Legally Brunette: Kouri Richins

Summary

---

Two Ts In A Pod with Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge

"Legally Brunette: Kouri Richins" (Air date: December 2, 2025)

Special with Emily & Shane Simpson

---

Episode Overview

This episode features a true crime deep dive led by Emily Simpson and Shane Simpson, focusing primarily on the unfolding Kouri Richins (mistakenly pronounced as "Corey Richards" throughout) case—an explosive Utah legal drama involving alleged spousal murder by poisoning. Before tackling that headline case, the hosts offer an in-depth update on the Karen Read saga, exploring her post-acquittal civil litigation and attendant controversies about evidence and police conduct.

With an engaging, sometimes darkly humorous tone, Emily and Shane break down court documents, legal nuances, and evidence, all while layering in their perspectives and legal expertise. Key discussion points include the details of the Richins investigation and prosecution, the complexities of the law, and the sometimes baffling conduct of suspects and witnesses.

---

Segment 1: Quick Case Update – Karen Read

Timestamps: 03:05 – 13:45

• Karen Read's Civil Lawsuit:

  • Karen Read has filed a federal civil suit targeting witnesses from her criminal trial and members of the Massachusetts State Police (03:44). Her main claims are civil rights violations, malicious prosecution, and conspiratorial cover-up efforts (05:42).
  • Shane points out she is not suing the judge or prosecutors (05:36).
  • Background recap: Read was previously accused of murdering her fiancé, John O’Keefe, by running him over. After two trials—a mistrial followed by acquittal except on a lesser DUI count—she is now "on the offense" with civil actions (07:48).
  • Discussion of motive for ongoing litigation: Emily wonders if it’s time for Karen to move on; Shane counters, “If people accused you of a murder and you had nothing to do with it, and you had to go through two trials, …I’d be doing just as she is” (07:53).

• Trial/Jury Insights:

  • Jury foreman Charlie Deloach believed in a conspiracy since “the very first witness,” notably troubled that police never searched the Albert home where John was found (09:10–09:49).
  • Shane: “If they found a crack pipe on our lawn, they’d be searching our house… There’s a dead body.” (09:49–09:54)
  • Key evidence concern: The taillight allegedly linked to Karen “looked…like it was tampered with” (10:33–10:49).

• Lingering Evidence Fights:

  • Discussion of legal battles over phones and digital evidence possibly involving “Turtle Boy” (a case-focused blogger), and impact on other related cases (11:31–12:46).
  • Shane explains in civil cases, the standard of proof drops (“just tip the scale… so it’s 51, 49,” 13:00–13:33).

---

Segment 2: Deep Dive – The Kouri Richins Case

Timestamps: 16:19 – 53:32

Case Background (17:01 – 22:36)

• The Crime: Kouri Richins (frequently misspoken as “Corey Richards”), a Utah mother, is accused of killing her husband, Eric Richins, in March 2022 with a fentanyl-laced Moscow Mule.
• Aftermath: Published a children’s book about grief soon after, painting herself as a mourning widow while allegedly covering up her crime (17:16–17:40).
• Key Allegations: Multiple secret life insurance policies; financial fraud; draining joint assets; and staging her husband’s death as accidental overdose—motivated by money woes.

Marital & Financial Context (19:00 – 24:22)

• Marriage & Prenup:

  • Eric, worth ~$5M, signed a prenuptial agreement written by Kouri’s own mother on the wedding day (“If you ever speak to my son…”), which lacked proper language about death during divorce proceedings (19:31–20:35).
  • Lesson: Don’t have your mother write your contracts (“If you really feel as if you need [a prenup], go to an attorney,” 20:40).

• Financial Deception:

  • Kouri took out at least $2M in life insurance without Eric’s knowledge (20:46).
  • Forged documents, withdrew $130k from business accounts, and set up fraudulent credit lines. Her home-flipping business looked successful on the outside but was likely failing and supported with stolen assets (22:06–23:16).

Timeline of the Alleged Murder (24:44 – 28:23)

• Eric’s Growing Suspicions:

  • Upon discovering fraud, Eric changed his will—removing Kouri and naming his sister as trustee (24:44–25:25).
  • Foreshadowing & Affair: Eric considered divorce, met with lawyers, and suspected Kouri was trying to poison him, particularly after a suspicious Valentine’s Day incident where a laced sandwich left him needing an EpiPen (25:25).
  • Shane jokes: “First problem is a sandwich for Valentine’s Day. Seriously?” (25:29).

• The Fatal Incident:

  • March 2022: Kouri allegedly made Eric a celebratory Moscow Mule—laced with a fatal dose of fentanyl (26:04–26:31).
  • Eric was found dead the following morning; autopsy revealed five times the lethal dose (27:04).

• Aftermath Behavior:

  • Two days post-death, Kouri hurried to unlock Eric’s safe to access over $100k in cash (27:50).
  • Physical altercation with sister-in-law over the estate resulted in an assault charge (28:22).
  • Self-published children’s book (“Are You With Me?”) about grief, interpreted by prosecutors as a cover-up (29:38).

Key Evidence and Legal Developments (30:46 – 52:14)

The Orange Notebook (30:46 – 35:17)

• Discovered during police search (not on the warrant); contains “damaging enough” possible confessions, conversations with a therapist, and plans regarding Eric’s death (31:33–34:53).
• Legal controversy: Seized outside the scope of the warrant, raising “fruit of the poisonous tree” (33:17).

Witnesses and Prosecution Evidence (35:49 – 37:04)

• Housekeeper Testimony: Carmen Lauber claims she twice sold fentanyl to Kouri; her statements corroborated via forensic evidence, but the defense highlights her lack of credibility as an immunized witness with priors.
  • “So that's her testimony. Allegedly, Carmen was the one who sold Kouri the fentanyl…” (35:50–36:16).

The Victim’s Awareness (37:11 – 38:44)

• Eric told family he suspected Kouri planned to kill him, especially after the food poisoning attempt.
• Emily: “The first second I thought you were trying to kill me, I’m going to move out. I’m just letting you know” (38:44).

Dark Humor & Commentary

• Shane riffs: “She should have just put it in his EpiPen.” (27:04), and later, “quit writing this stuff down and leaving it everywhere. Well, you leave notebooks in your house, you leave them in the cell...” (45:52).

---

Walk the Dog Letter (41:59 – 46:40)

• Incriminating Prison Letter:
  • Kouri writes directives to her mom and brother (“Ronnie”) about what he should testify, building the narrative that Eric had a secret opioid habit (42:23–44:55).
  • “So have him testify to all those things.” (44:31)
  • Defense later claims it’s just ‘fictional writing,’ not witness tampering.
  • Shane deadpans: “Who does she think she’s fooling?” (45:47)

The Drug Chain – Conflicting Dealer Testimony (47:19 – 50:12)

• The housekeeper bought drugs from Robert Crozier, whose original confession was that he sold fentanyl—but he later recanted, claiming it was only oxycodone, not fentanyl.
• This potentially undermines the proof that Kouri acquired the murder weapon.
  • Emily: “Isn’t it possible that it’s oxy, but it could also have—”
  • Shane: “—be laced with Fentanyl.” (49:39–49:41)

Legal Motions & Trial Outlook (51:00 – 53:32)

• Witness Immunity: Witnesses testifying about drug purchases are requesting independent counsel due to self-incrimination risks (51:00–51:42).
• Upcoming Trial: Judge ruled ample evidence for trial on aggravated murder, attempted murder (re: earlier sandwich poisoning), drug distribution, insurance fraud, and forgery (52:14).
• The trial is set for February 2026 barring further delays.

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Karen Read’s Lawsuit:

  • Shane: “Now she’s on the offense.” (08:56)
  • Emily: “Maybe I would just feel a sense of relief to just… move on.” (08:32)

• On the Orange Notebook:

  • Shane: “The orange notebook is of more value to me.” (49:45)

• On Suspect Behavior:

  • Emily: “This is what I don’t understand about people that… commit crimes, and then they do something stupid like write down their exact plan within a notebook.” (35:06)

• On “Walk the Dog” Letter:

  • “It’s as incriminating as you can get.” – Emily (46:36)

• On Victim’s Choices:

  • Emily: “He clearly knew… she was trying to kill him… why stay in the house?” (38:02)
  • Shane: “It’s like, hey, I’m going to go out, have some drinks with my wife. By the way, I think she’s trying to kill me.” (38:27)

---

Timeline of Key Evidence

• 2015–2017: Multiple insurance policies taken out without Eric’s knowledge (~$2M).
• 2020: Eric discovers financial forgeries; meets with divorce/estate attorneys.
• Feb. 2022: Suspected sandwich poisoning; life insurance policy goes into effect.
• Mar. 2022: Eric’s death (fentanyl-laced Moscow Mule); rush to open safe.
• Apr. 2023: Kouri’s grief children’s book published.
• May. 2023: Arrest, home search, orange notebook seized.
• Pre-trial: Defense fights evidence admissibility (notebook, letters); witness immunity questions.

---

Closing Notes

Emily and Shane close by promising continued updates as the Kouri Richins trial approaches (53:32). They encourage feedback and case suggestions from their listeners, previewing more true crime legal breakdowns to come.

---

The tone throughout is conversational but informed, often darkly humorous, and focused on legal process and the baffling realities of human conduct in high-stakes cases.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop, voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere, and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Jenna Kim Jones]

This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interrupting interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at. Don't sleep on OSA.com this information is provided by Lily, a medicine company. You've got the New Year's motivation, but the crowded gym? Not so much. Keep your drive. With iFit, we bring the world's best trainers right to your living room. Whether you want to crush a studio cycle class, build strength or Zen out with yoga, IFIT adapts to your pace and your schedule. No waiting, no judgment, just results. Make 2026 the year it sticks. Start [e-mail] Season two of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy Tickets, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO.

[Commercial Announcer]

Max support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, LLC SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comdisclosures hi guys.

[Emily Simpson]

Welcome to a new episode of Legally Brunette. I will be your host. Emily Simpson with Shane With Shane Simpson. First of all, on today's episode, we just wanted to do a little update on Karen Reed. There's some activity going on in that case, so we want to just discuss that briefly. Then after we talk about Karen Reed for a little bit, we are going to go into a brand new case. It is the Corey Richards case, which I've taken a deep dive into over the past few days. So I'm pretty excited about discussing this with you all. If you haven't heard of it yet, it's it's a young mom out in Utah with kids who is allegedly poisoned her husband.

[Shane Simpson]

So allegedly a murderer.

[Emily Simpson]

Is allegedly a murderer. So we are going to take a deep dive into that case. But first let's do some updates in Karen Reed. So Karen Reed has a civil lawsuit against several witnesses from her murder trial that has now been transferred to federal court. This is according to court records. She originally filed the case in state court targeting members of the Massachusetts State Police investigation as well as the people present in the home where John O' Keefe was discovered outside back in January of 2022. Also, if you have not listened to our podcast on the Karen Reed, we did a couple episodes on Karen Reed.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah. But maybe we should do a little quick reminder. She was accused of murdering her fiance with a car. She was on trial. It was a hung jury. Then there was a second trial and she was acquitted. She was acquitted. Except she got a dui.

[Emily Simpson]

She did. She got she was convicted of the lesser charge of dui. But it all this case, if you don't know Karen Reed, it all revolved around the defense alleged that there was a conspiracy and that John o' Keefe was actually murdered within the home of other Boston police officers. And then his body was put into the yard. And then the this case was and.

[Shane Simpson]

Prosecutor was alleging that she had run him over before.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

While dropping off.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. They had a night of drinking at a bar.

[Shane Simpson]

House was not searched. There was issues surrounding every piece of evidence.

[Emily Simpson]

Exactly. It was really fascinating to discuss. That's one of my favorites. Just because every piece of evidence didn't lead to any answers, it really just led to more questions, which when you're analyzing it, it's fun to go down that route. So anyway, if you haven't listened to our Karen Reed episodes, I would suggest doing that. So now that she's been acquitted, she's going after the people that were witnesses against her and members of the Massachusetts State Police Department in her complaint.

[Shane Simpson]

Not. Not noteworthy. Not the judge or the prosecutor.

[Emily Simpson]

No.

[Shane Simpson]

Yes. I just wanted to make that clear.

[Emily Simpson]

In her complaint, Reed alleges civil rights violations, malicious prosecution, and a coordinated effort to conceal what she believes happened inside the house during a party. The individual she names lawsuit include Brian and Nicole Albert. If you remember, Brian and Nicole are the ones that were the homeowners that evening, Jennifer and Matthew McCabe. Jennifer is also. Was the friend that also went to search for him in the morning in the car, and they found him in the.

[Shane Simpson]

In the front yard.

[Emily Simpson]

Yard. And Brian Higgins, and if you remember, Brian Higgins is the ATF agent who was also there that night. And there was a lot of, you know, butt dialing going on in the middle of the night between all of.

[Shane Simpson]

These people and searching for how long does it take a body to die in the snow or whatever. She searched.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. There were a lot of things. So she. The court requested that the matter be. Actually, the defendants have requested that the matter be moved to federal court because one of her claims involves a federal civil rights claim which involves the Fourth Amendment. And so we know a Fourth Amendment amendment issue is a federal issue. So they've been asked that this case be moved to federal court. The defendants argued they intend to show that Reid's lawsuit is retaliatory and misuse of the legal system aimed at shifting blame for Okee's death from her back to them. Reid has previously taken related issues through the federal appeals process up to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear her challenge. That was after her original mistrial. She then. She then went all the way up to the Supreme Court saying that, remember, that jury had said after the fact that they had found her innocent on some of the other charges. But it wasn't a formal. They didn't make a formal decision. They said it like, I think in interviews or something after. So she actually challenged it and said that they'd really found her not guilty, not guilty. So she shouldn't be tried again. But her retrial did proceed afterward, resulting in acquittals on the major charges And a conviction only on the lesser impaired driving count. You know, my. Also. Also, I was thinking when I was reading all this, do you think at any point she needs to just let it go?

[Shane Simpson]

Well, no. Financially, she's. No, no, I would be. I would be doing just as she is.

[Emily Simpson]

Really?

[Shane Simpson]

Yes. If. If people accused you of a murder and you didn't. Had nothing to do with it, and you had to go through two trials, spend time in jail, however long it was. I don't remember. And have the threat of going to prison and. And all this while you're trying to supposedly mourn the loss of her fiance. I don't know if she was mourning or not, because then she kicked him out of the car or whatever.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, they got in a fight that night. I mean, they had both been drinking.

[Shane Simpson]

And so, I mean. And then you can't move on from the slightest thing and you want. You can't move on. If I, like, don't use the. If I don't put the cup in the dishwasher. And you want her to move on from murder charges.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, I'm just saying at the end of the day, it just draws more attention back onto herself and onto the case. And she's been acquitted. To me, that's. No, I'm not talking about the cup in the dishwasher. I'm just talking about, at the end of the day, she's been acquitted. Maybe I would just feel a sense of relief to just, like, pick up and move on and just go on with life instead of having to be constantly dealing with legal battle after legal battle with attorneys.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, but now she's on the offense.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, I know she's on the offense, but sometimes when you're on the offense, it doesn't work out in your favor. I'm just saying maybe I love for you to.

[Shane Simpson]

I'm going to play this podcast for you next time you complain about something and you won't move on.

[Emily Simpson]

All right. There's also an interesting thing I saw in the Karen Reed case. The jury foreman, his name is Charlie deloach, he did a talk at a. I believe it was a law school or he was in front of some students. And he said that even though there were 31 days of testimony, he believed that there was a conspiracy right from the very first witness. And he said the biggest piece of evidence for him. And I agree with this. When he said that, I was like, yes, I agree. He said the biggest piece of evidence that made him believe that there was a conspiracy and there was a reasonable Doubt was that the investigators never entered Albert's home.

[Shane Simpson]

Oh, right.

[Emily Simpson]

From the beginning.

[Shane Simpson]

That is huge.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

I mean, if they found like a crack pipe on our lawn, they'd be searching our house.

[Emily Simpson]

Exactly.

[Shane Simpson]

There's a dead body.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. And no one, no one went inside the house to look for fingerprints.

[Shane Simpson]

Well, people went inside the house to wipe the fingerprints down and.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

Whatever else they did.

[Emily Simpson]

But the fact.

[Shane Simpson]

Wasn't there a dog? They got rid of the K. The canine.

[Emily Simpson]

Chloe.

[Shane Simpson]

Like a German shepherd police dog.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. Chloe was rehomed. So that was. And then he said he was surprised. I believe he said he was surprised that they even retried her because from him there was reasonable doubt. Right. From the first witness. Also, he. He said that all the jurors wanted to look at one critical piece of evidence. Do you know what that was?

[Shane Simpson]

I want to look at one critical piece of evidence.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

I don't know. Was it like a device, like her search history?

[Emily Simpson]

No.

[Shane Simpson]

The tail lights.

[Emily Simpson]

It was the taillight.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

It was the tail light that were.

[Shane Simpson]

Smashed by a hammer and placed in the front lawn.

[Emily Simpson]

Allegedly, that tail light. But he said, according to the jurors, it all looked to them like it was tampered with.

[Shane Simpson]

So fabricated is more likely.

[Emily Simpson]

Also, there is a behind the scenes battle over Karen Reed's father phone that continues to go on. A legal fight over two iPhones taken from Karen Reed by Massachusetts State Police nearly two years ago has escalated since an October court hearing. This is according to new Filings reviewed by Boston 25 News. The dispute centers on special prosecutor Robert Cosgrove's effort to examine the device, the devices, for possible evidence that Reed coordinated with blogger Aiden Kearney, who's known as Turtle Boy. We didn't really talk about Turtle Boy a lot, but he was very invested in the Karen Reed case and he did podcasts like daily on her.

[Shane Simpson]

Was it Turtle Boy?

[Emily Simpson]

Yes, Turtle Boy. It's what he calls himself. Reed's newest defense lawyer, Benjamin P. Urbellis, told investigative reporter Ted Daniel in a Zoom interview that he believes the search is driven by pressure on the DA's office to get her for something after the Myrtle murder acquittal. They also have found so much more things on John Proctor's phone that that's affecting, I believe, what was it, 19 cases. So we'll see what happens. As to. I don't know how you analyze that, but you analyze the weight of these, of these text messages and inappropriate things that he's been saying on his phone.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

With these cases. Well, what what goes from. What happens after that? Do they. Do they all get a retrial? Like how do you get.

[Shane Simpson]

You'd have to look and see if it, if it caused, like if. Did that have an impact significantly on the outcome?

[Emily Simpson]

Right, but then are you gonna have to go to trial on each of those 19 cases to determine whether what is on his phone impacted the case in a way that they.

[Shane Simpson]

Or some type of hearing. Some type of hearing? Well, may not be a full trial, but I don't know the procedure. I don't know. But definitely you present it before a judge to say was this materially significant?

[Jenna Kim Jones]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

And did it impact the outcome?

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, you know, I think it's fair to say though that this is a civil case. So she was previously. Was a criminal case. Right. So it's the state prosecuting, charging her with a crime.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

Now it's civilly, it's her going after the state or. I don't know. She hasn't. No, it's them individually she's going after. I think I read that she has to make a claim of some sort with the police department and when they deny it, then she can add them as a party, but she has to kind of exhaust those resources first. Yeah, but this is a civil case. Criminally, it's beyond a reasonable doubt. Civilly, she just has to tip the scale in her favor. So, yeah, preponderance of the evidence. So it's 51, 49 kind of thing. Lady of justice. Right. Just tipping the scale. That's all she has to do. So I don't know if she's going to succeed in that, but.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, she doesn't have Alan Jackson, but I'm sure she'll be okay.

[Shane Simpson]

All she has to do is tip the scale.

[Commercial Announcer]

Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop? Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice. Top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptop. Laptops with Windows 11 PC Mag. Reader's Choice. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Jenna Kim Jones]

Breaking news, everybody. Not everything is terrible. I repeat, not everything is terrible. The ripple effect with Jenna Kim Jones is proof that the Internet, it hasn't ruined humanity entirely.

[Commercial Announcer]

Clean the world. We have almost 10,000 hotels that operate our soap and plastic recycling program. And we have created and distributed 90 million free bars of soap to children, families, mothers in 127 countries across the globe.

[Jenna Kim Jones]

It's like magic you guys. So put down your Doom scroller and pick up your faith in humanity and join me, Jenna for the Ripple Effect. It's a reminder that you can start a ripple that changes everything. You really can.

[Commercial Announcer]

Best stat of all is that the death rate to children under the age of five dying to hygiene related illnesses has decreased by more than 60% since the day we started.

[Jenna Kim Jones]

Listen to the Ripple Effect with Jenna Kim Jones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. You've got the New Year's motivation, but the crowded gym? Not so much. Keep your drive with iFit, we bring the world's best trainers right to your living room. Whether you want to crush a studio cycle class, build strength or Zen out with yoga, iFit adapts to your pace and your schedule. No waiting, no judgment, just results. Make 2026 the year it sticks. Start [e-mail] Season two of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Becker's Nafiza, Collier Kelly, Chelsea Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher, and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max.

[Emily Simpson]

So you're telling me that the AI that's meant to make everyone's job easier to manage just adds more to manage on top of the thousands of apps the IT department already manages? Funny how that works. Any business can add AI. IBM helps you scale and manage AI to change how you do business. Let's create Smile to business IBM. All right, let's go into the Corey Richards case. If you have not heard of this case and it has not been on your radar, I feel like it will be if you listen to this because it's a really interesting, fascinating true crime.

[Shane Simpson]

Case and it's unfolding as we speak.

[Emily Simpson]

It is unfolding as we speak. It's a recent case. She is currently incarcerated awaiting trial and she is slated to go to trial in February of 2026. So it's actually coming up because I just realized February of 2026 is just a couple months away. So all right, let's just Do a brief overview of the Corey Richards case. So Corey Richards is a Utah mother accused of killing her husband, Eric Richards, in March of 2022 by giving him a Moscow mule, which was allegedly laced with a massive dose of illicit fentanyl. Investigators claim she had been secretly taking out large life insurance policies on him, moving money from his accounts, and committing various financial and mortgage fraud schemes in the years leading up to his death. After Eric died, she published a children's book about grief, portraying herself as a mourning widow, which drew national attention, attention once she was charged in his murder. Prosecutors claim her actions were motivated by financial desperation. While Corey denies all allegations and she is currently incarcerated awaiting trial. Now, I do know that she has attempted bail multiple times and she's been consistently denied. So she is currently in prison. So this case is interesting because first of all, she was married to Eric. They had three young boys together. And she was saying her boys were having trouble with the death of their fathers, so that she wrote a book on grief to help her children. And then I know she did some media, some local media in Utah surrounding, you know, doing interviews, talking about her book. It was self published and I was wondering if you could still find it on Amazon. I was going to look it up and see if you could still buy it.

[Shane Simpson]

But read the reviews.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, no. And is she allowed to financially profit at this time? I mean, she hasn't been convicted of a murder yet, so probably at this.

[Shane Simpson]

Time, I don't know. That's the least of the problems.

[Emily Simpson]

Yes. So anyway, I just want to take a little backtrack. So she and Eric were married back in 2013. Eric was very successful. I, I read that he was worth around $5 million when they were married. He had a very successful stone masonry business. I think it was a family business. So on the day they were married, his mother presented Corey with a prenuptial agreement that she signed on the day of their wedding. I believe it was written by Corey's mother. I don't think it was drafted by an attorney.

[Shane Simpson]

I'd love to read the mother in law's prenup.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, I, I did read some excerpts of it and I think where they went wrong because an attorney just like.

[Shane Simpson]

And you will never, if you ever speak to my son.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay. That would, what would your, what would your mom, if your mom wrote a prenup, it would be like, well, you.

[Shane Simpson]

Know what to be my, my mom was very, is very opposed to prenups. Like if I presented, I said I wanted to get a prenup I'm going to marry Emily. Yeah, she honestly would be like, well, then you probably shouldn't be getting married.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, just to let everyone know, I did not sign a prenup when I married Shane Simpson. So anyway, the prenup is interesting because I read a lawyer, like an estate planning. A lawyer, and he was. He was analyzing it, and basically the prenup said she gets nothing in the event of a divorce. But there wasn't. I believe it was lacking language.

[Shane Simpson]

But you can kill him.

[Emily Simpson]

Death.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

And also it was saying where people made a critical error was that there was nothing that mentioned if you are in the process of getting a divorce and then that party dies.

[Shane Simpson]

Oh, interesting.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. So anyway, there's.

[Shane Simpson]

That's why she shouldn't have written it. She should have had an attorney write it.

[Emily Simpson]

Right? So there's lesson number one. If you can take away.

[Shane Simpson]

Don't have your mother.

[Emily Simpson]

Don't have your mother.

[Shane Simpson]

Write your contracts.

[Emily Simpson]

Prenuptial agreement. If you really feel as if you need one, go to an attorney and have an attorney drafted. All right? According to prosecutors, back in this timeline, 2015-2017, Corey took out multiple life insurance policies on Eric without his explicit knowledge, totaling nearly $2 million and potential benefits. You know, she's also. She's being charged with a lot of financial crimes and insurance fraud, as well as murder. So there's a lot of different charges against her.

[Shane Simpson]

Why is it that. I mean, if. If you pull out life insurance policies with me and yourself as a beneficiary, and I don't have to be there to sign it, shouldn't they, like, call me?

[Jenna Kim Jones]

Well, I was gonna be like, hey.

[Shane Simpson]

Your wife just took out three insurance policies on you.

[Emily Simpson]

Right? And, like, isn't there someone in the insurance department that flag anyone? Right? Like, isn't there, like, a red flag department where people feel like maybe they should let someone.

[Shane Simpson]

I mean, if you. If your credit card's used in some other state, the bank calls you, like, Is this your $50 charge?

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

Why wouldn't a life insurance policy, like, you know, carrier call you and say.

[Emily Simpson]

Hey, I don't know. You know what? That's a good point. But also my other question is, can you take a life insurance policy out on someone without their knowledge?

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, but I think you have to have some financial dependency on them.

[Emily Simpson]

All right, so then by 2020, Eric reportedly discovered secret financial activity, and I guess he found a home equity line of credit in his name, which means that she would have had to have forged his name. Substantial withdrawals from his bank and credit accounts and more than $130,000 taken from his business. What was she. So she was a real estate agent, but then she went into this business that was her own separate business of flipping houses. But I don't think she was as successful as she was portraying herself.

[Shane Simpson]

She probably thought, like, okay, my husband's in the business and family maybe, and we have money. I'll just buy a home, I'll paint it and then flip it.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

She watched a couple TV shows and thought she could do it.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. She watched hgtv.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

And then she thought she was a home flipper, which I feel like a lot of people probably do. I. I might have been one of those people at one time when I was like, we should just flip homes. It seems really easy.

[Shane Simpson]

You just make it cute.

[Emily Simpson]

You sell it. You just sell it.

[Shane Simpson]

Everyone's happy.

[Emily Simpson]

Put pretty ceramic in the kitchen. It's so easy.

[Shane Simpson]

It doesn't work like that.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane Simpson]

So you don't even want to decorate our own home?

[Emily Simpson]

I don't. I don't want to do anything anyway. I think for outward appearances, they came off very successful. They were a young couple. They were attractive.

[Shane Simpson]

Well, in some ways, it sounds like they were.

[Emily Simpson]

They have this whole. She has this home flipping business. He has this stone masonry business. They go on vacations. They live in a big house. So I don't think that anyone was knowledgeable that there were financial issues.

[Shane Simpson]

Are you getting at. She was withdrawing all this money and using all this money for her home flipping failures?

[Emily Simpson]

Yes. And so I do know that.

[Shane Simpson]

And future endeavors with publishing a book.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. She needed money to publish her book on grief. In October of 2020, after finding these discoveries, Eric met with a divorce attorney and an estate planner, Signaling serious material and financial conflict. Then Corey allegedly submitted a new life insurance application on Eric, Naming herself as beneficiary. The policy went into effect on February 4th of 2022. So Eric knew about all of this.

[Shane Simpson]

When did he file for divorce? Do we know?

[Emily Simpson]

He didn't file for divorce. He just met with a divorce attorney. I also think that there was infidelity. I believe she was having some type of affair, too. So there was infidelity. There was financial problems. She was stealing money.

[Shane Simpson]

So he have any redeeming qualities as a wife?

[Emily Simpson]

Doesn't seem like it. But I do know that he changed his finances based upon this without telling her. And he did name his sister as.

[Shane Simpson]

Like, trustee or something.

[Emily Simpson]

As trustee, I believe he had, like, a living trust or a living will. Something I Don't know. But he took her off Corey and named his sister, and she was not aware of any of this, so he knew that she was doing these things.

[Shane Simpson]

Is it premature? Are you gonna get into. Didn't he text or make note that he thinks his wife is poisoning him?

[Emily Simpson]

Yes, but I was gonna wait until I got to the point where she's actually. Spoiler alert. Yes. So then on February 14th, we're gonna go to Valentine's Day of 2022. Prosecutors claim Corey made an attempt on Eric's life by giving him a sandwich laced with some toxin, which we believe was fentanyl. Eric reportedly broke out in hives and used an EpiPen and antihistamines. This incident sparked his suspension. Suspicion that she was trying to poison him.

[Shane Simpson]

Well, she. He had an EpiPen, so did he have an allergy that was known?

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know if it was his or if it was the kids, but she didn't give him.

[Shane Simpson]

First problem is a sandwich for Valentine's Day. Seriously?

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

Shouldn't want him to, like, give him a last meal.

[Emily Simpson]

No.

[Shane Simpson]

She's like, here's a peanut butter sandwich, baloney.

[Emily Simpson]

I love you some fentanyl.

[Shane Simpson]

Take a big bite and all. Laced sandwich.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. So she. She did learn that. She did not.

[Shane Simpson]

That's why I couldn't.

[Emily Simpson]

Allegedly. This is. Oh, this is why I.

[Shane Simpson]

This is why every time you say, what do you want for dinner? I'm like, oh, I'll just cook.

[Emily Simpson]

I'll just have a sandwich that I make myself. Don't touch anything.

[Shane Simpson]

And I cover my cup every time we're sitting at the dinner table.

[Emily Simpson]

As you should. All right, then. In March of 2022, this is the evening before Eric's death, Corey allegedly made a Moscow Mule cocktail.

[Shane Simpson]

Is that just a drink? Moscow Mule?

[Emily Simpson]

Yes, it's a cocktail. It's vodka, and I think it's got meant you, like, crush the mint. And, you know those Moscow Mule cups, They're like the copper. I know. You know nothing about alcohol or drinking.

[Shane Simpson]

This is a waste of money. Yeah. Causes a lot of harm.

[Emily Simpson]

That's why you don't drink, because the. The financial aspect of it.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, I can't afford it.

[Emily Simpson]

Oh, my gosh. So anyway, she made him, as she called it, or they. I read it was a celebratory Moscow Mule because apparently she had closed on a house or something. Or maybe she got the fentanyl. She's like, let's have a drink. Wait, she got enough. Exactly.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah. My dealer pulled through.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. She learned from the sandwich incident, that she didn't use enough fentanyl. So on the morning of March 4th.

[Shane Simpson]

She should have just put it in his EpiPen.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, well, now I'm not. I'm gonna avoid EpiPens.

[Shane Simpson]

Thank you. She just put it in there and then she's like, oh, babe, you're having an allergy attack again. Here's an EpiPen.

[Emily Simpson]

So on the morning of March 4, 2022, Eric was found unresponsive in bed. Corey called 91 1. A later autopsy revealed he had ingested about five times the lethal dose of fentanyl.

[Shane Simpson]

She went all out.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, she wasn't like she was.

[Shane Simpson]

Never again.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, she was. She was like, I'm done making sandwiches, so it's gonna work this time. Now we get to March 6th of 2022, which is two days after Eric's death. Prosecutors say Corey hired a locksmith to open his safe, which reportedly contained over a hundred thousand dollars in cash.

[Shane Simpson]

Meanwhile, she learned she's like, the next day or two days later, two days later. Why was she. Why? What would her argument be? To be such a hurry to get in that safe. Like, two days later your husband dies and you're like, I need to get into the safe.

[Emily Simpson]

I mean, I don't know if her argument is, I have to take care of three kids and now, you know, he's dead and I've got to pay for a funeral.

[Shane Simpson]

And you know what?

[Commercial Announcer]

I.

[Shane Simpson]

Well, okay, okay. I'm just saying that. I'm not saying that's evidence, but that's definitely unusual behavior.

[Emily Simpson]

Do you have a safe somewhere in this house I don't know about?

[Shane Simpson]

No. Are you sure? No. You. You have everything I own.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay, good.

[Shane Simpson]

I have no safes.

[Emily Simpson]

Meanwhile, she learned she was not named in his will. His sister was. And allegedly Corey punched her sister in law during a dispute over the estate, which led to a misdemeanor assault charge that she later pleaded no contest to. I did hear a podcast with that, with the brother talking about what happened. He said that she learned that she wasn't, you know, she wasn't in the will. He had removed her from all the financial things, and she and the sister got into some altercation, and so there were some assault charges against her. So later, In March of 2022, Corey reportedly filed a lawsuit against her sister in law over rights to property that had been jointly held under a prenuptial agreement. Then in April of 2023, this is when Corey self publishes a children's book titled quote, are you with me, a grief themed story about a father's presence death. She promoted it publicly, portraying herself as a grieving widow. Prosecutors view that as part of a potential cover up. I mean, of course, prosecution's gonna take a look at the book and say that that was part of her, you know, her masking that she had anything to do with his death. As she portrays herself of this as this grieving widow that's trying to help her three sons get through the process of losing.

[Shane Simpson]

She didn't write in that book how she took out life insurance policies and tried to get into a safe.

[Emily Simpson]

I don't think there's anything.

[Shane Simpson]

She assaulted the sister in law there either. Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

Then in May 8th, on May 8th of 2023, actually, investigators did. They searched the home and arrested her. On March 8th of 2023, Corey was formally arrested and charged in connection with Eric's death and the related allegations. Now, there's also. When she was arrested that day, she was held outside the home. I guess they were searching the home on the day she was arrested.

[Shane Simpson]

See, you search the home when there's a homicide.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, right, normal. And during this search of her home, she was held. I believe she was held in a police car with a deputy outside the home. And the deputy recorded her in the car. And this became a piece of evidence.

[Shane Simpson]

Well, I'm sure that's a standard camera in the car that.

[Emily Simpson]

No, it's not. He recorded her with a cell phone.

[Shane Simpson]

Oh, really?

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, because I don't know why.

[Shane Simpson]

She must have been babbling. So he just hit record.

[Emily Simpson]

She was babbling. She was. I think he thought her reaction was strange because she was crying, but there were no tears. So for some reason, he felt compelled to just record all of it. And so I listened to some of it. She also talks about how she's embarrassed because the neighbors are going to see because she's being held, you know, in a police car outside the house. They're searching the house.

[Shane Simpson]

Okay.

[Emily Simpson]

And also this search is also interesting because. Let's talk about a warrant for a second. So they have an arrest warrant, Right? They have an arrest warrant to arrest her and they have a warrant to search her house. But the warrant to search her house is a very limited scope. Right.

[Shane Simpson]

What. What's the warrant for searching? What?

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know what was in the warrant, but I'm gonna. But I'm gonna tell you it was a limited scope. Meaning that there were certain things listed that they were looking for within the home when they searched it.

[Shane Simpson]

I'm gonna guess Drugs and maybe text, like devices, probably for text messages.

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know. I haven't actually looked at the.

[Shane Simpson]

I said I'm gonna guess.

[Emily Simpson]

Yes, I get it. You're guessing. However, when they searched the home on May 8, they found an orange notebook. And this orange notebook has become like a critical piece of evidence that's being disputed over because the orange notebook had writings in it that were her journal that allegedly. No one knows what exactly is in it, but it looks. But it seems people have been speculating, but I think it has to do with communications with her and a therapist, which would be privilege. Possibly to some degree. Possibly. And then maybe there's some type of journaling or. Or confession as to her involvement. So the police found the orange notebook, they read what was inside, and based upon what they read, they took the orange notebook, even though it wasn't explicitly stated in.

[Shane Simpson]

Okay, so that we know that the. Well, was it in plain view? If they have a warrant that says you can look for drugs, Right. Then they open a drawer and they see a handgun or something, that's contraband. Now, that's fair game. So I don't know. Was. So the argument is whether this notebook fell within plain view and it was. It was fair game for the cops to seize it or whether they shouldn't have opened the notebook at all because if they were looking for drugs, you're not going to open up.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, I think the prosecution has conceded that. That it was not. It was outside the scope of the warrant, and it's a fruit of the poisonous tree issue because they issued a second warrant to search her home based upon what was written in the orange notebook. So now you have a second search based upon what was written in the orange.

[Shane Simpson]

Based on an improper search initially.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

So we don't know anything that's in.

[Emily Simpson]

The book at all? Well, no, we. We know that it has to do something with her therapist and some type of notes and communications, and maybe there's some type of confession or her involvement. But we don't know explicitly what it says. All we know is it was damaging enough to be able to get a second warrant. However, the defense is going to argue that it should be admitted. So, okay, what happens? Notebook. Right. All right, so let's move on. So in May of 2023, this is. Goes from May to August of 2024, the case moved through preliminary hearings with prosecutors presenting evidence including forensic data, financial and insurance documents, and witness testimony. That all goes to motive. Right, because the motive is, why did she do it? So that's why you're going to bring in all the financial records. Right? You're going to portray this woman as someone that was deeply in debt with a failing business, that was taking out life insurance policies without his knowledge.

[Shane Simpson]

She had. She had reason to believe that she was in the will.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. And she would inherit. And that she would also inherit 50% of his business. I believe she thought that, too. So her motive is financially driven.

[Shane Simpson]

Contents of the notebook, details of Eric Richen's death. Investigators found notes in the notebook that seemed to contain details about Eric's death, including discussions about ways to kill him and how to cover up the crime.

[Emily Simpson]

Wow. Yeah.

[Shane Simpson]

Plans to poison Eric, purchase a fentanyl. Conversations and notes on life insurance. And. And there's all a whole breakdown of that.

[Emily Simpson]

Wow. So that orange notebook, I mean, prosecution's gonna want that. Orange.

[Shane Simpson]

Why does she have it in orange, too? Like, it couldn't have been labeled, like, you know, 2024 tax results.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. No.

[Shane Simpson]

Jeez.

[Emily Simpson]

That's what I don't understand about people that go through all these. They jump through all these hoops to commit crimes, and then they do something stupid like write down their exact plan within a notebook.

[Shane Simpson]

No doubt. The prosecutor. The defense wants us thrown out, of course, so. Absolutely.

[Emily Simpson]

All right, so let's talk about other evidence the prosecution has against Corey. First of all, we talked about the orange notebook. There's also the housekeeper testimony. So Carmen Lauber was the housekeeper, or she. She did some work for Corey, I believe, with her homes that she was flipping. She told prosecutors that she sold fentanyl to Corey, but she received immunity for her testimony. She'd had previous drug charges.

[Shane Simpson]

What's her name again?

[Emily Simpson]

Her name is Carmen Lauber. She's 51, and she had done some housekeeping.

[Shane Simpson]

Okay, so Carmen exchanged. Well, no. Yeah, but the fentanyl was her.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So that's her testimony. Allegedly, Carmen was the one that sold Corey the fentanyl. And that she says, she claims that she sold fentanyl to her on two different occasions, each time around 900. Which, however, I assume the second time she sold it to her, it would have been more expensive because that's when she learned that the sandwich didn't work, so she had to buy more fentanyl.

[Shane Simpson]

But anyway, she did the law, supply and demand. Now she really wants it, so.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane Simpson]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

So, Yeah, I don't know why she didn't raise her prices. We talked about how she first attempted the fentanyl on Valentine's Day with the sandwich. And forensic evidence corroborates Carmen's statements, where she talks about their meeting points, where she met her and sold her. And allegedly, what I've read is that based upon forensic evidence, I'm sure from phone and computer or whatever it is that they took during the search, it corroborates the locations. However, you know, the defense is going to argue that this is a woman with drug charges against her who took immunity. And so she's going to be compelled to say whatever the prosecution wants. So that's. That's going to put like she's an.

[Shane Simpson]

Untrustworthy, non credible source.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

You know, I have to say that, you know, the few times that you've prepared a meal for me.

[Emily Simpson]

Yes.

[Shane Simpson]

Over the, over the last 16 years. And if I've like fallen ill and had a stomachache or something, like after.

[Emily Simpson]

I made something for you, I've never.

[Shane Simpson]

Once thought, oh, my gosh, she's trying to poison me. I just thought, oh, oh, I don't feel well.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, I'm glad that you eat too much. I'm glad you've never felt that way.

[Shane Simpson]

I know, but for him to think that.

[Emily Simpson]

Yes.

[Shane Simpson]

I mean, it's not just he had hives, so he thought his wife poisoned him. He had it led up to that. There, there was lots of things before that that made him think, my wife wants to kill me.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, that's.

[Shane Simpson]

That's weird.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay, it is weird. And this is what I don't understand. He clearly knew that she was doing financial things behind his back. There's one problem, because he took her out of the will and he named his sister as, you know, having controlling interests and everything. Yeah. So he didn't trust her financially.

[Shane Simpson]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

He also knew that she was having an affair. I believe there was some infidelity, fidelity going on. He also told his family that he thought she was trying to kill him. So I don't understand why you stay in the house.

[Shane Simpson]

What player are you like? I. I think I need to file for divorce. Right.

[Emily Simpson]

And I mean, he took, he ate the sandwich and he still hung out with her, and he still continued to live with her and take a cocktail from her.

[Shane Simpson]

It's like, hey, I'm going to go out, have some drinks with my wife. By the way, I think she's trying to kill me.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. And then she hands you later. She hands him a cocktail and he drinks it. I mean, make that make sense. I mean, this guy. I don't understand. The first second I thought you were trying to kill me. I'm going to move out. I'm just letting you know.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah.

[Commercial Announcer]

Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere, and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iheart for great, great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11 PC Mag Reader's Choice Used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Jenna Kim Jones]

Breaking news, everybody. Not everything is terrible. I repeat, not everything is terrible. The Ripple Effect with Jenna Kim Jones is proof that the Internet, it hasn't ruined humanity entirely.

[Shane Simpson]

Let me start by saying it's a.

[Emily Simpson]

Great day to be a gray shirt team Rubicon. You know, it truly is a team. Those folks, myself included, all had one desire, which is helping folks in disaster and trying to be a little bit of hope in a really, really bad situation.

[Jenna Kim Jones]

It's like magic, you guys. So put down your Doom scroller and pick up your faith in humanity and join me, Jenna, for the Ripple Effect. It's a reminder that you can start a ripple that changes everything. You really can. We give just that nugget of hope helping other people. For some of our gray shirts. It's during a time when they need help and by helping others, it helps them. Listen to the Ripple Effect with Jenna Kim Jones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000. This is where mindset comes in. Someone will be eliminated.

[Emily Simpson]

Pressure is coming down.

[Commercial Announcer]

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th.

[Shane Simpson]

Watch the trailer on trainergames.com Season 2.

[Jenna Kim Jones]

Of Unrivaled Basketball is here, and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Becker, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher, and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball. Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO. Max.

[Emily Simpson]

So you're telling me that the AI that's meant to make everyone's job easier to manage just adds More to manage on top of the thousands of apps the IT department already manages. Funny how that works. Any business can add AI. IBM helps you scale and manage AI to change how you do business. Let's create Smile to Business IBM. All right, so we have the orange notebook.

[Shane Simpson]

We have the drug dealer, the orange notebook.

[Emily Simpson]

I know, right?

[Shane Simpson]

That's the note.

[Emily Simpson]

Now, you're going to love the walk the dog letter because this is another piece of evidence that the prosecution has against her. So this walk that they call it walk the dog letter because this is a handwritten letter that Corey wrote while she is in prison awaiting trial that she wrote to her mother. It's six pages long. And the prison staff, I don't know who it was, but they found it when they searched her cell and they found it hidden inside a book.

[Shane Simpson]

An orange book?

[Emily Simpson]

Not an orange book, just a regular book. And at the top, in big bold letters with the exclamation point, it says walk the dog. So she's, you know, reminding her mom to walk the dog. So they call it the walk the dog letter. But it's so incriminating. I'm just going to read some of it. So she says to her mother, we.

[Shane Simpson]

And we believe this to have been written while in prison.

[Emily Simpson]

No, she. Yes, they found it in her cell.

[Shane Simpson]

She didn't submit it to whoever. Her mom or whatever.

[Emily Simpson]

No, I'm sure she at some point was going to mail it.

[Shane Simpson]

Okay. Yeah. So she wrote it and hadn't delivered it.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So she wrot six page handwritten letter, hid it in a book in her prison cell, and then prison staff found it. And obviously, like we were talking about this earlier, there's no. There's no privacy in a prison cell. I assume there's no.

[Shane Simpson]

No. There's no bathroom door.

[Emily Simpson]

There's no fourth amendment rights.

[Shane Simpson]

Everything's right out there.

[Emily Simpson]

So she says, here is what I'm thinking, but you have to talk to Ronnie. So Ronnie is her brother. He would probably have to testify to this, but it's super short. Not a lot to tell Sky. Sky is her attorney at the time. She has a new attorney now. But sky at the meeting next week. Upon information and belief, a year prior to Eric's death, Ronnie was over watching football one Sunday, and Eric and Ronnie were chatting about Eric's Mexico trips. Eric told Ronnie he gets pain pills and fentanyl from Mexico from the workers at the ranch and not to tell me because I would get mad because I always said he just gets high every night and. And won't help Take care of the kids. There are pictures in my phones of Eric passed out on the floor or in the chair. Ronnie should have texts from Eric talking about getting high as well. Eric told Ronnie he keeps them and an allergy pill bottle in his work truck so I wouldn't find them. Ronnie never told me about the conversation. Eric finally told me and asked if Carmen could get him some. That's the housekeeper. Eric never wanted anyone to know he had an issue, especially get caught. He always wanted Corey to go down for him when they traveled. Eric would put his drugs in and Carrie's bag at the airlines right before they boarded. That way, if they were caught, Corey got in trouble, not him. It goes on.

[Shane Simpson]

So it's like, so have him testify to all those things.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So then after this letter is found, which basically to me is nothing more than instructions about what her brother Ronnie needs to go to her attorney and.

[Shane Simpson]

Say what he needs to testify, what he needs to say.

[Emily Simpson]

He needs to say that Eric has a drug problem. Because that's her defense. Right. Her defense is that he is a drug addict and he overdose ghost. Right? Right. It's not that she poisoned him with fentanyl.

[Shane Simpson]

It wasn't my fentanyl that did it. It was his.

[Emily Simpson]

It's just that he has a drug problem and that he goes to Mexico and he buys drugs and he gets high every night and he passes out. So she's giving explicit instructions meanwhile, to her brother.

[Shane Simpson]

But meanwhile, their housekeeper apparently can get fentanyl, but he goes to Mexico to get it.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So her defense claims that this is not an instructions to her brother and to her mom as to how to testify or to. To make this story into her. Her husband being a drug addict. But it's a fictional work that she's writing a book. And this is just a fictional piece of writing, even though it names her brother Ronnie explicitly. And it's written to her mom and it says walk the dog at the top of it.

[Shane Simpson]

I don't understand. I don't know. Anyway, I mean, who does she think she's fooling?

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know, but this is. I mean, talk about incriminating. I mean, you're literally telling your brother.

[Shane Simpson]

You know what her turn testify's going. Quit writing stuff down and leaving it everywhere. Well, you leave notebooks in your house. You leave them in the cell. Quit writing this stuff down.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. Well, she makes reference to her attorney, Sky. And we do know that that attorney, they parted ways. She has a new attorney now based upon Irreconcilable differences. So that was probably part of the conversation.

[Shane Simpson]

Divorced her attorney.

[Emily Simpson]

She divorced her attorney. She did. So the walk the dog letter. I don't know. I found it.

[Shane Simpson]

Does it just say walk the dog? And then it start. Talks about testimonies.

[Emily Simpson]

It just says, walk the dog. Really big at the top. So they call it. They call it the walk the dog letter.

[Shane Simpson]

What does it say? But take.

[Emily Simpson]

It says, but take vague notes. So you remember. I don't know.

[Shane Simpson]

I don't know either.

[Emily Simpson]

I mean, it's. It's very. I mean, it's. It's as incriminating as you can get.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, well, O.J. wrote a book.

[Emily Simpson]

Book.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, it was called if I Did It.

[Emily Simpson]

If I Did it, this is what I would do.

[Shane Simpson]

I didn't kill her, but if I was gonna kill the love of my life, this is how I would do it.

[Emily Simpson]

I would use a Bronco.

[Shane Simpson]

Outrage came out before it was even published, and the publishing company somehow, like, dropped it or whatever.

[Emily Simpson]

So it was never actually.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, I don't remember. Like, can you find it anywhere? Yeah, I downloaded it.

[Emily Simpson]

Did you read it?

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, I read. I, like, skimmed through it. It was creepy and weird and it was. Yeah, it was. If I did it.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. That's strange.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know.

[Shane Simpson]

Saying I told her that was doing it. Well, apparently, the publishing company. I don't know.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, they have.

[Shane Simpson]

I don't know.

[Emily Simpson]

So now there's a witness named Robert Crozier. He is the drug dealer who is high. So when you're talking about drug dealing, apparently the. The housekeeper was just the distributor, but then she had to buy the fentanyl from someone else.

[Shane Simpson]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

So the person she bought it from was a man named Robert Crozier. He is the drug dealer who supplied the housekeeper. He gave a statement originally to investigators, to the prosecution that said he sold fentanyl to Carmen Lauber on two different occasions. However, recently, he has now come forward and says he's changed his statements, claiming that he did not sell her Fentanyl, that he sold her Oxy. So he's claiming that when he made those original statements, when he said he did sell fentanyl to the housekeeper, Carmen, he's claiming that he was. What was that? He was coming out of what?

[Shane Simpson]

He was detoxing. And so he has. He has no memory during a certain period of time while he was detoxing, probably because he was on medication or. I don't know how it works.

[Emily Simpson]

So now he's coming forward, and his statements are Very clear. And he's saying that he did not sell fentanyl to the housekeeper. He sold oxy, which is actually, it's very critical to this case, because the case with the prosecution against her is that she. Because he had a lethal dose of fentanyl.

[Shane Simpson]

Well, yeah. And if you believe him and you take his testimony that he did not give fentanyl to the housekeeper, then that means the housekeeper did not give fentanyl.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

To the defendant. Which means that. Which is how the victim died.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

So therefore, if you can't place the. The. The weapon in the defendant's hands.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

Kind of. You're creating a lot of doubt.

[Emily Simpson]

You're creating a lot of reason, but it sounds silly.

[Shane Simpson]

Well, here it sounds absolutely ridiculous to say, like, I don't know, it's like a technicality. It's like, well, it wasn't fentanyl. It was oxy that I got and I didn't. I don't know. It's just a whole. And then he has incentive to say, like, oh, wait, he died of fentanyl. There's murder charges. Yeah, I didn't give her fentanyl. I gave her oxy.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. But also, he's the drug dealer. He's not the chemist.

[Shane Simpson]

No.

[Emily Simpson]

So in my mind, when I read that, I was thinking, he doesn't have.

[Shane Simpson]

A degree in pharmacology.

[Emily Simpson]

No. That what drug dealer knows what the. The chemical makeup is? And isn't it possible that it's oxy, but it could also have.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah. Be Lace.

[Emily Simpson]

Lace with fentanyl.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

So, I mean, it is an argument.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, it's.

[Shane Simpson]

But the orange notebook is of more value to me.

[Emily Simpson]

You like the walk the dog letter.

[Shane Simpson]

And the orange notebook. Right.

[Emily Simpson]

So there we go with that. That's the defense creating reasonable doubt by having him testify that it wasn't actually fentanyl, that it was oxy. It also made me wonder if. And this is just an opinion. This is not based in anything other than maybe her family got to him. To this witness.

[Shane Simpson]

Okay. Corey's family.

[Emily Simpson]

Yes.

[Shane Simpson]

Got to the witness and said.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, like what? Like maybe there's some witness tampering going on and got. And something. Some incentive to. For him to recant and change it. Because that's the crux of the case. If it's not fentanyl that she was buying.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, but you're. You really are just guessing. That's not based on anything.

[Emily Simpson]

No, I just said I'm just guessing.

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, it's guessing not even based on a pos. Like Some evidence out there that they had conversations.

[Emily Simpson]

No, I'm just guessing it's just a. In the dark shot at. Maybe there was some witness tampering going on and that's why this drug dealer has now changed his testimony.

[Shane Simpson]

Or maybe it's the fact that he doesn't want charges brought against him.

[Emily Simpson]

Why? Because do you get lesser charges if it's oxygen?

[Shane Simpson]

Yeah, because then it's like, I didn't. I didn't contribute to this murder. I didn't play a part in this.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay. Now also with these drug charges and these witnesses that are coming forward that are testifying to this drugs. I just, I just saw a podcast on this where this was recent in this case where there's motions being made that these witnesses need independent counsel to represent them because they're going to testify.

[Shane Simpson]

Oh, yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

About drugs, drug deal.

[Shane Simpson]

That's where the immunity comes in.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane Simpson]

You want to. Sometimes they want to grant, like, we'll just give you immunity because we don't really care about your stupid little fentanyl party they had the other night. We want to know about this murder, and we want you to speak freely and candidly without any, you know, worries or any, you know, censoring of anything.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. The only person that has immunity so far is just the housekeeper, Carmen. But there are other people that are going to testify that has to do with the drugs and the drug deal and talking about all that. So I believe it was the defense that made a motion that said the state needs to supply these people with their own independent counsel and pay for their counsel because they're. They're self incriminating and they don't have anyone else.

[Shane Simpson]

Well, when you're a criminal, you need to be prepared to have a criminal defense attorney.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

So that's. That's tough for them.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay, all right.

[Shane Simpson]

Like, I have no sympathy for the.

[Emily Simpson]

Fact that I know you have no sympathy.

[Shane Simpson]

Oh, no. They're burdened with having to get an attorney because they party on the weekends with drugs.

[Emily Simpson]

All right, so In August of 2024, a judge ruled there was enough evidence to send Corey to trial on charges including aggravated murder, attempted murder that's related to the alleged Valentine's Day poisoning, drug distribution, insurance and mortgage fraud, and forgery. Corey pleaded not guilty to all counts. So the trial for the murder and associated charges was initially scheduled to begin in April of 2025. However, the start of the trial was delayed indefinitely as her defense challenged certain aspects of jury selection. So the prosecutors have amended the charging documents to separate financial crimes like the mortgage fraud and forgery from the murder case, consolidating them into a separate 26 count case. So the murder trial remains pending in county jail, delayed while legal motions continue. However, I have read that she is slated to go go to trial in February of 2026. So that's coming up in a couple months and we'll see what's going to happen with that. Obviously there's going to be a lot of hearings.

[Shane Simpson]

It might be pushed, there might be issues with evidence and discovery and all that stuff.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane Simpson]

Especially with this orange notebook. I'm dying to read this orange notebook.

[Emily Simpson]

All right, so that is the Corey Richards case. That's in Utah. I find it fascinating and obviously because she is slated to go to trial soon, there's going to be a lot of things that probably come up in the next couple months, but they're this case. So we will continue to follow it and give you guys updates on it and then obviously file the trial once it happens. So anyway, thank you guys so much for listening to Legally Brunette. As always, if you have any cases that you would like us to discuss, I love when you guys give me information on Instagram. I read it and a lot of times I do Google the cases that you guys suggest. So thank you for that and remember to follow us on our new feed. It's Legally Brunette. You can get all of our episodes there. So thanks so much for listening. We appreciate you. Thank you.

[Commercial Announcer]

Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature Updates upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice. Used with permission. All rights reserved. This time of year, most of us are checking off our holiday gift lists. But identity thieves have lists too, and your personal information might be on them. Protect your identity with LifeLock. LifeLock monitors millions of data points every second and alerts you to threats you could miss. If your identity is stolen, Lifelock will fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Make this season about joy, not identity theft. With LifeLock, save up to 40% your first year at LifeLock.com iHeart terms apply. This is Julian Edelman from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jewels. Sunday mornings I've got my game day ritual coffee, Lucky socks and now New Morning Uncrustable Sandwiches.

[Shane Simpson]

It's all about that 12 gram protein boost with the new Uncrustables Bright Eyed Berry or Up and Apple flavors.

[Commercial Announcer]

Bright Eye Berries got a feisty receiver.

[Shane Simpson]

Energy up an apple. Your classic Do it all tight end.

[Commercial Announcer]

Soft, pillowy, packed with protein and easy enough for Gronk to grab from the freezer.

[Shane Simpson]

Whether you're on the couch, driving to the tailgate or heading to the locker room, New Morning Uncrustable Sandwiches are the MVP of snacks.

[Commercial Announcer]

Your new Sunday kickoff ritual starts here with New Morning Uncrustable sandwiches packed with 12 grams of protein.

[Jenna Kim Jones]

Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physics, physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.

[Emily Simpson]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Jenna Kim Jones]

Someone will be eliminated.

[Emily Simpson]

Pressure is coming down.

[Commercial Announcer]

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th.

[Shane Simpson]

Watch the trailer on trainergames.com Season 2.

[Jenna Kim Jones]

Of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max.