Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - COPS: DID MOTHER-IN-LAW HELP "MOSCOW MULE MOM" POISON HUBBY DEAD?

Episode Date: May 17, 2024

Kouri Richins defense team has a strategy to argue every piece of evidence the prosecution has, in an effort to have the case against her dismissed. The prosecutors are working hard to not let that happen during the preliminary hearing. As both sides are preparing to provide the court with their evidence, the prosecution says they need at least three full days to present their case for the judge. Noting the amount of time that will be needed to conduct the hearing, the judge moved the case to June 18 to June 21. The Kouri Richins defense will be to stand up to each piece of evidence and have the case dismissed before ever getting to trial  The judge allows prosecutors to introduce evidence that Kouri looked into getting a divorce and had a law firm on retainer.  After receiving a consultation. Kouri allegedly tells her bother that she ended the consultation because she didn't want half of everything and wants to walk away clean and free.  However, the court may reasonably infer the opposite is true as it appears Kouri Richins didn't want half of everything. Prosecutors say she wanted everything and to that end, planned to cause Eric Richins' death  The investigation into the death of Eric Richins show text messages between Kouri Richins and her mother, Lisa Darden, show great disdain for Eric on Lisa Darden's part. Investigators include in their report that right before her significant other dies, Lisa Darden is added to her will.   The detective writes, based on Lisa Darden’s proximity to her partner’s suspicious overdose death, and her relationship with Kouri, it is possible she was involved in planning and orchestrating Eric’s death."   JOINING NANCY GRACE TODAY:  Greg Skordas - Friend and Spokesperson for victim Eric Richins Troy Slaten - Criminal Defense Attorney, Slaten Lawyers, APC; Twitter @TroySlaten Dr Ernest Chiodo - Toxicologist, Physician, Biomedical Engineer, Attorney, Author: “Toxic Tort: Medical and Legal Elements”, www.ernestpchiodo.com,  Justin Boardman - Former Detective, West Valley City Police Department Special Victim’s Unit, Boardman Training & Consulting  Elaine Aradillas - Investigative Journalist Previously worked at People magazine and The Messenger.  X/Twitter: @elaineja  Instagram: @the_elaine  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Breaking news tonight. Did a mother-in-law help the so-called Moscow Mule Mom poison her hubby dead? And did the very same Moscow Mule mom openly state she'd be better off, quote, with her husband dead just before he is dead? Good evening. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us. Corey Richens calls police to her Utah home where her husband, Eric Richens,

is found dead in the early morning of March 4, 2022. Corey had given Eric a drink, a Moscow Mule, before bed. She then spent part of the night with one of her three children who had a nightmare. The night of his death, she said she returned to their bedroom at approximately 3 a.m. He was called to the touch and she called 911. Eric had five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system, which had been ingested

orally. Wow, five times a lethal dose in his system? That combined with what prosecutors are saying that the children's book author, oh by the way, that book was about her children grieving after the death of their father. Did she actually say her husband would be, quote, better off dead before killing him? That's what prosecutors claim. Joining me, an all-star panel to make sense of what we know right now. But I want you to see some very unemotional statements made by the so-called Moscow mule mom. What I have kind of found is, as I mentioned, it's kind of the three C's is how I visualize it. And it's, you know, connection, continuity and care.

And it's, you know, making sure connection is the one major one and making sure that their spirit is always alive. Okay. Making sure that the dad's spirit is still alive. I would rather have him still be alive. And that clip from our friends at Good Things Utah. But that's not all. Listen. Explaining to my kid just because he's not present here with us physically, that doesn't mean his presence isn't here with us and he's doing these things with us. I'm sure his presence will be with everyone in a court of law when Corey Richens, a.k.a. Moscow Mule Mom, is on trial for murder. Again, that was from our friends at Good Things Utah, who coincidentally, and I would say providentially, gave Corey Richens an interview about her new book. Are you with me?

Guys, with me in all-star panel right now to make sense of the latest developments in the so-called Moscow Mule Mom case. The big bombshell in my mind, and there's so many of them as this case progresses toward trial, is that prosecutors apparently are alleging or suspecting that Corey Richen's own mother had a hand in planning his death. Is that possible? Would a mother aid and abet and encourage her own daughter to commit a murder? I find that really hard to believe, but that seems to be what is being argued. Listen. Detectives are shocked to find Corey Ritten's mother, Lisa Darden, was romantically involved with a woman she was living with who suddenly and unexpectedly dies.

The warrant states an autopsy found the woman dies from an overdose of oxycodone. The woman was not addicted or in recovery and had a legitimate prescription for the medication. Detectives say accidental overdose seems unlikely. Okay, joining me in All-Star Panel, as I mentioned. But first, I want to go to investigative journalist who worked with People Magazine and The Messenger, Elaine Arradias. Elaine, thank you so much for being with us. What?

So, Corey Richens' mother was involved with a woman, and her lover, the mom's lover, died of an accidental overdose of Oxy. Is that correct? That's right. That's what police are saying. Huh. It seems that in the course of their investigation, they discovered that Lisa Darden's partner unexpectedly died. Now, Lisa Darden is Corey Richens' mother, correct? That's right. Okay, let me understand this. Corey Richens, so-called Moscow Mule Mom, is charged and heading to trial in the poisoning death of her husband five times over a lethal dose. Not five times over the legal limit, five times over a lethal dose, not five times over the legal limit, five times over a lethal dose. Okay. And now we find out what a coinkydink her mother's lover died of a lethal dose of Oxy. Now, let me understand one more issue regarding that prior death. Elaine Arradia is

with us, investigative journalist. The lover, the mom's lover, she had not had any addiction problems. She had never been in recovery, no prior suicide attempts. Has she had a legitimate prescription for the meds? That's right. She had a legitimate prescription. But the police have questioned that she died unexpectedly. And interestingly, Lisa is the beneficiary of the partner's estate. with no history of recovery, with a legitimate prescription. And the mother, Lisa Darden, was the beneficiary of the lover's estate. That is right. Okay, I'm sorry. It sounds like I'm an English teacher again,

diagramming a sentence on the blackboard for my eighth grade students. But I just had to break that down to make sure I understood what's going on. Okay, and apparently there may be more. Listen. Text messages between Corey Richens and her mother, Lisa Darden, show great disdain for Eric on Lisa Darden's part. Investigators report that right before her significant other dies, Lisa Darden is added to her wheel. Based on Lisa Darden's proximity to her partner's suspicious overdose death and her relationship with Corey, it is possible that she was involved in planning and orchestrating Eric's death. Before we even move a quarter inch forward, let me just say that Corey Richens' mother, Lisa Darden, has not been charged, has not been named a suspect,

a person of interest, and her lover's unexpected overdose. Now, that said, this is what I think is stirring the pot of suspicion, okay? There's a reason investigators are concerned. And this is it. Listen. In a six page handwritten letter, Richens instructs her mother and brother to give false testimony, stating this comes down to jealousy, money and Eric's partying that they don't want to acknowledge. And sadly, an accidental overdose. The prosecutors have asked the judge to restrict Richens from further engaging in witness tampering

by restricting her from contacting her mother and brother. In the letter, Richens allegedly wants her brother to say Eric told him he got pain pills and fentanyl from Mexico, pointing out how Ronnie's testimony could make the connection of Eric and drugs, that his testimony can be short and to the point, but has to be done. Richens tells her mother to pass the information to her brother in person, that her home and phone could be bugged. Okay. As we say in the courtroom, holy crap, that's a lot. Let me understand this. Let me go to a renowned criminal defense attorney. You know him well, Troy Slayton, joining us from the

Slayton Lawyers Group out in LA. Troy, on a personal note, it's wonderful to see you again now that that's taken care of. What? Okay, Troy, help me. Help me. Because according to prosecutors, this is not coming from me. I'm not dreaming this up. According to prosecutors and cops, there was a six page handwritten letter from Moscow Mule Mom. And it instructs her mother and brother to give false testimony. Okay, wait. But about what she states in the letter, it comes down to jealousy, money, and Eric's partying, and sadly, an accidental overdose. And she goes on to ask them to lie, to get her brother to say her husband, Eric, obtained the fentanyl that killed him from Mexico from workers at a ranch.

And she is instructing them in writing, in writing, Troy, in writing that that can connect Eric with the drugs and can be short. She's even instructing them how to say it short, but to the point, telling her mom to pass the info along to her brother verbally away from the home because she thinks the home is bugged. This isn't conjecture. This is a handwritten note by Moscow Mule Mom instructing her mother and brother to lie under oath. Troy Slayton respond. The prosecutors are saying that she was trying to engage in witness tampering, that she's trying to coach the witnesses. But what her defense is saying. Did you just say coach the witnesses?

I'm sorry, Liz. There must be something wrong with my earpiece because I thought I heard him say she's trying to coach the witnesses. This is not coaching witnesses. This is suborning perjury. Nancy. What? No, she's trying to explain the defense theory of the case. She's trying to explain what her whole theory of the case is and explain to her entire family.

You need to tell the story that you know. Nowhere in that letter does it say, I want you to lie for me. Nowhere does it say, I want you to make up a story. She knows that everybody's gonna be reading her mail. She knows everyone's reading her jail mail. That's why when she had a phone conversation with her mom, she held up a message for her mom to see

because she didn't want to say things out loud because she knows everyone is listening. You mean she didn't want to suborn perjury out loud. Okay. All right. I can see the argument that you would make a trial. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. The prosecutors were so concerned about the mother's involvement that they actually asked the judge to restrict Moscow Mule Mom from further engaging in witness tampering, restricting her from contacting her mother and brother. Wow. Okay. Mom and bro better be careful. Are they going to be dragged into this thing too? So is it possible? Apparently prosecutors think it is that the mother of Corey Richens actually had a hand in planning Eric Richens' death. What more do we know?

In court, Corey Richens facing multiple, multiple motions. Is it all about money or is it also about love? Oh, let me rephrase. Sex. Listen. As investigators are looking over text messages from Corey Richens to others, they find romantic messages written to a man other than her husband. In a text to her unnamed lover, Corey Richens writes, I'm in love with a man that's not my husband. In another text, I just

want to lay on the couch and cuddle you, watch a murder documentary and snuggle. She also texts the unknown man, if I was divorced right now and asked you to marry me tomorrow, you would? Richens allegedly asked this the day after Valentine's Day. Troy Slayton, I don't know if I'm more angry about the sex with the lover or wanting to watch a murder mystery and snuggle. What? You mean actually have emotional intimacy with her boy toy? Are you serious? I mean, on the sofa snuggling, watching a murder mystery? Thattery does not murder make. And although it may provide some sort of motive for investigators, there are plenty of people all over the world every single day that are having adulterous relationships that aren't killing their spouse. So that's ridiculous. And with regard to her being, and with regard to the whole suborning perjury,

I just wanted to say that most criminal defendants are out on bail. This is somebody who's having to defend themselves, defend their life on murder charges while being in the confines of a jail cell. She hasn't been found guilty of anything, yet she's not able to help her defense team. She's not able to marshal her defense because she's stuck in a jail cell.

You know what? That was so complex with, again, technical legal term BS. I really don't know which way to go first. Let me try to do it chronologically. First of all, Troy Slayton, do you ever, ever get tired of second verse, same as the first? Just because he, she is an adulterer doesn't make them a murderer. How many times have you said that? I mean, I've run out of fingers and toes to count how many times you've actually made

that argument to me. But let me reverse that. Okay, true. Every adulterer is not a killer. But in domestic homicides, I would argue anecdotally that a majority of the killers are adulterers. So let's reverse that. What about that, Slayton? That may be true.

Let me enjoy the moment of him having to agree with me. Also cheating. Yes, Nancy. Okay, now let's move on to your next, your next. What, what, what? Oh, boo hoo. Corey Richards is behind bars. I hate when that happens, when your husband kills over dead. And you get, okay, you know what? You say that a love affair, let me just rephrase that, a sex affair is not necessarily grounds for murder. Okay. I would agree with you because there are no grounds for murder, but let's talk about possibly

an even stronger motivator. Money. What people will do for money. Hey, you know what? Get another job. But this? Listen, Slayton, sit back and enjoy what you're about to hear. Prosecutors working theory is that Corey Richens was facing a severe financial crisis prior to the death of Eric. Richens sends a text to her best friend saying she owes her husband over a quarter of

a million dollars after taking out a home equity line of credit on his home. The text says, I don't know what to do. If he thinks I owe him the money, then that's fine. I'll pay whatever he thinks and then I'm out. She tells the friend she has investments that will cover what she owes in a couple of months. But until then, she texts, got to be top-notch careful, adding her goal is to make sure custody for the three boys will at least be 50-50. Got to be top-notch careful. Okay, Justin Boardman is joining me in addition to Troy Slate, a high-profile lawyer, and Elaine Ardeas, investigative journalist, Justin Boardman, top notch careful. I bet one thing that Moscow Mule Mom didn't count on is that cell phone movements and cell phone data can be tracked. OK, for instance, your cell phone can be tracked going from room to room in and out.

And when you try to delete texts that you've been texting while your husband's in the next room dying and you tell the cops, oh, I was in another room. I didn't sleep with him that night. My cell phone was plugged in over there. But we can tell that you're texting and then deleting your text at the time your husband dies. Ouch. Boardman, there is no perfect crime. There's not any perfect crime. There's always a slip up. There's always something going on. You were mentioning previously about a text message that happened right after Valentine's Day to her lover. And Valentine's Day, wasn't that a possible poison sandwich at that point in time? Hey, you are so right, man. You've got a steel trap for a memory. Justin Boardman,

when Corey Richens reportedly tried to poison her husband with a sandwich on Valentine's Day, that was a prior murder attempt. And thank you for reminding me of that because, you know, I love nothing more than a good old similar transaction. According to prosecutors, this ain't her first time at the rodeo. She has apparently tried to kill him before. That's the allegation. She remains innocent until proven guilty. But back to, I'm so happy, back to Troy Slayton. Troy Slayton, you said, sex is not enough motive for murder, as if there is anything.

But there's more about her potential financial ruin. Listen. In the investigation into finances, prosecutors find out that even though Corey Richens is in serious financial trouble, she continues to rack up debt over three million dollars the day her husband dies. Prosecutors say Richens has recently defaulted on one loan and is struggling to avoid default on others, adding her bank accounts are exhausted and she is spiraling toward financial collapse. Even so, prosecutors say she tries buying another million-dollar home with money she doesn't have. Elaine Ardea is joining us, investigative journalist.

Elaine, tell me about Corey Richens' money problems. Corey Richens is a financial disaster. The more details that keep coming out about this, we are learning that she just keeps going further into debt. And we're talking millions of dollars. And she's banking on the fact that, you know, once her husband dies, she's going to come into $5 million and then everything will be fixed. But she cannot keep anything straight and she just keeps going further into debt. Three days after Eric Richens dies, Corey Richens calls a locksmith to have her husband's safe unlocked. Corey expects there to be $125,000 to $165,000

in cash. Eric Richens' sister Amy finds out Corey's trying to get into the safe and informs her that she doesn't have a right to the funds in the safe. Eric Richens removed Corey's name from the life insurance policy and she's no longer named in his will. Eric replaced Corey with his sister Katie as the beneficiary. Corey Richens becomes enraged and punches Amy in the neck and face. Corey Richens is charged with assault and after failing to follow through on a plea agreement, she's convicted of assault. Okay, hold up everybody. Straight back out to investigative journalist Elaine Adedias. So now Corey Richens is actually convicted for attacking her sister-in-law. And I believe that that happened when the sister-in-law informed her,

contrary to what she thought, Moscow Meal Mom is no longer the beneficiary and she attacks the sister? Corey thought that she was one step ahead of everybody. She was talking to people running things and like having her name changed, added to documents. And she thought she was running the show. But lo and behold, when she goes to start taking what she thought was hers,

Eric's sister informed her, no, I am in charge of all of Eric's estate. And so clearly she became enraged and it was, it was a shock to her system. And I think at that point, that's when she suddenly realizing that she does not have anything to her name. I want to get to the punching part. When did she hit the sister? Oh, they get into a fight at the house when she's trying to take everything out of the safe. And the sister and her are, you know, yelling at each other and finally coming to blows. And so Corey was arrested and charged and in a hearing she was deemed time served. Joining me now is a very dear friend and spokesperson for the husband. He's often referred to as husband, hubby, decedent, victim. His name is Eric Richens and he was a beloved father and son. Greg Skordas, thank you for being with us. What do you make of new allegations

that Corey Ridgen's mother actually helped her in the murder plot? It doesn't surprise me, given the family history and given everything we know about Corey's family. I think her mother gave her the idea, gave her the suggestion, gave her sort of the whole game plan for it. But like your other guests have said, Corey was in horrible financial shape. She was a disaster as a financial planner. And even the planning of this murder itself was botched so badly

that she's sitting in the Summit County Jail now and is on her way to the Utah State Prison, I hope shortly. Guys, as you heard earlier, you heard Justin Boardman describing a Valentine's Day attempt on Eric's life. That's not the time he died. Dr. Ernest Scioto joining us, renowned toxicologist, physician, biomedical engineer, author of Toxic Tort, Medical and Legal Elements. Dr. Scioto, thank you for being with us. Eric died of five times a lethal dose. Explain what that is. A lethal dose of fentanyl, something that would kill most adults, would be two milligrams. Well, what does that mean?

If you have five to seven grains of salt, that is two milligrams, which is a very small amount of fentanyl. In fact, if you have a pencil, you have a sharpened pencil, and you have the tip of the pencil, you literally on the tip of the pencil can pick up two milligrams. Or if you have a penny, and you have Lincoln's head on the penny, two milligrams would cover just a little bit more of the nose on the penny.

So it's a very small amount. Obviously, five times that is, say, 10 milligrams. Still also a very small amount because fentanyl is a very powerful, powerful drug. Speaking of powerful drugs and reactions to powerful drugs, Justin Boardman again was describing a Valentine's Day sandwich. Listen. Valentine's Day 2020, Eric Richens becomes violently ill after an allergic reaction after having dinner with his wife. He breaks out into hives, can't breathe, and passes out after using his son's EpiPen and taking Benadryl. When Eric wakes up, he calls his business partner, Cody Wright,

to let him know what had happened. Without Corey knowing, Eric changes the beneficiary of his will and his power of attorney, replacing Corey with his sister. Paperwork states Eric believes Corey might kill him for the money and wants his children to be financially secure. Troy Slayton, criminal defense attorney out of LA. How many times have you seen a case where one spouse ends up dead and according to friends and relatives have said, if I die, she did it. That happens. But in this case, Corey Richardson's neighbors report a very happy, loving relationship, a very happy, loving family life.

And just because somebody has an allergic reaction that requires an EpiPen and downing a bottle of Benadryl doesn't mean that they were poisoned. It sounds exactly that, that they had an allergic reaction. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. To Greg Skordas joining us, a very dear friend of Eric Richens, now dead. What happened? What was your understanding of what happened the prior Valentine's Day when Eric consumed a sandwich in Corey Richens' presence and nearly died?

He was poisoned. It was a murder attempt. It was a failed murder attempt. And Corey later reached out to the people that had supplied her with the fentanyl and said, hey, I need a little more. I need it to be a little bit stronger. There was no question in our mind, and I think in the state's mind, that that was a prior homicide attempt that failed because she didn't have a sufficient enough quantity to do the job. And as the doctor just said,

it doesn't take much, but she certainly got enough the next time and ended up killing him with what ended up being five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl. Greg Skordas, what, if anything, did Eric say after the Valentine's Day poisonous sandwich sandwich he told people that he thought he was being uh the the victim of a of a homicide he thought someone was trying to kill him he thought corey was trying to kill him and he did just what you've been talking about here he changed the way that his buy sell agreement was with his partner so that his partner would get the proceeds if he died of the business he changed his life insurance policy and Corey had made some efforts to change those things. And he set things up so his children would be taken care of instead of her because he believed that she was, in fact, attempting to kill him.

Prosecutors say Corey Richens keeps a secret second phone in a drawer next to her bed to make several incriminating searches, such as luxury prisons for rich in America, women, Utah prisons. Can cops force you to do a lie detector test as well as specific searches about how the FBI conducts investigations searching? When does the FBI get involved in a case and FBI analysis of electronics and investigations? And there was a specific fentanyl search as well. What constitutes a lethal fentanyl dose? Wow. And will life insurance still pay if death certificate COD cause of death says pending? Okay.

Luxury prisons for the rich in America. Women, Utah prison. Can cops force you to take a lie detector test? None of that looks good. But one thing that really caught my attention by that news blurb was Corey Richens keeps a second secret phone. I just love it when defendants have a private cell phone, a secret phone, a burner phone. In fact, we just encountered that recently when two Kansas moms are carjacked off the side of the road, Jillian Kelly and Veronica Butler. And the perps turn out to be the mother-in-law, her boyfriend and others. And they all had burner phones. I can tell you this much.

It'll be a cold day in H-E-double-L that fur doesn't fly if my husband marches home with a secret cell phone. Justin Boardman, you're the former detective from West Valley City PD, Special Victims Unit. Help me out there. Secret cell phone. Uh-uh. No, not at all. Absolutely. That is, makes you go, hmm, right? And certainly you're going to try to get and see if you can find that to see if you can get any data. Well, they got data. All right. Justin Borman, they sure did. So Troy Slayton, now you're telling me that the prior Valentine's Day poisonous sandwich doesn't really mean anything, that he nearly died and lived because he happened to have his own EpiPen with him, that the damning searches on a secret cell phone mean nothing, that Corey Richens telling her friends that he's better off dead, none of that means anything to

you? That all means something. That's all circumstantial evidence. But with regard to the alleged prior plot, prior attempt at murder, I've never heard of Benadryl as being an antidote to fentanyl, unless that's some sort of breaking medical news. I'm just a jurist doctor. No, it's an antidote to an allergic reaction. That's right. An allergic reaction, not an overdose of fentanyl. I doubt when he was grasping for gasping for breath and his throat was closing up. I doubt he was really thinking, wow, how did this happen? The man's just trying to breathe. He's having a horrible anaphylactic. The EpiPen and the Benadryl saved him and he was fine.

So clearly he was having an allergic reaction. So no harm done. Okay. The search terms that you mentioned, those don't, those aren't good facts for a defendant, but many people have multiple phones. Some have a business phone and a personal phone. So having two phones in and of itself is not damning evidence of anything. Do you have two phones, two cell phones? I don't personally, I don't have two phones in and of itself is not damning evidence of anything. Do you have two phones, two cell phones? I don't. Personally, I don't have two phones. No, I do not.

Just curious. You know, another issue that you may want to discount to Elaine Ardeas joining us, investigative journalist. that Eric Richens ingested a lethal overdose of fentanyl about specifically Corey Richens' cell phone. Where was it? Her cell phone was in the bedroom and she thought that it was not tracking her, but the cell phones don't lie. And once police were, because she told police that she was sleeping with her boys because they had night terrors. And so it was at 3 a.m. that she discovered her husband dead in their bedroom. And I believe he was, quote, cold to the touch. And so but police realized that she actually was moving around based on the information that they were able to get from the phone. So, you know, what was she said. You're telling me that Corey Richards told investigators she was nowhere near her phone, that her phone was actually charging in the master bedroom where her husband died,

that she was down the hall sleeping with her boys who had bad dreams, and that her phone was charging all night long and she didn't touch it. Is that correct? Yes, no. Yes. Okay. And isn't it true that based on reports that we are getting from the courtroom, from official court documents, such as affidavits that police say she was actually sending texts and receiving texts and deleting those during the time when she states her phone was charging beside her husband's bed.

Yes. There are no texts from a block of time. They have all been erased from her phone. Okay. You know, another issue. Greg scored us joining us a friend of Eric Richens who died. I want to clarify something else. You know, I thought that on the first attempt, the first alleged poisoning attempt, that Eric used his own EpiPen. He didn't even have

an EpiPen. He nearly died. And if he had not been able to use his son's EpiPen, he would be dead. He would have already been dead. But fortunately for him, his son had an EpiPen. That's how he lived the first time. Question, tell me if that's correct, Greg Scores, but also what is your understanding of the cell phone data against Corey Richens? Well, we could go for hours on that. And I don't know whether and to what extent the EpiPen actually saved his life or whether it was just the fact that he wasn't given a high enough dose of fentanyl. He was doing everything he could, including the Benadryl and the EpiPen to get out of the situation. And maybe those were failed ways to save yourself from a drug overdose overdose but the cell phone data shows that not

withstanding she was claiming to have been asleep in the other room that she was moving around the house and and it's very clear to those of us that looked at the evidence she was checking on the room she was looking to see how he was doing she was waiting for him to die and making no efforts to try to save him and finally didn't get to the point where she went in and he was cold to the touch. She then claimed that she was doing a CPR and whatnot on him, but the medical examiner said nobody performed CPR on him. That wasn't true at all. So the cell phone data doesn't lie. She was moving around the house. She was checking on him after she poisoned him to make sure and to find out how effective her

attempt had been. Guys, have you ever seen the movie The Liar or Big Fat Liar? Liar, Liar, yes, it starred funny Jim Carrey, yes. And no matter what was thrown at him, he had another lie ready. He always had a lie with a sincere face. It was amazing. He's a fantastic actor. But I want you to look at some very unemotional comments from our friends at Good Things Utah. What I have kind of found is, as I mentioned, it's kind of the three C's is how I

visualize it. And it's, you know, connection, continuity and care. And it's, you know, making sure connection is the one major one and making sure that their spirit is always alive. Explaining to my kids just because he's not present here with us physically, that doesn't mean his presence isn't here with us. And he's doing these things with us physically, that doesn't mean his presence isn't here with us and he's doing these things with us. Our friends at Good Things Utah. An anonymous witness who told cops she was at the Richens' home

when Corey began talking about wanting to end her relationship with Eric. But she is frustrated. She tells her friend she feels trapped in the marriage. Corey Richens says to her friend in many ways she will be better off if Eric Richens is dead. The judge is allowing evidence Corey looked into getting a divorce and had a law firm on retainer after receiving a consultation. Corey allegedly tells her brother that she ended the consultation because she didn't want half of

everything and wants to walk away clean and free. Prosecutors say she wanted everything and to that end planned to cause Eric Richens death. That's the prosecution's theory. The case has been in and out of court on various motions. To Elaine Adedias joining us, investigative journalist. I'm very curious about a party, a big party that Moscow Mule Mom threw after Eric's death, celebrating a flip of a multi-million dollar home. She's a realtor. Can you tell me about that, please? She had been, she was banking on this house. It was going to add an influx of cash. And when she got the house, she threw a huge party, invited lots of people. I mean, just to the nines, everything she could. This is a woman that liked the good life. She always wanted more. Now, the flip of this home was something that Eric Richens did not want. He didn't want to put the money out there to buy the home for her to then flip it

and hopefully make a profit. He was dead set against it. He dies. She does the flip and throws a big booze fueled party. How many days after his death, Elaine, was the party? It was within days. Okay, you know, I'm sure Troy Slayton would argue that there's no playbook for grief. Another second verse, same as the first. But Greg Skordas, friend of Eric Richens, did you hear about the celebration party complete with champagne and toasting, music, good times? This was within, I believe, the week after Eric died. Yes, and she's also made a plan, Nancy, to go on a trip with her paramour in the weeks after Eric died. She'd already made the arrangements for that. It's important to know that there was a pre-agreement. And in the agreement, he took certain assets out

of the estate that he brought in, as most prenuptial agreements are. But the exception to that was if he pre-deceased her. If he died while they were still married, she would get much, much more of his estate. And that's why she repeatedly told people, and that's why we believe that she caused his death, that he was worth a lot more to her dead than divorced. Yes, she consulted a divorce lawyer, but she learned from other sources that Eric was certainly worth a lot more to her as a widow than she would have been as a divorcee. Greg Skouras, are you sitting down right now? Yes.

Good. You may need to lay down because I just went through my notes. The Utah mom accused of killing her husband before writing a book about grief threw a massive party at her brand new $2 million home the day after he died, according to a report, Rich has invited friends to a 10 acre property for drinking and celebrating. This is on March 4, just hours after her husband died. And at the party, she toasted the closing on the 22,000 square foot home the day after. Now, I don't know how you're going to argue that, Troy Slayton. The day after she's throwing a champagne soaked party for closing the deal her husband objected to

with all of her real estate friends? Really? I don't think that was planned following the death. That was probably an event much in the making, an event that was planned for weeks, if not months beforehand. And yeah, when people pass away, life has to go on. She's figuring that she's going to have to run her business. Yeah. You got to uncork that champagne about 10 hours after your husband kills over. Yeah. Understand not. I don't understand that at all. The guest of my fiance was murdered. I couldn't even speak. I couldn't even think. No words could come out. Just crying, just crying and crying. Everybody reacts differently. Like you said, there is no playbook for grief. I was waiting on that. Last, to Dr. Ernest Scioto joining us, toxicologist, physician,

and biomedical engineer. Dr. Scioto, you were describing like just a few shakes of the salt shaker, fentanyl that could kill someone. Can you taste fentanyl? For instance, if it was in a sandwich or if it was in a very tangy Moscow mule, which is made with ginger beer, which is very, very pungent. Would you be able to taste the fentanyl? Not the, well, two to, in this case, 10 milligrams of fentanyl. No, I do not think you'd be able to taste it. This guy never had any idea what was happening. Corey Richens is back in court.

In the meantime, as her case inches closer to trial, we stop to remember an American hero, Deputy Sheriff Ryan Klinkenboomer, L.A., just 30. Deputy Klinkenboomer shot and killed in an ambush. Engaged for just four days, he leaves behind a grieving fiancee, Brittany, his mother, Kim, and his dad, Mike. American hero, Deputy Sheriff Klinkenbumer. Thank you to our incredible guests, but especially to you for joining us here tonight and every night as we seek justice. Nancy Grace signing off. Good night, friend. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.