- Carmen Lauber testified about obtaining fentanyl for Kouri Richins, who is accused of fatally poisoning her husband.
- Lauber admitted to obtaining drugs for Richins four times, three of them prior to Eric Richins' death.
- Forensic tests revealed Eric Richins had five times a lethal fentanyl dose in March 2022.
PARK CITY — After hearing about Eric Richins' death, Carmen Lauber said in a phone call with Kouri Richins that she questioned whether the fentanyl pills she obtained on behalf of Kouri Richins contributed to his death.
She said, "Please tell me these pills were not for him," and Kouri Richins' response was, "No, they were not. Eric passed away from a brain aneurysm," according to Lauber's testimony Thursday.
Lauber testified about obtaining drugs four different times for Kouri Richins, a Kamas mom on trial for murder in the death of her husband, Eric Richins. He died of a fatal dose of fentanyl on March 4, 2022. Kouri Richins is also charged with attempted murder and accused of slipping drugs into his food, making him sick, on Valentine's Day of 2022.
Lauber, who admitted to having a criminal history of drug possession and distribution but said she has been sober for four years, said it "hit hard" when she learned that Eric Richins had actually died from an overdose. She used a tissue to wipe her eyes and she spoke about it.
"If that's what happened, I needed to step up and take accountability for my part in this, what happened and what I was asked for," she said.
Four drug deals
She said she had known Kouri Richins from working for her aunt's house cleaning business for nine years. She cleaned Kouri Richins' home every other Friday and met both her and Eric Richins. By early 2022, however, she was no longer working for that company.
Lauber testified that in early February 2022, she obtained some pain pills for Kouri Richins at her request. The second time Kouri Richins asked for "something stronger" and Lauber asked a friend if they knew anyone with opiate pills and was told some fentanyl was available.
She said she picked up $1,000 from a home Kouri Richins owned in Midway, got a ride from a friend to purchase the fentanyl and then buried the pills in the fire pit at that home.
The third time she obtained drugs that same month was a similar situation. Lauber said Kouri Richins told her the investor she was reaching out on behalf of needed something stronger and asked for "the Michael Jackson stuff." This time, she said Richins picked up the pills in Lauber's driveway in Heber City.
The fourth time she said she also got fentanyl from the same drug dealer after Kouri Richins requested some after Eric Richins' death.
Watch the trial here:
Lauber said Kouri Richins helped her get fake community service letters for drug court because she was spending time obtaining drugs for her, but the fake letters didn't work and she ended up spending a day in jail.
During her cross-examination of Lauber, defense attorney Wendy Lewis presented three binders with transcripts of interviews Lauber did in 2023 while in jail. She went over Lauber's drug court history, particularly looking at drug tests conducted in February and March of 2022.
"You were high that whole time, February and March?" Lewis asked. "You were using very regularly."
Lauber responded, "I guess so, yes."
Lewis pointed out multiple discrepancies in Lauber's testimony and interviews, and hinted that officers suggested fentanyl to her and that is why the woman mentioned fentanyl in later interviews but initially had mentioned other drugs.
The attorney pointed to multiple comments in the transcript where officers offered her help with her drug charges in exchange for her helping them with the Richins case. In one video of the interview played for the jury, an officer defined help as "give us the details that will ensure Kouri gets convicted of murder."
Brianna Peterson, a forensic toxicologist, testified Thursday about tests conducted on fluids from Eric Richins' body. She said initially on March 8, 2022, a test found fentanyl had already been processed by the body.
A few months later she said a second test found a small amount of ethanol, which could have come from a drink or decomposition; less than a normal dose of quetiapine, a medication prescribed to Kouri Richins, according to previous testimony; 20,000 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl, which is five times a lethal dosage; and smaller amounts of norfentanyl and acitolfentanyl which is often found in illegally-made fentanyl.
Kouri Richins, 35, is charged with aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder, first-degree felonies, two counts of insurance fraud, a second-degree felony, and forgery, a third-degree felony. She also has a separate case with additional financial charges that this jury will not consider.
The trial continues Friday.
