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Kouri Richins Murder Trial: Former Boyfriend Testifies about Texts & Relationship Details | Crime House 24/7
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- [00:02]
Vanessa Richardson
Hi, it's Vanessa. If you're drawn to true crime stories about disappearances, there's a new Crime House
- [00:07]
Narrator/Reporter
original you should check out.
- [00:09]
Vanessa Richardson
It's called the Final Hours, hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Sarah's an advocate for missing and murdered victims whose own sister disappeared in 2001. And Courtney is a true crime storyteller who's seen firsthand how crime can change a family forever. Together, they bring lived experience to every case, examining the moments just before a person disappears, the routines, the timelines, the small details that often get overlooked because every disappearance has a moment where everything still feels normal. Until it doesn't. Listen to and follow the final hours on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or
- [00:49]
Narrator/Reporter
wherever you get your podcasts.
- [00:50]
Vanessa Richardson
New episodes drop every Monday.
- [00:53]
Narrator/Reporter
Foreign.
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Crime House Intro Voice
This is Crime House.
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Narrator/Reporter
Good morning everyone. We have multiple breaking true crime cases this morning that you need to know about, and we're starting with the biggest one in Utah. The Corey Richards murder trial entered its ninth day Thursday and earlier this week. For the first time, jurors heard from the man prosecutors say she was secretly dating while still married to the husband she's accused of killing. This is crime house 24 7, your non stop source for the biggest crime cases developing right now. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Vanessa Richardson and we have quite a lineup for you today. Here's what you need to know.
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Narrator/Reporter
The murder trial of Corey Richards moved into its ninth day on Thursday. And on Wednesday, March 4, the testimony took a deeply personal turn. For the first time, jurors heard directly from the man Corey was involved with during her marriage and his account of their relationship. The text messages they exchanged, and a question she asked him after her husband's death added new layers to the prosecution's case in if you're not familiar with this case, here's where we are. Corey Richen, a Utah mother from Camas is charged with aggravated murder for allegedly poisoning her husband, Eric Richen, with a lethal dose of fentanyl, as well as attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud and forgery. Eric died on March 4, 2022, exactly four years ago. As of Wednesday, prosecutors say she slipped five times the lethal dose of fentanyl into his drink and that before that she also poisoned his food on Valentine's, making him sick. After Eric's death, Corey collected approximately $1.3 million in life insurance money and published a children's book about coping with grief. She has pleaded not guilty. The trial started Feb. 23 in Park City and is expected to last five weeks. Over the past two weeks, jurors have heard testimony from Eric Richards, family members, people who say they helped Corey Richards obtain drugs, as well as first responders and financial experts. Wednesday's key witness was Robert Josh Grossman, the man Corey had been seeing. Grossman testified that he met Corey around 2017 in South Carolina and helped her flip homes. Their romantic relationship began around 2020 when he moved to Utah. He said he would live in the homes she was flipping and she would occasionally pay him. He told the jury he loved her and believed she loved him as well. Jurors were shown numerous text messages between the two. At times, Grossman put his head down or wiped away tears as their conversations were displayed publicly. In a December 2021 message, Corey told him they both knew the love triangle could not go on forever and that she could not expect him to sit around waiting for the day the trigger got pulled. Then, less than a month before Eric's death, Corey asked Grossman if she were divorced right now and asked him to marry her tomorrow, would he say yes? He responded that he would. Days later, she texted that if Eric could just go away and Grossman could just be there, life would be so perf. In January 2022, she asked him whether he had ever done drugs besides marijuana. In the days before Eric's death, Corey was texting Grossman about plans to meet for brunch to celebrate closing on a mansion. She told him to give her a few days and hang in there until Friday. The evening before Eric died, Grossman texted that he would happily take any bit of time with her. Around 8:30 that night. She responded that she was not mad at him, just had not had a second to text. The next morning, he asked what was on. Her response was brief. Eric passed away. Talk later, she later told him they believed it was an aneurysm. But what happened after Eric's death may have been the most striking part of Grossman's testimony. He said that about two weeks later, the two met up in the Uinta Mountains and talked about Eric's death for the first time. He said she appeared to be grieving and did not seem happy Eric was gone. But then she asked him an unusual question. She asked if he had ever killed anybody, Grossman, who had served overseas, told the jury. He answered that he had taken lives in Iraq. He said she asked him, quote, how it made me feel or something along those lines. Grossman testified that at the time it did not occur to him that Eric had been murdered or that Corey was involved. It was not until she published the grief book and went on television to promote it that he began questioning what happened. He eventually reached out to Eric's family and was connected with their private investigator, grossman said. That changed everything and he started looking at their past through a completely different lens. Wednesday's testimony also included witnesses who addressed Eric's finances and estate. A divorce attorney testified that Eric had consulted her in October 2020 about what a divorce would look like and how to protect his children. His estate planning attorney described a trust and a buy sell agreement with his business partner involving $2 million life insurance policies. Insurance reps testified that on a business policy involving Eric and his partner Cody Wright, the beneficiary on Wright's policy, was changed from Eric to Corey, then back to Eric using Eric's login but from Corey's email. The defense also requested a mistrial for the second time, citing newly disclosed information about a prior witness's drug court violation. And on Wednesday, the judge asked for a written motion. The trial is scheduled to continue through March 27th and the defense has not yet presented its case. And while that trial unfolds in Park City, investigators in southern Utah are dealing with a case that has shaken a quiet rural community to its core. A 22 year old Iowa man was arrested Thursday after authorities say he killed three women in Wayne County, Utah, one in her home and two on a hiking trail before fleeing across state lines in one of the victim's vehicles. Investigators say the suspect had no prior connection to any of the victims. The suspect has been identified as Ivan Miller of Blakesburg, Iowa. Here's the timeline of what authorities have released so far. On Wednesday afternoon, March 4, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office received a call around 4:30pm from the husbands of two women who had gone hiking together near the town of Torrey, close to the west entrance of Capitol Reef National Park. The men had found their wives dead on the trail. During the subsequent investigation, a third woman was found dead at a residence in the nearby community of Lyman. Authorities believe the violence began at the home. According to Lt. Cameron Roden, a spokesperson for the Utah Highway Patrol, investigators believe Miller killed the elderly woman, who was in her 80s, at her residence first, then stole her vehicle and drove it to the trailhead where he killed the two hikers. One of the hikers was in her 30s, the other in her 60s. After killing the women on the trail, Miller allegedly took one of the hikers vehicles and fled the area. The what followed was a multi state manhunt involving numerous law enforcement agencies. The Utah Department of Public Safety said investigators used license plate cameras and other tools to track the stolen vehicle through southern Utah and into northern Arizona. The vehicle was eventually found abandoned in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, hundreds of miles from where the killings took place. After a brief search using drones, the Pagosa Springs Police Department located Miller early Thursday morning at approximately 2:41 local time and took him into custody without incident. A search of Miller found that he was carrying a concealed handgun and a large knife. Miller was booked into the Archuleta County Detention center in Colorado on weapons charges and is being held for questioning by Utah authorities. As of this recording, the identities of the three victims have not been publicly released and authorities have not disclosed the manner in which the women were killed. Roden told reporters that there's no indication Miller had any prior relationship with the victims and that it is not yet clear how long he'd been in the area or why he was in Utah. Records show Miller has a pending felony burglary and theft case in Davis County, Iowa, along with misdemeanor counts including unlawful weapons possession. Wayne county is one of Utah's least populated counties with approximately 2500 residents. The incident prompted the Wayne County School District to cancel classes on Thursday and Friday. The Sheriff's office had also asked residents to stay home and lock their doors while the suspect was at large. Multiple surrounding counties posted warnings to residents as well. The Utah Department of Public Safety and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office are leading the investigation with assistance from the Salt Lake City FBI field office. And as that case moves forward in Utah, a Michigan man has entered a plea in a disturbing case involving the torture and death of a woman in inside a motel room.
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Narrator/Reporter
Debt Relief.com A 46 year old Michigan man has pleaded no contest to second degree murder, torture and concealing the death of an individual in the killing of his girlfriend inside a Saginaw Township motel room. Daniel Varnes entered the plea in Saginaw County Court in connection with the death of 46 year old Teresa Johnson of Flint, Michigan. With the no contest plea, Barnes faces a minimum of 32 years in prison when he's sentenced at a later date. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but means the defendant agrees to accept the punishment. The case dates back to September 1, 2024 when Saginaw Township police were called to the Roadway Inn and Suites on St. Mary's Lane. An acquaintance of Barnes reported finding a woman's body in his motel room. Officers found Johnson on a bed covered by a blanket. She'd been badly beaten and she was pronounced dead at the scene. She had died from multiple traumatic injuries. When police arrived, Barnes fled into nearby woods. He was arrested approximately 15 hours later. According to the Saginaw County Prosecutor's Office, Barnes admitted during a law enforcement interview to committing multiple acts of brutality against Johnson. Prosecutors said the abuse took place over a period of one to two weeks inside the motel room. Among the acts described at his arraignment, prosecutors said Varns used needle nose pliers on Johnson's mouth, hit her multiple times with a wrench and used a crack pipe to burn her face. After Johnson died, Varnes concealed her body in the room for approximately two days before the acquaintance discovered her. Johnson's brother Jeremy told reporters that an officer came to his door to deliver the news. He described his sister as outgoing and said she was born in Flint and raised in Burton. He said she was the only thing he had left. Teresa and Barnes had been in a relationship, according to her family. The case had been stalled in court for months over questions about Varn's mental competency to stand trial. He was ordered to undergo testing at the Michigan center for Forensic Psychiatry in Ypsilanti and was ultimately ruled fit to understand the charges against him and assist in his defense. With the no contest plea resolving the case, Barnes avoided a trial. His sentencing date has not been publicly announced and our final story takes us to California where the FBI says the founder of a well known animal rescue hatched a scheme to kidnap a former employee rather than pay a multi million dollar court judgment. The 77 year old founder of a well known Southern California animal rescue organization has been arrested on a federal charge of attempted kidnapping after the FBI says he paid $30,000 toward a scheme to have a former employee abducted and taken to Mexico. Leo Grillo, founder of Delta Rescue, an animal sanctuary based in Acton in the Antelope Valley, was arrested on Tuesday, March 3rd at the Los Angeles Equestrian center in Bur during an FBI sting operation. Grillo, who also appeared alongside Katherine Heigl in the film Ziz Road, often cited as the lowest grossing studio film in history, faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted, according to the criminal complaint. Grillo's alleged motive was a civil lawsuit filed by a former employee named Duart who said she had been wrongfully terminated and discriminated against due to her pregnancy. An LA county jury found in her favor in November 2024, awarding approximately $6.7 million. Prosecutors say that starting in December 2025, Grillo sought out a contact and over a series of meetings at the equestrian center, laid out a plan to have Duart, her husband and child kidnapped and transported to Mexico. He spoke in coded language, referring to the scheme as a production and said he was willing to pay $100,000. What Grillo did not know was that the contact had reported the plot to the FBI and was cooperating with investigators. Over the following weeks, agents surveilled their meetings and recorded calls. Grillo mailed a twenty thousand dollar check from an account called Animals Are People Too, with production in the memo line. On March 3, the cooperating witness showed Grillo a staged photograph of the victim and her husband bound with zip ties and duct tape. Grillo wrote a ten thousand dollar check and agents arrested him shortly afterward.
- [18:01]
Vanessa Richardson
If you're drawn to true crime stories about disappearances, there's a new Crime House
- [18:05]
Narrator/Reporter
show for you to check out.
- [18:07]
Vanessa Richardson
It's the new Crime House original series, the Final Hours, hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Sarah is an advocate for missing and murdered victims whose own sister disappeared in 2001, and Courtney is a true crime storyteller and investigator who witnessed firsthand how
- [18:24]
Narrator/Reporter
crime can change a family forever.
- [18:26]
Vanessa Richardson
Together, they bring lived experience to every case, looking not only at what happened,
- [18:31]
Narrator/Reporter
but what led up to it.
- [18:32]
Vanessa Richardson
Each episode examines the moments just before a person disappears, the routines, the timeline, timelines, and the small details that often get overlooked because every disappearance has a moment where everything still feels normal, a text that doesn't raise concern, a routine that goes unchanged, a door that closes
- [18:53]
Narrator/Reporter
just like it always has.
- [18:54]
Vanessa Richardson
Until it doesn't. The final hours puts those moments under a microscope, because when it comes to justice, there's no such thing as overanalyzing. Listen to and follow the final hours on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. New episodes every Monday.
- [19:16]
Narrator/Reporter
Before you go, let me tell you what else is happening at Crime House today on Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes, we're examining the kidnapping and murder of Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro, a crime that did not simply end a life, but destabilized a nation. It exposed ideological fractures, tested the limits of government response, and forced a country to confront the consequences of political extremism operating within its own borders. Domestic terrorism differs from other forms of violence in one crucial way. It's not only meant to harm individuals, it's meant to alter the trajectory of institutions. It's designed to send a message that reverberates beyond the immediate victims it aims to reshape public fear, fear, political alignment, and national policy. When such acts occur, they rarely leave a country unchanged. Here are five acts of domestic terrorism that reshaped national futures. Moments when violence at home altered the political, cultural, or legal course of a country. Number one the Oklahoma City bombing. On April 19, 1995, a truck bomb detonated outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The explosion killed 168 people, including 19 children, and injured hundreds more. It was, at the time, the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in United States history. The attack was carried out by Timothy McVeigh, a U.S. army veteran radicalized by anti government ideology. He believed the federal government had become tyrannical and chose the anniversary of the Waco siege as symbolic retaliation. The scale of destruction shocked the nation. It shattered assumptions that large scale political violence was primarily a foreign threat. The perpetrator was not an external enemy, but a citizen driven by extremist beliefs cultivated within the country's own ideological landscape. In the aftermath, federal law enforcement priorities shifted. The bombing accelerated the passage of the Anti Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty act of 1996, expanding federal authority in terrorism investigations and tightening legal procedures around habeas corpus appeals. The attack also forced a reckoning with militia movements and extremist rhetoric circulating domestically. It marked a moment when the United States confronted the reality that ideological violence could emerge from within. Number two the Munich massacre. During the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, members of the Palestinian militant group Black September took Israeli athletes hostage. Although the perpetrators were forced foreign nationals, the attack occurred on German soil and revealed profound vulnerabilities in domestic security infrastructure. The hostage crisis ended in a botched rescue attempt that resulted in the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes, five militants, and a German police officer. The world watched in real time as the situation unfolded. For Germany, the massacre was more than a security failure. It was a national humiliation. The country had intended the Olympics to symbolize a peaceful and democratic post identity. Instead, the event became synonymous with tragedy and inadequate preparedness. The aftermath led to the creation of Germany's elite counterterrorism unit, GSG9 and a comprehensive overhaul of security protocols for international events. It also influenced global counterterrorism coordination. The Munich massacre demonstrated how domestic preparedness, or the lack thereof, could shape international perception and internal reform. Number three the Madrid train bombings. On March 11, 2004, coordinated bombings targeted commuter trains in Madrid, Spain, during morning rush hour. The attacks killed 193 people and injured thousands. Although carried out by an Islamist extremist cell inspired by Al Qaeda. The perpetrators operated within Spain. The timing was politically explosive. National elections were scheduled just days later. Initial government statements suggested responsibility lay with the Basque separatist group eta. As evidence emerged linking the attack to Islamist militants, public trust in the government eroded. Mass protests filled the streets. The election outcome shifted dramatically. The newly elected government withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq shortly afterward. The Madrid bombings illustrate how domestic terrorism can directly influence democratic processes. The attack not only caused immense loss of life, but also reshaped Spain's political landscape in real time. Violence intersected with electoral politics and the result altered national Policy Direction Number 4 the Tokyo Subway Sarin Attack On March 20, 1995, members of the apocalyptic cult Aum Shinrikyo released sarin gas on multiple lines of the Tokyo subway during rush hour. The attack killed 13 people and injured thousands, many suffering long term neurological effects. The perpetrators were not foreign agents. They were members of a domestic religious movement that had grown in influence and wealth during Japan's economic turbulence. The attack shattered Japan's perception of itself as insulated from large scale ideological violence. It exposed weaknesses in regulatory oversight of religious organizations and emergency response systems for chemical attacks. In response, Japanese authorities expanded surveillance powers and tightened regulations governing religious groups. Public discourse shifted towards scrutiny of charismatic leaders and fringe movements operating under legal protection. The Tokyo attack forced Japan to reconsider the balance between religious freedom and public safety. It demonstrated how a homegrown extremist ideology could weaponize modern infrastructure. Number five the 2011 Norway attack on July 22, 2011, a far right extremist detonated a bomb in Oslo's government district, killing eight people. He then traveled to the island of Utoya, where he opened fire at a youth political camp, killing 69 more, most of them teenagers. The attacker framed his violence as a defense of European identity against multiculturalism. His manifesto, distributed online, revealed a belief system steeped in xenophobia and conspiracy thinking. Thinking Norway, a nation often associated with social stability and low crime rates, was forced to confront the presence of radical extremism within its own society. In the aftermath, Norwegian leaders emphasized openness and democratic resilience rather than sweeping authoritarian responses. However, the attack prompted ongoing debate about online radicalization, immigration policy and domestic surveillance. The Norway attacks underscored how a single individual, radicalized within a national context, could inflict mass casualty violence and spark years of political reflection. Acts of domestic terrorism are not random eruptions of violence. They're strategic. They're symbolic. They are destined to force reaction. Unlike conventional crime, domestic terrorism seeks to influence policy, public opinion or institutional legitimacy. It thrives on spectacle and psychological disruption. When such attacks occur, governments must decide how to respond. Expanded security powers may increase surveillance. Legislative changes may alter civil liberties. Political discourse may harden. In some cases, the response becomes as historically significant as the attack itself. Domestic terrorism exposes internal fault lines. It reveals ideological movements operating beneath the surface. It challenges assumptions about safety and identity. Most importantly, it forces societies to confront the question of how much change they're willing to accept in the name of protection. The kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro occurred during a period of intense political instability in Italy. His abduction by the Red Brigades and the government's response reshaped Italian politics for years to come. The event became a defining episode in the nation's confrontation with domestic extremism. For the full examination of how Moro's kidnapping unfolded, how the Italian government responded, and how the case altered the country's political trajectory, listen to today's episode of conspiracy theories, cults and Crimes. Because when violence is aimed at the state itself, the consequences rarely end with the immediate tragedy they echo through policy, politics and public memory. For generations, you've been listening to Crime House 24 7, bringing you breaking crime news. I'm Vanessa Richardson. We'll be back Monday morning with more developing stories. Stay safe and thanks for listening.
- [28:50]
Vanessa Richardson
Hi, it's Vanessa. If you're drawn to true crime stories about disappearances, check out the new Crime House Arrest original the Final Hours, hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Listen to and follow the Final Hours on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or
- [29:06]
Narrator/Reporter
wherever you get your podcasts.
- [29:08]
Vanessa Richardson
New episodes drop every Monday.