Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby, 49, and former Summit County Sheriff David Edmunds, 54, stood before a judge this week and pleaded not guilty to criminal charges accusing them of interfering with the investigation that sent convicted killer Kouri Richins to prison for life. A grand jury indicted Rigby on a second-degree felony count of obstruction of justice in a criminal proceeding and a class B misdemeanor count of making a written false statement, while Edmunds was indicted on a third-degree felony count of obstruction of justice in a criminal investigation.
Both men entered their pleas Wednesday in Summit County's 3rd District Court, according to TownLift. The charges stem from allegations connected to the investigation into Richins, who was convicted of poisoning her husband Eric Richins and sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to KSL News. Prosecutors have not said publicly how the charges against the two sheriffs relate to the Richins investigation, and the public does not yet know the full basis for the case, per the same KSL report.
An Anonymous Letter and a Detective's Past
At the center of the case is an anonymous letter sent to the Summit County Attorney's Office that was postmarked January 10, 2026, and contained 13 specific allegations concerning Detective Eric Mainord, a key witness in the Richins trial. The letter raised questions about Mainord's credibility shortly before the murder trial began, according to an August 2026 search-warrant affidavit reported by the station. Mainord, a Summit County Sheriff's detective who previously worked for the Heber City Police Department, had run against Rigby for Wasatch County Sheriff, per KSL News.
Richins' attorneys have said Mainord was pivotal in the investigation and argued they were not fully aware of his background before trial. They sought the opportunity to question his credibility and truthfulness, and Mainord was ultimately removed from the state's witness list. He had appeared in a video shown to jurors during an interview with Carmen Lauber, according to the same KSL account.
Timeline of the Alleged Obstruction
According to ABC News, Rigby's indictment alleges he presented or used a knowingly false item in January 2026 to hinder a prosecution, while Edmunds' indictment alleges he provided false information on March 13, 2026, intended to hinder identification of the letter's author. The indictments remained heavily redacted when unsealed this month, and a hearing is scheduled for November 4 in Summit County's 3rd District Court to determine whether those redacted portions should be made public, KSL TV reported. Defense attorneys have filed motions arguing that unredacted releases would threaten fair-trial rights, per the station's reporting.
Attorney Steve Burton told KSL News that using a grand jury to bring criminal charges is unusual, and that prosecutors may have viewed the sheriffs' actions as an inappropriate or illegal attempt to interfere with the trial. Burton said people assume the alleged interference may have been politically motivated, and noted that grand juries are often used in sensitive cases involving public officials or law enforcement officers. Prosecutors presented the allegations and evidence to the grand jury behind closed doors, the station reported.
A Long Professional Alliance Between the Two Sheriffs
Edmunds, who served as Summit County Sheriff from 2003 to 2014, previously spoke publicly on Rigby's behalf before the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council in January 2023, describing Rigby as an “exceptional man” who worked for him for many years, according to the Utah Investigative Journalism Project. Edmunds made those comments while Rigby was under consideration for Utah POST Director, the outlet reported.
What It Means for the Richins Case
Richins was convicted by a Summit County jury in March 2026 of aggravated murder and attempted murder in the fatal fentanyl poisoning of her husband, and was sentenced to life without parole on May 13, per Court TV. The case centered on the fatal fentanyl poisoning of her husband. Her attorneys have asked the court to delay a decision on their request for a new trial, seeking more time to investigate the allegations against Rigby and Edmunds and to determine whether the process that convicted Richins was incomplete or inappropriate, KSL News reported.
Richins also faces financial charges, including mortgage fraud, money laundering and insurance fraud, according to KPCW. A Summit County court also ordered Richins to pay $55 million in damages to her late husband's estate following her criminal conviction, per ABC News.
Same Prosecutors, New Cases
The prosecutors handling the sheriffs' cases are the same individuals involved in the Richins murder trial, according to KSL News. Richard McKelvie was sworn in as a special prosecutor for the Summit County Attorney's Office and brought in to aid the investigation, possibly because of the case's sensitive political nature, per Burton. Rigby and Edmunds could seek plea agreements or choose to take their cases to trial, the station reported.
The indictments charge Rigby with second-degree felony obstruction and Edmunds with third-degree felony obstruction.
