Day four of the Kouri Richins murder trial brought the witness prosecutors have been building toward since the case began. Carmen Lauber, Kouri Richins' former housekeeper, testified under immunity that she purchased illicit drugs for Kouri four times in the weeks surrounding Eric Richins' death in March 2022.
According to Lauber's testimony, the requests started with pain pills allegedly meant for an investor and escalated to fentanyl. Lauber says she told Kouri the pills were fentanyl and that Kouri told her to go ahead and get them. Cash was left in a house Kouri was flipping. Pills were dropped in a firepit. The system, as Lauber described it, was designed to keep Kouri at a distance from every handoff.
The most damaging testimony may have been what allegedly happened after Eric died. According to phone records displayed in court, Kouri texted Lauber three days after her husband's death asking if she still had her connection. She paid for the purchase with a check disguised as a cleaning payment. And when Lauber says she confronted Kouri about whether the pills had been for Eric, Kouri allegedly told her he died from a brain aneurysm.
The defense landed significant blows on cross. Lauber tested positive for meth throughout the period of the alleged deals, initially told investigators Kouri asked for oxycodone rather than fentanyl, and confirmed that a recorded meeting with investigators included the instruction to provide details that would ensure a conviction. Her drug source, Robert Crozier, has also changed his account of what he sold her.
Earlier in the day, toxicology testimony confirmed five times the lethal dose of illicit fentanyl in Eric's blood. No hydrocodone was detected. The jury also heard about phones belonging to Kouri's alleged boyfriend that were initially reported broken but later became operable and were processed by the FBI.
Kouri Richins has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is presumed innocent. Cross-examination continues Friday.
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