Texts about money, marriage fuel Kouri Richins murder trial

Text messages about marriage, money, and a “fresh start” took center stage in Murder trial From Utah writer Corey Richins, where prosecutors laid out what they say was her plan to abandon her husband and profit from his death.

Richins, 35, is charged with first-degree murder, attempted aggravated murder and multiple financial crimes in the death of her husband, Eric Richins, on March 3, 2022. Prosecutors allege she poisoned the man with a Moscow mule laced with fentanyl so she could collect life insurance money and start a new life with her boyfriend. She has pleaded not guilty.

During opening statements, Summit County Deputy Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth read aloud a series of text messages that he said were exchanged between Richins and a man identified in court as her boyfriend.

In one letter sent the day before Eric’s death, Richins allegedly wrote: “If I were divorced now and I asked you to marry me tomorrow, would you?”

Internet searches recovered from the phone of Corey Richins, a Utah mother accused of fatally poisoning her husband, are displayed on screen during her murder trial in Summit County Courthouse in Park City, Utah, Monday, February 23, 2026. (Spencer Hibbs/AP Photo, Pool)

Weeks earlier, prosecutors said she sent another message: “If he can leave, and you can be there, life will be so perfect.”

Jurors also heard that 16 days after Eric’s death, Richins allegedly sent her boyfriend a link to a resort in the Caribbean and wrote: “Are we there yet?” About a month after the death, prosecutors said she texted him, “I think I want you to be my husband one day.”

Bloodworth argued that the letters reveal Richins’ desire to start over and referred to what he described as escalation Financial pressures.

According to prosecutors, Richins was facing significant debt and believed she would inherit millions from Eric’s estate if he died. Bloodworth told jurors that the prenuptial agreement would have limited what she got in the event of a divorce.

Children’s book author Corey Richins says scandal and notoriety poisoned her murder trial

Body camera video is shown on a screen during the murder trial of Corey Richins during her murder trial at the Summit County Courthouse, in Park City, Utah, Monday, February 23, 2026. (Spencer Hibbs/AP Photo, Pool)

“Cory Richins killed Eric for his money and for a new start in life,” Bloodworth said in court.

Prosecutors also highlighted phone activity since the early morning hours of March 4, 2022.

Bloodworth told jurors that Richins first used her phone at 3:06 a.m. but did not call 911 until 3:21 a.m.

The state also pointed to Internet searches conducted after Eric’s death, including: “Can the cops come out Deleted messages for iPhone?”

Jurors were also told there were three financial-themed memes, including one that said “I’m rich!” – Reached on Richins’ phone on the morning of Eric’s death.

Prosecutors allege the killing was related to life insurance proceeds.

The housekeeper is expected to play a key role in the trial of the wife accused of killing her husband in a wealthy ski town

Kathy Nester, defense attorney for Corey Richins, a Utah mother accused of fatally poisoning her husband, shows jurors a photo of a pill bottle while giving her opening statement in Richins’ murder trial at the Summit County Circuit Court in Park City, Utah, Monday, February 23, 2026. (Spencer Hibbs/AP Photo, Pool)

Court documents state that Richins purchased several life insurance policies totaling about $2 million and later changed the beneficiary designation to herself without Eric Richins’ permission. Authorities say Eric discovered the change and returned the beneficiary to his business partner.

Investigators also allege that Richins intended to use insurance money to complete and flip a Wasatch County mansion worth nearly $2 million, an investment the Erics’ family said he did not approve of.

Defense attorney Katherine Nester told the jury that Eric suffered from chronic pain and drug abuse and died of an accidental overdose. In pretrial filings, Richins’ legal team argued that A.J The prosecution’s main witness has changed Their story and the evidence against it is largely circumstantial.

“No family ever wants to believe that someone they love is using drugs behind closed doors,” Nester said during opening statements.

The defense played Richins’ 911 call in court, where she can be heard crying and telling the dispatcher that her husband wasn’t breathing.

“Those are the voices of a wife who has become a widow,” Nester told jurors.

The third day of testimony ended unexpectedly after about an hour on the stand by the state’s lead crime scene technician.

Corey Richins, a Utah mother accused of fatally poisoning her husband, looks on during her murder trial in Summit County Courthouse in Park City, Utah, Monday, February 23, 2026. (Spencer Hibbs/AP Photo, Pool)

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Chelsea Gibson, the CSI technician who treated Richins’ home, faced questioning that focused on the evidence she gathered, including prescription medications removed from the scene and whether she observed alcohol or THC gummies inside the home. Gibson admitted that the bottle of hydrocodone recovered from the home was not tested for the presence of fentanyl and testified that no drug paraphernalia was found.

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Defense attorneys also questioned how some areas were documented, noting that no photos of the kitchen, sink or cabinet were taken during the initial remediation of the scene.

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Kathy Nester, defense attorney for Corey Richins, a Utah mother accused of fatally poisoning her husband, returns to her seat during the trial in Summit County Circuit Court in Park City, Utah, Monday, February 23, 2026. (Spencer Hibbs/AP Photo, Pool)

Judge Richard Mrazek called a recess around 9:30 a.m., citing a scheduling conflict. When the court resumed shortly after 10:30 a.m., he dismissed the jury for the day, citing “unforeseeable emergency circumstances unrelated to the case.”

Corey Richins’ housekeeper testified Thursday that she bought her painkillers after repeated requests in early 2022. Carmen Lauber said that in early February 2022, Richins ordered painkillers for an “investor,” took the pills and deleted her texts, and later left $1,000 at her Midway home for Lauber to pick up for another purchase.

Lauper also said she helped Corey Richins obtain increasingly stronger medications. She said she first looked into stronger painkillers through a friend after Corey Richins said her “investor” wanted something stronger, calling it “Michael Jackson stuff.”

Lauper’s testimony followed testimony from a state toxicologist who acknowledged that Eric Richins could have ingested fentanyl before consuming a drink, potentially undermining prosecutors’ claims that Corey Richins tied his mule in Moscow.

Richins was arrested in May 2023. The case was later charged National attention after its publication A children’s book about grief after the death of a husband.

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The trial is expected to continue for several more weeks.

Associated Press She contributed to this report.

Stephenie Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and immigrant crimes. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.

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