Kouri Richins: Defense Alleges Witness Intimidation

The Kouri Richins’ case took a turn this week that might interest true crime followers. You might recall that the Utah realtor and children’s book author was accused of poisoning her husband Eric by drugging him with a fentanyl-laced Moscow Mule in 2022. Read on for more details.

The Defense Is On The Attack

Kouri’s trial starts in February, and it looks like her defense team makes a lot of noise even before the court session. Their newest tack involves a serious charge of witness intimidation against the prosecution.

Apparently, there’s a lot of of back-and-forth text messages between state investigator Detective O’Driscoll and a witness. In fact, it seems that the detective tried to arrange a “prep session” for the trial. And, that’s not unusual. But according to a witness, it was anything but that.

The Witness Rejected Prepping

On Law&Crime Network this week, Angenette Levy explained more about it. Allegedly, the witness told the detective that they didn’t want to be prepped, didn’t want to be paid, and that if they had any questions, they could be sent through a text. Next, they texted, “You guys are some blood sucking, unfeeling people.”

Actually, that seems a bit of a shocker, given that the witness is the star of the detective’s prosecution case. During his chat with Angenette, a defense lawyer, Jeremy Diaz responded to it.

In his opinion, prepping a witness isn’t a crime. Notably, he explained that in Utah, witness tampering laws seem very clear. Basically, the detective would have to be proven to ask a witness to deliberately lie or hide something. Nevertheless, Diaz referred to it as a huge “overreach.”

Threats And Immunity?

The duo also discussed the fact that there’s a second witness in the Kouri Richins true crime case. Apparently, one of the witnesses is protected by a deal.

Normally, that means, “talk to us and you won’t get charged for your part in this.” So, the defense insists that the authorities threatened the witness with the revocation of the immunity, or even arrest, if they didn’t prep and cooperate.

Gray Areas

Actually, there could be some gray areas in this development. According to Diaz, lawyers want to get their witnesses ready, and that’s standard procedure. However, you can’t compel a witness to rehearse. Their only legal obligation is to appear when the subpoena tells them to.

From the prosecution’s side, they simply want to make the witness comfortable and prepared for what to expect. Meanwhile, the defense takes the angle that they terrify witnesses to make them say what they want.

What’s Next for Kouri?

Kouri Richins’ lawyers requested all the phone, text, and any other electronic communication between the state and the witnesses. Clearly, they aim at convincing the jury that the prosecution’s case seems largely based on coercion and pressure rather than on facts.

Frankly, the trial already hinted at potential drama. Apart from an alleged Valentine’s Day sandwich poisoning attempt, and Kouri apparently overwhelmed by debt, the “grieving widow” story already seemed rather thin. 

Now, with investigators and witness bullying allegations, the Utah case probably attracts more true crime watchers. And the question still remains: Is the evidence against Kouri really compelling or is the state just making a big fuss over a weak case?

Viewers React

In the comments section of the podcast, one viewer opined, “I can’t wait till this monster is found guilty by a jury! She’s prolonged this trial for long enough!”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion:

• W2 with immunity is probably the housekeeper who connected Kouri with drugs.
• This sounds like a koberger case. Her lawyers are grabbing all different straws to not get to court. Because they know she’s cooked.
• Witness 1 is basically a Karen, refusing to cooperate and trying to do things her way. She’s going to distract the defense with her BS right now? It must be the mom.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your true crime news and updates.