Kouri Richins, a Utah grief book author, sent texts to her alleged lover just days before her husband’s murder, a forensic expert revealed on Monday during a hearing to decide if she will stand trial.
Richins is accused of killing her husband, Eric Richins, by giving him a fentanyl-laced Moscow mule. Digital forensic expert Chris Kotrodimos testified that she exchanged text messages with Robert Grossman two days before Eric’s fatal overdose on March 4, 2022.
Prosecutor Joe Hill asked Kotrodimos if there were ongoing messages between Richins and Grossman around the time of Eric’s death, to which Kotrodimos confirmed.
On the day before her husband’s death, Richins texted Grossman, her 41-year-old alleged lover, saying Love you, according to court documents cited by the Daily Mail.
Kotrodimos also revealed that on February 14, 2022, the day prosecutors claim Richins first tried to poison her husband with a fentanyl-laced sandwich, she kept Grossman informed of her travel time to meet someone. She sent him a screenshot to confirm she was about an hour away.
The forensic expert testified that Richins and Grossman began messaging each other in November 2021 and continued to do so after Eric’s death. They communicated almost daily, both through text messages and phone calls.
However, Kotrodimos noted that a significant amount of data, including call logs, text messages, and internet search history, had been deleted from Richins’ phone between January and March 2022.
Richins had hired Grossman, a handyman, to renovate homes for her real estate business.
Monday’s hearing marked the beginning of three days of witness testimony to determine if there is enough evidence to try Richins for aggravated murder and related charges. If convicted, she could face up to 25 years in prison.
Summit County Detective Jeff O’Driscoll testified earlier that Richins’ housekeeper, Carmen Marie Lauber, allegedly sold her fentanyl on three occasions: February 11, February 26, and March 9, 2022.
Prosecutors argue that Richins devised an elaborate plan to kill her husband after he started suspecting her of cheating and plotting to murder him. Eric had recently removed her from his will and changed his life insurance policy.
After his death, Richins published a children’s book titled Are You With Me? about coping with grief. She was arrested in May 2023 and remains in custody, maintaining her innocence.