or if she was, she was doing it with one hand.

[Narrator/Host]

The 911 call was impactful for jurors Laura and Eric, who requested we not use their last names.

[Juror Eric]

Listening to the call, it didn't seem like there was much effort in the compressions themselves.

[Narrator/Host]

The impression these jurors had of her resuscitation attempts didn't match Corey's description of events, which she texted to her friend Chelsea Barney. Prosecutor Bloodworth read the messages to the jury.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

His lifeless body on my bedroom floor. I pumped so damn hard. So hard. Screaming at him to come back to life that I needed him.

[Juror Eric]

Some of her text messages to a friend. She said she was screaming and beating on his chest. And the evidence did not show that.

[Narrator/Host]

Some of Corey's other actions the day Eric died puzzled the jurors we interviewed. Like her behavior on this deputy's body cam footage shown in court.

[Juror Laura]

It was strange. Right after Eric died, Corey was holding her face with her hands.

[Juror Eric]

It certainly looks like she was trying to hide her face and her emotion.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

Where are your children now

[Narrator/Reporter]

to sleep in that room? Two are awake with their air to the door.

[Narrator/Host]

And when the jurors compared Corey's behavior in the footage to Eric's sister's, they found the contrast startling.

[Juror Eric]

Eric's sister, Katie Richards, came in. She was hysterical. Take a deep breath. Take a deep breath. Hyperventilating. And her first thought was, where are the kids? Are the kids okay? And through that whole video, Corey said, my kids are in that room and one of them's listening. But never did she move to go comfort those kids.

[Narrator/Host]

Eric's sister Katie testified about arriving at

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

the house on the morning that Eric died. Did Corey Richards say anything about the house that they were living in?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Yes, she told me she was going to sell it.

[Narrator/Host]

According to Katie, just hours after Eric's death, Corey was talking real estate, how she planned to sell their home and how she needed to close on a house she had just purchased, known as the Midway Mansion.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I had just lost

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

one of the

[Narrator/Reporter]

most important people in my whole entire life. And she was planning on selling the house that he had just been wheeled out of. Closing on a multi million dollar mansion. I could not wrap my head around it.

[Narrator/Host]

Prosecutors also presented evidence of something accessed on Corey's cell phone that morning. These gifts, seemingly celebrating coming into money.

[Juror Eric]

I thought the gifts were really odd if she was the one that pulled them up, which it certainly seems like that is the case. That's Just more evidence of her state of mind.

[Narrator/Host]

At the time, it was not clear to the jurors whether the gifts were celebrating Eric's death or celebrating the Midway Mansion purchase. Either way, they found the timing curious,

[Juror Laura]

still inappropriate the day after her husband passed away that she's accessing these. So it was strange.

[Narrator/Host]

Strange behavior aside, the state's case hinged on proving Corey intentionally poisoned Eric, that he did not die of an accidental overdose. The prosecution contends it was Corey who administered the fentanyl either in a cocktail called a Moscow Mule or in a lemon drop shot that she prepared for Eric. Investigators found this note in a kitchen cabinet, which the prosecution says chronicles how Corey killed Eric.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

Notice that here she writes drink in bed.

[Narrator/Host]

And the prosecutor told the jury about something else authorities found unusual in this incident report describing what happened that night. Corey immediately writes in about having a drink around 9:15pm to celebrate work.

[Juror Laura]

Her story that night that she wrote started with Eric drinking a drink that she made. Why would her story start then? Why wouldn't it start when she walked in the door and found that he was moving? That was just one of these really subtle things that I thought was really important.

[Narrator/Host]

Also important for jurors was knowing how Corey obtained the fentanyl. For that, prosecutors turned to a witness who became a controversial figure in the case, Corey's housekeeper.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

Did you ask Corey Richards about Eric's death?

[Corey Richins]

Yes, I did.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

What did you ask her?

[Juror Laura]

I said, please tell me these pills

[Narrator/Host]

were not for him.

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disclosures

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

what man is your name?

[Narrator/Host]

Carmen Lauber. Carmen Lauber was Corey and Eric's housekeeper, and she cleaned homes for Corey's real estate flipping business. Prosecutors say Carmen also did something else. She supplied Corey with the drugs used to kill Eric.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

The Corey Richens ever ask you to purchase for her illicit drugs?

[Corey Richins]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

How many times?

[Corey Richins]

Four.

[Narrator/Reporter]

In a lot of ways, she is the key witness.

[Narrator/Host]

Sky Lazaro had been Cory Richen's attorney before resigning from the case due to a conflict of interest.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Carmen really was the only person who could tie Corey to obtaining fentanyl.

[Narrator/Host]

Carmen testified that in the months preceding Eric's death, Corey asked her to get pain medication for a client, which Carmen did. Then about two weeks before Eric died, Corey made another request for something stronger. Carmen says she reached out to a drug dealer friend and told Corey she could get her fentanyl I text Corey

[Juror Laura]

back and told her that I had

[Corey Richins]

a friend that could get them, but they were fentanyl pills.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

How did Corey Richards respond?

[Juror Laura]

She said, okay, go ahead and give.

[Narrator/Host]

The state contends Corey mixed that fentanyl into the Moscow Mule or Lemon Drop Shot she served Eric. Carmen, though, has an arrest record from drug charges and is not an ideal witness.

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

She had a history of drug abuse, and although I think she's overcome that, those are who you deal with in criminal cases. They're not always the shiniest people in the world.

[Narrator/Host]

The jurors we spoke with were able to look past Carmen's history and found her credible.

[Juror Eric]

I put a lot of weight on Carmen Lauber's testimony. I found it very impactful, very important to the prosecution's case. And her testimony was corroborated with the digital evidence.

[Narrator/Host]

The state's digital forensic expert testified about hundreds of text messages between Corey and Carmen that matched Carmen's timeline of when Corey contacted her for drugs. Because the messages had been deleted, investigators could only retrieve dates and times, but not the message's content.

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

Between the two of them, about 800 text messages.

[Narrator/Host]

The prosecution argued throughout the trial that this was not the first time Corey used drugs to try to kill Eric. Investigators learned that two weeks before his death, on Valentine's Day, Eric became ill after Cory served him what they say was a drug laced breakfast sandwich.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

On Valentine's Day, it was a sandwich. When she murdered him, it was a drink.

[Narrator/Host]

As for a motive, prosecutors say Corey needed money. A forensic accountant testified about her money problems.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

What was the amount of Corey Richen's liabilities?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Right around $8 million.

[Narrator/Host]

She said Corey was in debt for nearly $8 million from her house flipping business. Some of it from the recent purchase of that Midway mansion. And Eric between the contracting business, property and life insurance was worth a lot.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

On the day that Eric died, his estate was worth over $4 million.

[Narrator/Host]

There was also evidence that Corey took out an additional $100,000 life insurance policy on Eric about a month before he died and that Eric's signature was forged.

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

Question and known signatures were not authored

[Narrator/Host]

by the same person. A forgery, prosecutors say, committed by Corey.

[Juror Eric]

She used to her business address for this policy and made herself the beneficiary. And frankly, even as a layperson looking at the signatures, Eric did not sign that document.

[Narrator/Host]

And there may have been another motive for murder. According to the state, Corey wanted a new life with this man, Josh Grossman, a handyman she met through her house flipping business. They had an affair for about two Years.

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

I don't know how much the family knew about the fact that she had a paramour. I don't even know how much Eric knew about it. That turned out to be a helpful piece of evidence that was discovered during the investigation.

[Narrator/Host]

Josh Grossman testified that after he heard Corey had been arrested for Eric's murder, by which time they had broken up, he reached out to Eric's family. I was overwhelmed with guilt, sorrow over my wrongdoings, you know, infidelity.

[Corey Richins]

Okay.

[Juror Laura]

With respect to Josh Grossman, he seemed like a believable witness. I think we all felt really sorry for him at times that he was crying.

[Narrator/Host]

Josh told investigators about a conversation he had with Corey that now, under the lens of murder, took on new meaning. Josh, who had served with the army in Iraq, was asked about that conversation. She asked if I had ever killed anybody.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

Did she ask a follow up question?

[Narrator/Host]

Yes. She asked me how it made me feel. Or something along those lines. The jury was also shown text messages between Corey and Josh. I mean, you see those text messages back and forth. Very lovey. Life is going to be different, I promise. If I was divorced right now and asked you to marry me, you would. I just want to lay on the couch and cuddle you, watch a murder documentary and snuggle. I mean, you know, I don't know that that gets any closer to the reality of what actually happened in this case.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Yeah, in hindsight, I don't think those were probably well thought out, these coming in the way they did, and the timing of them, I think certainly did not help Corey.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

Can I get Exhibit 3 1, please?

[Narrator/Host]

Something else that did not help Corey was this reservation she booked for a romantic getaway with Josh.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

And did you know about a trip planned to the secret St. Martin's Resort?

[Narrator/Host]

Yes. Corey sent Josh the reservation she made before Eric died with the trip planned for April, a month after Eric's death.

[Juror Laura]

The reservation for that trip was damaging to Corey. To me, that made it look like she had been planning something for a while, and at some point soon, Eric would be out of the picture.

[Narrator/Host]

As the investigation proceeded, Corey said the prosecution was worried about being caught. It showed web searches Corey made after Eric's death, including luxury prisons for the rich in America. How long does life insurance companies take to pay if someone is poisoned? What does it go down on the

[Juror Eric]

death certificate as Corey's Internet searches? Questions that were being searched led me to believe she had a guilty mind.

[Narrator/Reporter]

These searches were done after she was handed a search warrant. When they searched the home, it kind of takes the sting out of them. I think it's somewhat understandable.

[Narrator/Host]

This is after the fact.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This is after and well after in

[Corey Richins]

fact, she was looking for information based on what she found out after her died.

[Narrator/Host]

It was one of the points that Corey's own defense team made as it tried to poke holes in the entire prosecution's case.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

You know what you're never going to hear is how that fentanyl got inside of him, because there is zero evidence of that.

[Narrator/Host]

Just outside of Salt Lake City, home to famed ski resorts including Park City, is the nearly 10 acre estate that Cory Richins was planning on flipping. It looks ginormous, it's massive Sky Lazzaro told us Corey hoped to walk away with nearly $10 million in profit.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I think this was kind of her dream when she got into this idea of flipping houses was to be able to do properties like this, and it

[Narrator/Host]

was that estate, said Cory Richards, defense attorney Kathryn Nestor in her opening statement. The couple were toasting the night Eric died.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

Eric and Corey Richards were celebrating. They were celebrating because Corey was about to close on the biggest real estate deal that her company had ever done. They had a lot to celebrate. They also had a wonderful family.

[Narrator/Host]

Nestor showed jurors a family photo of Eric and Corey with their three sons seemingly happy, and spoke about the love they shared for their boys.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

And what's more important is that the boys adored their father, and Corey knew that about her sons and about her family.

[Narrator/Host]

Nestor asked jurors to consider why Corey would poison Eric, knowing the impact it would have on their three sons.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

Now, after you've listened to all the evidence in this case, you're going to have to decide if Corey Richards intentionally and no longer knowingly poisoned the father of her kids, knowing that she was going to cause those little boys to feel pain every day for the rest of their life for the loss of their father.

[Narrator/Host]

Corey's friend Greg hall says Corey would never do that.

[Friend Greg Hall]

She was loving, she was kind, she was giving. A wonderful mother.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

Eric suffered from pain a lot.

[Narrator/Host]

Nestor told jurors. Eric Richen's lived with chronic pain.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

He suffered from knee and back pain related to his work.

[Narrator/Host]

He did hard work and used drugs recreationally, often taking marijuana gummies.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

These are all gummies that the police found in Eric's things.

[Narrator/Host]

Nestor said Eric also used pain medication.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

You're also going to hear that there was an empty pill bottle right next to him.

[Narrator/Host]

The label on that pill bottle was for the painkiller hydrocodone, and it had expired in 2020. Nestor suggested it was Eric who may have come into contact with fentanyl.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

You're going to hear that just a few weeks before Eric died. Guess where he was. Mexico. Guess where the fentanyl comes into this country from Mexico.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

One by one, we'll proceed with cross examination of Ms. Richard Spencen.

[Narrator/Host]

The defense challenged the state's witnesses, beginning with Eric's sister Katie and her account of Corey's behavior the night Eric died.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

And you also said that she just stood there and did not comfort you in any way?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Not that I recall.

[Corey Richins]

Okay.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

Your Honor, we'd like to play a clip. This is states exhibit 1 4.

[Juror Laura]

Okay.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

So that's Corey. Freeze it right there. And that's her squatting down to comfort you while you're on the ground. And that's y' all hugging, right? Correct. So your memory about that was clearly wrong.

[Narrator/Reporter]

To be fair, it was four years ago.

[Corey Richins]

Okay.

[Narrator/Host]

When it came to the state's key witness, Carmen Lauber.

[Corey Richins]

Good afternoon, Ms. Lauber.

[Juror Laura]

Good afternoon.

[Narrator/Host]

The defense pointed out that she made a deal with police in order to stay out of prison. Defense attorney Wendy Lewis played a portion of one of Carmen's interviews with investigators. They're looking to pull your drug court

[Juror Eric]

deal and ask for seven years on your two firsts.

[Narrator/Host]

The only exception to that and the

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

only thing that they're willing to kind

[Narrator/Host]

of help you out with is if

[Juror Eric]

you can help us out with this.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

And by so he means, like, give us the details that will ensure Corey gets convicted of murder.

[Corey Richins]

So that's what they said to you.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

Yes.

[Corey Richins]

You may be getting seven years in prison on your state case.

[Juror Laura]

Correct.

[Corey Richins]

But if you help him out, that's not gonna happen. Correct.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The investigators keep pushing on her. We need more. That's not enough. And finally, in the last interview, they basically just spell it out.

[Narrator/Host]

I love Eric.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

It was done intentionally. He did not be nervous.

[Narrator/Host]

We believe you. And that's why we're here working on what your get out of jail free card looks like.

[Narrator/Reporter]

You know, it's. This is your one get out of jail free card. You have to basically say it's fentanyl

[Corey Richins]

and you are willing to do whatever it takes to save yourself from getting kicked out of drug court and going to prison. Correct. I'm willing to go forward with the truth.

[Juror Laura]

Yes. I think the defense was really hammering her, and I don't think it went over that well. She said, okay, go ahead and get the fentanyl.

[Corey Richins]

That's your testimony today.

[Narrator/Host]

When I told her what I had,

[Corey Richins]

that's what she said.

[Juror Laura]

Yes.

[Narrator/Host]

Even If Carmen bought fentanyl for Corey, the defense said there was no proof that Corey used the drug to poison her husband. Kathryn Nestor told the jury the cups Corey served the drinks in were never tested that night.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

Nanny ended up putting them in the dishwasher the next morning.

[Juror Eric]

I think the most powerful point the defense made is that we don't know exactly how the fentanyl got into Eric Richen's stomach.

[Narrator/Reporter]

When you have to prove murder, you have to prove that she's the one that administered the fentanyl to him.

[Narrator/Host]

The defense pushed back on the state's claim that Corey had tried to poison Eric weeks earlier with that Valentine's Day sandwich. Corey's friend Ally Staking said the couple downplay that episode as Eric having an allergic reaction.

[Corey Richins]

He took a bite of the sandwich and got an allergic reaction and had to shoot himself with a nappy pin. Was everyone laughing? Yes, we were all laughing. And we jokingly said, don't eat what Cory feeds you. Okay. And did Eric appear upset about what had happened prior with the sandwich? No.

[Narrator/Host]

And as for the financial motive that Corey was broke, Sky Lazaro says Cory Richen's multimillion dollar debt was typical in the house flipping business.

[Narrator/Reporter]

That's what they do for a living, is they invest in homes to flip.

[Narrator/Host]

So you're saying it's part of the business.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Right.

[Narrator/Host]

You get in in debt, and then you flip the house, you sell it, and then you make your money back.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Absolutely.

[Narrator/Host]

And that $100,000 life insurance policy the state claimed wasn't signed by Eric Nestor said there is an innocent explanation.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

I'm telling you right now, wives everywhere sign their husbands names on a lot of things. You've got to find that she did

[Corey Richins]

it without his knowledge.

[Defense Attorney Kathryn Nestor]

And I don't know how they're going to prove that.

[Narrator/Host]

The defense also downplayed Corey's affair with Josh Grossman, who testified they never went on that romantic getaway Corey had booked for them.

[Corey Richins]

Then Cory ended the relationship, Correct?

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

Right.

[Juror Eric]

It was a little bit difficult to understand what the situation was with Josh Grossman because she did seem to drop him pretty quickly.

[Narrator/Host]

Do you think that Josh Grossman's relationship with Corey had anything to do with Eric's death?

[Friend Greg Hall]

No. If that were the case, after Eric passed away, that relationship would have continued, not been tapered off. It doesn't make any logical sense.

[Narrator/Host]

On March 12, 2026, after three weeks and 40 witnesses from the state, your

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

honor, the state rests its case.

[Narrator/Host]

The jurors say they were expecting to see defense evidence and hear from their witnesses.

[Juror Laura]

Okay, now we can hear the rest of the story, but what happened next?

[Judge Richard Morazic]

Who's defense counsel's first witness caught everyone off guard.

[Juror Laura]

My mouth just dropped open. I was just like, what? I was so shocked and I was actually really disappointed.

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[Judge Richard Morazic]

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[Narrator/Host]

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[Judge Richard Morazic]

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[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

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[Narrator/Reporter]

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[Judge Richard Morazic]

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[Narrator/Reporter]

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[Corey Richins]

Yeah.

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[Judge Richard Morazic]

State's counsel and defense counsel are present. Ms. Richins is present 13 days into

[Narrator/Host]

the trial, Judge Richard Morazic asked Corey Richen's defense team about their first witness.

[Juror Eric]

I was totally prepared for however many days or weeks of vigorous defense.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

Who's defense counsel's first witness?

[Corey Richins]

Could we have just a minute? Yeah, we have. We have a couple of options.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

Understood.

[Narrator/Host]

But the option defense attorneys Wendy Lewis and Katherine Nestor chose was one these jurors were not expecting.

[Corey Richins]

Your Honor, actually, at this time, the defense intends to arrest.

[Juror Eric]

I was like, seriously, now we've seen just about everything in this trial.

[Juror Laura]

I was disappointed because I'm like, you know, I felt like there was more to the story, and they denied us access to that.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

I just want to make sure you've consulted with your client about this.

[Corey Richins]

Absolutely.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

Ms. Richins, may I ask you two direct questions?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Yes.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

Do you understand that you have the right to testify at trial?

[Corey Richins]

Yes, I do.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

Are you following your attorney's advice and waiving your right to testify at trial?

[Corey Richins]

Yes, I am.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

I accept your waiver. I find it's knowing and voluntary.

[Narrator/Host]

Laura says she at least expected the defense to present testimony about Eric's alleged drug use and what role, if any, it played in his death.

[Juror Laura]

They were just hinting ever so slightly at these things without backing it up. So I was really hoping for some testimony if that's really true, or are you just trying to confuse everything?

[Narrator/Host]

Greg Skordis, who happens to be an attorney himself, says perhaps the defense saw no need to call witnesses because it felt there was enough reasonable doubt.

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

If you think you're winning after the prosecution puts on its case, then there's no reason to put on a case because you could only hurt yourself. So why even risk putting on a witness that could hurt you?

[Narrator/Host]

Laura says throughout the trial, she would sometimes look over at the defense table.

[Juror Laura]

There was really no vibe coming from her. Like, I couldn't sense whether she was upset or angry or sad. She had a very flat effect.

[Narrator/Host]

Was that part of it, the likability of Corey Richins at that point? Do you think they saw a woman who was having an affair, who was in debt?

[Narrator/Reporter]

I think that's how it certainly could be taken. There never was a real opportunity to humanize her, to make her likable, to make her seem like a person who wouldn't do that.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

Mr. Bloodworth, would you like to proceed?

[Narrator/Host]

In its closing, the prosecution portrayed Cory Richards as a ruthless social climber chasing a life beyond what she had at her family's expense.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

Behind the facade, however, Cory Richards was incompetent. Her business was imploding. All the While Cory Richards was more interested in spending time with Josh Grossman than Eric. But she did not have the money to leave Eric or the money to salvage her business. She is a risk taker. There was a way forward. Eric had to die.

[Narrator/Host]

The defense used its closing argument to lay out its entire case.

[Corey Richins]

They want you to look at a woman in the worst moment of her life.

[Narrator/Host]

Citing several reasons why there was reasonable doubt.

[Corey Richins]

The investigation in this matter was nothing but sloppy. It was driven by bias.

[Narrator/Host]

Wendy Lewis told jurors the investigators developed tunnel vision early on, driven by Eric's family's belief that Corey was guilty.

[Corey Richins]

Everything about this investigation was led by the Richins family.

[Juror Laura]

It did give me pause whether there was this bias in the entire investigation that started with the Richen family.

[Corey Richins]

What else do we find? On that first day that Eric died,

[Narrator/Host]

Lewis pointed to that trip Eric took to Mexico shortly before his death. And that empty pill bottle on his nightstand.

[Corey Richins]

The hydrocodone bottle. What was kept in that bottle? What might be the best way to bring illegal pills back from Mexico? But then a prescription bottle. So what's another explanation? What could have happened? Maybe he thought it was something else and he accidentally got fentanyl. Maybe. Had they tested that bottle, we would know. But they didn't.

[Narrator/Host]

She urged the jurors to stand with Corey Richards.

[Corey Richins]

Corey Richards did not kill Eric Richards. The state did not prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt. And you have the courage, have the courage to tell them this and find Corey Richards not guilty.

[Narrator/Host]

How was Corey feeling? Did she ever feel like this may not go her way? No.

[Friend Greg Hall]

Absolutely not. Honestly, not at all. She was upbeat, hopeful, enthused. She was absolutely convinced that she would be found not guilty.

[Narrator/Host]

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[Judge Richard Morazic]

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[Corey Richins]

It was just fine. We were fine.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I don't know, it just.

[Corey Richins]

It didn't.

[Narrator/Host]

After sitting through the three week trial, jurors Eric and Laura had no way of knowing what other jurors were thinking, nor how long reaching a verdict could take.

[Juror Laura]

I was thinking this is going to be a very long week.

[Narrator/Host]

But in the end, deliberations would only last about three hours. Laura, one of the two women on the eight person jury, was selected as four persons.

[Juror Laura]

When we got back there, I think everyone was bursting. I felt like I was bursting at the seams.

[Narrator/Host]

For the jurors, Corey's money trouble proved to be a motive for Eric's murder.

[Juror Eric]

She was in such a position that she had to take drastic action to dig out of the financial hole that she was in. I shared that I thought the evidence was devastating against Corey and that she was guilty. I think that opened the door to other people to share exactly where they stood.

[Narrator/Host]

And when the decision was made to vote, the rest of the jury agreed. Not just that Corey murdered Eric, but that she previously attempted to kill him with that poison laced Valentine's Day sandwich and that she committed two counts of insurance fraud and forgery.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

Ms. Richards, please stand.

[Narrator/Host]

On March 16, 2026, Judge Richard Murazzek read the verdict.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

Count one, aggravated murder. We the jury unanimously find that the defendant, Corey Richins, is guilty of aggravated murder.

[Narrator/Host]

Corey Richins was stunned as she learned she was found in guilty of all five counts related to Eric's death. Says her friend Greg Hall.

[Friend Greg Hall]

Totally unexpected. She was absolutely crushed and heartbroken.

[Narrator/Host]

Corey Richens declined our request for an interview.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

State of Utah V. Corey Richens.

[Narrator/Host]

Two months later, on what would have been Eric Richin's 44th birthday, Corey Richins, now wearing a prison uniform, was back in court to receive her sentence. Eric's family gave heartfelt statements. His sister Amy emphasized the impact his loss has had on his three sons.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This crime didn't just happen once. It happens every single morning when those boys wake up and realize their father is still gone.

[Narrator/Host]

The boys were 5, 7 and 9 when their world was shattered. Today they are 9, 11 and 13. And through written statements read by each of their counselors for the first time, the World got to hear from them. The first statement read aloud was written by the youngest, Weston.

[Narrator/Reporter]

When someone talks about Corey, it makes

[Narrator/Host]

me feel hateful and ashamed.

[Narrator/Reporter]

She took away my dad. It's made me have a hard time trusting people.

[Narrator/Host]

The middle child, Ashton, called Corey greedy and said she did not properly care for him and his brothers.

[Narrator/Reporter]

When we got hurt, you didn't even care.

[Narrator/Host]

He accused her of harming the family pets.

[Narrator/Reporter]

You wouldn't let me put my kitten in the garage for safety at night, and we found it eaten by raccoons the next day. You wouldn't let us turn on and use the heater lamp for the chickens and bunnies, and they froze to death.

[Narrator/Host]

Carter, the oldest, said Corey was often drunk and would lock him in his room.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This happened pretty much. D I feel angry that she locked me in my room. I miss my dad, but I do not miss how my life used to be. I don't miss Corey. I will tell you that.

[Narrator/Host]

All three boys asked the judge to give their mother, whom they only referred to as Corey, the harshest possible sentence.

[Narrator/Reporter]

What she did is very sick.

[Narrator/Host]

When it was their turn, Corey's friends and family pleaded for leniency. Her brother Ronnie. The injustice that's occurred here in this courtroom, it'll be right at in time.

[Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth]

Until then, little sister, just know I'm

[Narrator/Host]

right by your side and always be

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

right here for you.

[Narrator/Host]

I love you. Then Corey Richards was allowed to speak. She did not testify at trial, but now she approached the podium and used her time to address her kids.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I will use any opportunity I can to get a message to you.

[Narrator/Host]

She says she has been cut off from them for the past two years.

[Narrator/Reporter]

As much as you've been influenced into thinking that dad was murdered, that I took your dad from you, that is completely wrong and an absolute lie. And just because someone may not be perfect, that's a far reach for them to be capable of murder.

[Narrator/Host]

Judge Morazek had two options when considering Cory Richen's sentence. Either 25 years to life with the possibility of parole or life in prison without parole. And he made it known he carefully considered each.

[Judge Richard Morazic]

The court's duty is to make a decision. A weighty, long lasting decision based on the best information available today. Accordingly, Ms. Richins, the court hereby sentences you to life without parole.

[Narrator/Host]

For Eric's family, it was the end to a years long nightmare. Greg Skortis, the family spokesperson, says the true heartbreak is for the kids who are now living with Eric's sister, Katie.

[Family Spokesperson Greg Skordis]

I can't think of anything worse as a child to lose your father, except to know that it was because of your mother. I mean, think about that.

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[Judge Richard Morazic]

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[Corey Richins]

Com.