The legal tussle in the Kouri Richins murder case took another turn this week as Summit County prosecutors disputed claims from the defense that they had withheld exculpatory evidence and refuted the credibility of a key witness's recent reversal.
Earlier in October, Richins' defense team filed motions to reconsider bail based on a new affidavit from Robert Crozier, who was previously accused of providing the fentanyl that killed Eric Richins, Kouri's husband. In this document, Crozier claimed that he sold Carmen Lauber - the alleged middleman in the transaction - OxyContin, not fentanyl, a statement that diverges from his earlier interview transcripts, where he affirmed that Lauber knew about the fentanyl, Deseret News reported. Despite the affidavit, the Summit County Attorney's Office is steadfast in its position, stating, "Robert Crozier's recent assertion that he 'understood' that the pills he sold Carmen Lauber contained only OxyContin does not amount to a material change in circumstance," and that there is "substantial evidence … capable of supporting a jury finding that (Richins is) guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."
In their response, released late last week, prosecutors contended that “Mr. Crozier's recent assertion that the pills he sold Ms. Lauber contained only OxyContin does not withstand modest scrutiny," as per KSL News and referred to Crozier as "a low-level street dealer who got the pills from an unidentified 'source' at a time when nearly every pill on the street contained some amount of fentanyl," according to court documents obtained by 2KUTV News.
The prosecution also provided part of an interview between Summit County sheriff's detectives and Crozier from 2023 where Crozier unequivocally stated Lauber was aware the pills contained fentanyl; they argued that coupled with the toxicology results showing Eric Richins died of fentanyl poisoning, the new assertions by Crozier do not change any material circumstances surrounding the case, as detailed in a partial interview transcript reported by KSL.com. Adding another layer to the saga, the state has requested that the affidavits from chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth and chief investigator Travis Hopper, opposing the defense's call for exculpatory evidence, be marked as private; this latest development points to a determined prosecution team bolstered by a confidence in the constellation of evidence at its disposal.
Kouri Richins, who is currently facing charges of aggravated murder and attempted murder among other crimes is slated for trial on Feb. 23, 2026, jury selection is set to begin on Feb. 10. Her attorneys remain steadfast in their belief that the truth will surface in the trial, with Wendy Lewis from the defense team saying, "We believe that she's innocent and the rest will come out during the trial," in an exclusive interview with 2KUTV News Investigates.
