Hidden True Crime - Autopsy Secrets EXPOSED! | Kouri Richins Trial Day 2 Full Recap

Episode Date: February 25, 2026

Day two of the Kouri Richins trial brought sharp challenges from the defense as they zeroed in on timeline discrepancies, crime scene procedure, and what law enforcement did—and didn’t—document that morning. We break down tense cross-examinations of first responders, powerful EMT testimony about Eric’s unusual body position, and the critical autopsy findings confirming a toxic level of fentanyl—while the manner of death remains officially undetermined. We also unpack the nuanced toxicology details, including alcohol in gastric contents and untouched naltrexone, and why those points could matter strategically for the jury. If you want the clearest, most thorough breakdown of what happened in court today, we’ve got you covered. Sponsors: Gusto: Try Gusto today at https://gusto.com/HIDDEN and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Nurture Life: For 55% off your order, head to https://NurtureLife.com and use code HIDDEN55. About Hidden True Crime What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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through our affiliated medical group, Weight Watchers Clinic. Medications require eligibility and prescription. Individual results may vary. See site for more details. Hello, hidden gems. Hello, hello. It is day two of the Corey Richens trial. And the defense came out swinging with their questions. And if you've followed our coverage of this case since the beginning, you know that we don't just report headlines. We unpack every detail, every discrepancy, and every strategic move inside that courtroom. And if you're just joining us, my name is Lauren Mathias, and it hit into a crime. This is the channel for the most comprehensive trial breakdowns, and you can binge our full backstory to get completely caught up with the Corey Richens case.

Today what happened with the timeline, the body position, and the toxicology numbers, it could change how this jury sees everything. We're going to get into all of it. But before we get there, one little personal thing that I wanted to do, I wanted to say, happy birthday to my beautiful mother. She is 75 today, 75 years old. And I don't get to be with her today. I was able to FaceTime her with a thank you to my brother who did that.

But she is in assisted living and on hospice, actually. And so I just wanted to wish her a very happy birthday. I love her so much. Happy birthday, Mama. And with that, let's talk autopsy, right? But back on the stand for day two was Deputy Vincent Nguyen, with defense attorney Alex Ramos picking back up. with cross-examination. If you remember yesterday ended with Deputy Vincent Wynne, well,

we picked back up with Ramos. And he was asking him all sorts of questions. And of course, it's Ramos's job, right, to make Deputy Nguyen sound not so credible to poke holes in his story. So where did he start? Well, Ramos started by tightening up the timeline of March 4th, 22. The morning 39-year-old Eric Richens was allegedly found dead. He asked Wynne how long he was actually at the Richens' home along with Detective Woody, and Wynne said he arrived at 3.40 a.m. and left for the station around 5.49 a.m., at least according to the dispatch log. But then Ramos pointed out another record that said he left at 541 a.m. That was an 8-minute discrepancy, and it might not sound huge eight minutes, but you could tell Ramos was trying to chip away at the precision

of the investigation from the very beginning. Ramos then said that based on the logs, Nguyen and Woody were at the crime scene together for about 24 minutes. Nguin responded that it could have been 24 minutes or more or less because it depended on who was actually recording the times on the crime scene log. But of course, eight minutes, eight of 24 minutes is a discrepancy. And that answer, it felt a little loose, especially considering we are talking about a death scene. Next, Ramos handed Nguyen a document related to the call to the Richens House. He asked what Nguyen had told another deputy about what Eric's wife, Corey, had said that morning when he spoke with her after Eric died. And he showed Nguyen the document again and asked about Corey saying she got into bed and realized Eric wasn't breathing.

Ramos pointed out that this specific detail wasn't passed along, even though. that was an important piece of information. And Wynne agreed that, yeah, it was not passed along. Ramos then shifted gears and asked if Corey had been emotional and upset that morning. And Nguyen said that she was. Ramos followed up with, that's common, right? That's not unexpected for someone who just lost their husband, right? And Nguyen agreed. He asked if it would surprise him that another officer indicated that Corey was not emotional, but Nguyen said he didn't know her so he couldn't say how her normal response would be. But in his opinion, she did seem upset that morning. They also talked about Corey's voluntary statement. Ramos asked if there were different

purposes for voluntary statements and Wynne said yes. And Ramos listed different scenarios where someone might give one and also asked Wynne Wynn was listed as the initial officer, even though he was actually not even the first second, but the third one to arrive. Wynne said it was because the home was in his assigned zone. And that's why he was labeled that main officer. And then Ramos pulled out another document and said he wanted to go over six specific things. He asked what should happen during a death investigation and Winn read from the document that the family should vacate the scene to a comfortable location outside or go to another family member or friend's house. Ramos immediately asked, that wasn't done here, correct?

And Nguyen admitted it was not. Ramos asked when photographs of the scenes should be taken and Nguyen read after it is secure. And Ramos then asked what the first photo should include, and Wynne said it should have a play card with the case information. Ramos asked if he did that here, but Nguyen said he did not do that here. Then Ramos directed him to another line that said not to disturb the scene. And he asked, that's very important. you would agree, right? And Wynne said yes. Well, Ramos pushed even further and said the scene

was not secure when described it as semi-secured. Okay, semi-secured. And Ramos told him to read the document and find where it said semi-secured. But of course, it was not there. Ramos then said, I have an apology and a thank you. I apologize for putting you on the spot and thank you. And with that, he wrapped up cross-exam. It was one of those moments where you could feel the defense trying to show sloppiness with outright accusing anyone of misconduct, right? Like saying thank you and I'm so sorry is certainly like a way to say, bless your heart. You're not accusing anyone of misconduct, but you're pointing out maybe, you know, some passive

aggressive. It's a way to show some passive aggressive sloppiness, right? or a passive aggressive way to show the sloppiness. Bless his heart. On redirect, though, it was the prosecutor's turn once again to ask the deputy questions, and they asked Nguyen how many death scenes he had responded to. He said a lot, more than 30. The prosecutor then asked of Corey's reaction that morning was similar to others he had seen,

and Nguyen said no and explained that every time he spoke to Corey, her face was in her hands, that he could not actually even see her face because her face was always in her hands. And at one point, he even leaned down to try to see her expression that morning, Corey's expression, and described her behavior as a little abnormal. That definitely landed differently than the earlier testimony about her simply being emotional, right? Hiding her face in her hands. Well, Ramos came back for follow-up and emphasized that Nguyen had never met Corey before that day and did not actually know what she was feeling that morning. And, you know, when agreed, let's listen to a little bit of that back and forth. How many times had you encountered

Ms. Richens having lost a loved one? Never. Never. In fact, when I was just asking you questions before, he said, I don't know Ms. Richens. That is correct. You can't tell. What exactly she's feeling? Correct. If you can't say it's abnormal. I say it was abnormal to all the other calls that I've been on. Let's talk about those other calls. What did you say?

You said victim. You specified victim in response to Ms. Shervinak's question. That it was victims looking you in the eye, crying about what had just happened to them. Correct? Correct. Okay. You didn't mention that it was somebody who lost somebody. correct I did not okay now we can argue forever about whether your emotions on the stand or

mine are abnormal or not correct correct the fact is at the end of the day no matter what miss shrivenack asked or what I ask you you don't know whether or not or what miss rich was is fair. Correct? Correct. All right, a lot of witnesses today, so stick with me. But before we get to our next witness, let's have a quick word from today's sponsor. Small business life is exciting until you're buried in payroll forms, tax deadlines, spreadsheets, and trying to keep track of who was paid and when. There were definitely moments where I thought there has to be an easier way to handle this. And that's where Gusto comes in. Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It's all in one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use. So you can pay,

hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere. It handles things like automatic payroll, tax filing, simple direct deposits, benefits, and even unlimited payroll runs for one monthly price, no hidden fees, no surprises. It saves time with built-in tools for offer letters, onboarding, and more, try gusto today at gusto.com slash hidden and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months of free payroll at gusto.com slash hidden. One more time, gusto.com slash hidden. A big thank you to our sponsors who make these trial recaps possible. We're so grateful for them. The next witness was Cameron Larson. She worked as an evidence technician and was serving as an investigator with the office of the medical examiner at the time. She responded to the home the morning

Eric died and worked alongside Chelsea Gibson and Detective Woody from the Summit County Sheriff's Office. And Larson explained that when she arrived, paramedics had already been working on Eric and he still had an AED attached to his chest. She said that her role as a medical examiner investigator was specifically to go and check the body. However, she was also asked to look for any signs of alcohol in the home. So she checked three garbage cans throughout the house, but didn't look in drawers or cupboards. She said she didn't recall seeing anything in the master bedroom or bathroom trash cans, but in the kitchen garbage, she remembered seeing coffee grounds, a newspaper, and then a cock and bull brand ginger beer bottle. She testified that she didn't search for evidence

out in the open around the home beyond what she had been directed to do. And she also did not remember collecting any medication bottles herself. Well, the state then moved to admit photos of Eric's driver's license, and Larson testified that the photo on the license matched the decedent or the body. She then explained the process once the body was placed in a body bag. A tag was threaded through two zippers so the bag could not be open without breaking the seal. And then each body and bag, they were assigned a unique number. And the jury was shown a photo of the tag that had been used. Medication bottles with Eric's name and his driver's license were

placed inside the body bag with him. And the jury also saw a photo taken at the medical examiner's office showing the bag and the tag looped between the two zippers. And at one point, Larson stepped down from the stand to point at a monitor and physically show how the zippers were secured with a sealed tag. The state finished and Alex Ramos, he got to begin his cross-examination. And so the defense began. And Ramos started by pointing out that this was actually the first crime scene Larson had ever responded to. He asked her to explain what an OME investigator does, including taking photos, identifying the deceased, and gathering prescriptions. He circled back to the trash cans, and then he asked about her looking through them. And she said she had been asked to do that.

Ramos asked then if that struck her as odd, but she said it didn't seem odd at the time. And then things shifted to a meeting that happened about a year ago. Larson had met with the Summit County Sheriff's Office again to discuss what had been in the garbage. And by that point, she was still employed, as an OME investigator, but in a different jurisdiction. And so the sheriff's office, they had asked her to come back and revisit her observations. And then Ramos then asked about her interaction with Corey that morning. Larson said they spoke in a bedroom. And she described Corey crying with her hand on her face.

Larson said she provided her with contact information for who she should reach out to next. And Ramos then pulled up the report that Larson wrote at the scene. asked where she got certain pieces of information included in it. Well, she said that some of it came from other investigators on scene. So Ramos pressed on that, right, and suggested that she did not personally verify all of that information, and therefore she really couldn't know how truthful it was if it just came from other investigators. Solid point. And after that, Ramos asked a few more follow-up questions about the contents of her report before wrapping up. Well, on redirect, the state asked whether there was an inventory sheet included with the body.

Larson explained that there was an electronic list that the medical examiner could access and that it would include medications collected with the body. The state also asked about her meeting with the Summit County Sheriff's Office and who had been present. And after clarifying that, the state had nothing further. Ramos briefly returned for a few additional follow-up questions about her report. And then the state followed up once more to. reiterate the existence of the electronic inventory list that would include medications.

Overall, Larson's testimony felt very technical. The state focused on procedure and chain of custody, while the defense focused on her inexperience, you know, her first time, and the fact that some of her reports relied on information from other people. And you know what? The chat pointed that out to a lot of these witnesses today went through a lot of procedure, but that's why we're here to break it all down for you. And next up was Deputy David with the Summit County Sheriff's Office. Deputy David Pimental, Summit County Sheriff's Office,

worked as a patrol deputy and responded to the Richens home on March 4th. And he testified that he was assigned scene security. Part of his responsibility that morning was actually to start a medical log listing any medications found at the scene. He said he looked for medicine, Corey told him it might be located, and he was also aware that Eric may have taken THC gummies. However, this deputy didn't find any gummies anywhere in the areas he searched. And defense attorney Lewis then began her cross-examination and asked Deputy David Pimentel where exactly he searched for medication. Well, Deputy David said that he searched in the bathroom and Lewis then showed him a list of medications that were taking. from the home and he had written down three medications that were found in the master bathroom.

And so Lewis brought up the THC gummies and mental testified that Corey told him Eric took those. Lewis asked why the deputy did not follow up and ask where those gummies were located. And the deputy responded that his role was to collect prescription medications. And then Lewis then asked whether he looked into the closet for drugs. He recalled someone mentioning a pill bottle organizer in a bathroom drawer but admitted that he didn't search kitchen drawers or bedroom drawers for medications. He testified that he left the home around 5 a.m. and did not write a report that night at all. Instead, when did he write the report? Well, he wrote it in January of 2023 after being asked to do so.

So months later, nearly a year later, really, 10 months. and it was a short report stating that he left the medication log on a dresser inside the home. He said he didn't recall why he was asked to write a report nearly a year later, only that his supervisor was like, hey, deputy, do this, and thus he did. He also testified this deputy that he stayed positioned by the door of the bedroom where Eric's body was found to provide scene security. and Lewis briefly asked about his canine drug dog and then wrapped up shortly after that. Well, on redirect, prosecutions back up, the state's back up and they asked, the prosecutor asked whether Mitchell was wearing a body camera that morning.

He said he was and also testified that he consulted his body camera footage when preparing the 2023 report. So he wasn't just going off old memories, which did help, right? Like, that was a great clarification. he's actually using the original body cam to write the 2023 report. The state moved to admit the body cam footage and the jury watched it. The video showed the deputy in the bathroom looking for medication prescribed to Eric. And he was seen filling out a medicine log on the counter.

It was clear, in my opinion, from the footage that he wasn't conducting a full search of the house. and I think from, you know, it was clear. He explained that he didn't have probable cause though or a warrant to do a full search and that there were no THC gummies visible in the bathroom. Well, after the state finished, Lewis briefly returned and admitted a photo of Eric's hydrocodone bottle. She asked the deputy whether he took photographs while searching the bathroom, and she also asked who entered and exited the bedroom while he was securing it.

He said a few deputies and some medical personnel came in and out. And then after that, he was done. Honestly, the testimony felt very focused sort of on scope. Like, what did law enforcement actually look at that morning? What did they look for? What did they not look at? What did they not look for? The defense seemed to be highlighting limitations, right, in the surge,

especially regarding the THC gummies. And the prosecution, they leaned on the body cam footage to show transparency and reinforce that the deputy stayed within his authority. The next witness was Margaret Offret, an advanced EMT with Park City, Utah. And she explained that an advanced EMT was one step below a paramedic. She had worked in that role for about 40 years, so four decades, a long time. and that she had responded to more than 100 death scenes. What a career. My goodness.

And over the years, she had also handled 20 to 30 drug overdoses. So this was not new territory for her, right? So on March 4, 2022, she responds to the Richens' home. And then when she arrives, Eric's in the bedroom and on the floor. And the prosecutor asked whether she had ever been, two scenes where someone had had to have been pulled from the bed, right, and onto the ground to administer CPR. And she said, yes, that that was common in her career. But, but she noted something that stood out to her. And this is that Eric was positioned off the end of the bed rather than to the

side of the bed. And she testified that typically the easiest way to get someone off a bed is to pull them from the side, right? And she also said that his body was very straight, which she found unusual. EMTs immediately began life-saving measures. They used a mechanical compression machine that delivered chest compressions while they administered medications. Eric was given epinephrine, and offered testified that she asked Corey whether Eric was taking any medications. Corey relayed that he was taking something for Lyme disease and that he used CBD Gummies. So then at 358 a.m., Eric Richens was pronounced dead. And then cross examination on cross, Wendy Lewis was back up.

And Wendy Lewis asked whether a prior EMT could have arranged Eric's body before Offret arrived. you know, poking holes, making the jury wonder. Offret said she didn't know and that the original call had come in as a cardiac arrest. Lewis asked where Offrette got that information and she said it came from dispatch. Offerett also testified that when she hooked Eric up to the heart monitor, his heart was flatlined. There was no electrical activity and he was not breathing. Lewis then asked about Narcan. And then Offred explained that Narcan was administered as one last effort in case of a possible opioid overdose, but ultimately they could not determine at that time why Eric had gone into cardiac arrest.

So Offret testified that when she left the room, she knew that he was dead. And she also told a deputy at the scene that she thought it could be possibly have been maybe an aneurysm. Lewis then asked whether Offrette was the one who told Corey that Eric had died. And she did. She said that it was her and that it was really hard to tell someone their loved one had passed. Lewis asked about the range of reactions she has seen over the years when delivering that kind of news. And Offert says that she had seen in a variety, a variety of reactions. On redirect, prosecutions back up and the state, they followed up on that aneurysm comment. Offred explained that she had guessed that possibility because there was a lot of blood that was coming out of Eric's mouth.

The defense came back briefly and asked whether it was unusual to see blood coming from someone's mouth during CPR. Offert said not normally, and in this case it seemed like more blood than usual. Lewis then asked whether if there was blood in the lungs, the pressure from the compression machine could force blood out through the mouth. offered agreed that that was correct and with that she stepped down but honestly let's talk about her testimony for a little bit because i think her testimony was quite powerful in a very quiet subtle way she brings decades of experience you know 40 years and then she points out a few things that did not sit right with her after again having a full career four decades and pointing out some things that were different,

especially the body's position and the amount of blood that she saw. But she also acknowledged the unknowns. At that moment, they didn't know why Eric was in cardiac arrest. There was a lot they didn't know. They were simply trying to save a life, trying to save Eric's life. But next on the stand was Sergeant Andrew Cernich. He worked with the Summit County, Sheriff's Office and he also served as a volunteer firefighter. So on March 4th, he was working as an on-call

firefighter assisting medical crews when he responded to the Richens home. And by the time he arrived, EMS was already there. He testified that they asked him to take over airway management and he was also asked to look for medications in the bedroom. The state moved to admit a photo showing Sir Nitch searching inside a nightstand drawer for medications. And then the next image shown to the jury was a pill bottle that had been found inside that nightstand. The state didn't go much further with him and wrapped up fairly quickly. Defense attorney Nestor then began her cross-examination and Sernich described placing a tube down Eric's throat to secure the airway. He testified that at that point there was no blood on

Eric's face. Shortly after, though, after that, blood appeared in the tube and came out of his mouth. And that detail connected back to the earlier EMT testimony about the amount of blood observed during resuscitation efforts. This is important. Nestor then moved to admit a photo of the nightstand. And the jury saw a phone sitting in a charger next to an Apple watch. There were also some pills sitting on top of the nightstand, but no wallet was visible. She then admitted another photo that showed Eric's wallet on the nightstand. She asked to zoom in on some white specks visible on the surface. And when asked Sir Nitch, when asked Sir Nitch what those white specks were, he responded simply, white specs.

That's what they are. It was a small moment, but you could sense the defense trying to draw attention to anything, right? anything that might suggest residue or something out of place, even if the witness didn't identify it as anything specific. But white specks, what are those white specs? They're white specks. Nestor also asked whether Sir Nitch had any conversations with Corey that night, but said he did not recall. And after he stepped down, the next witness was Maggie Mowgli. She worked for the Utah office of Medical Examiner, and in 2022, she was a morgue, clerk. What, you know, all of, all of these jobs. What a, what a job, what a career. And Mobley

explained that a morgue clerk was responsible for receiving and releasing decedents, answering phone calls, and managing intake. And so when a case was entered into their system, they created a folder with the decedent's information. Transport would bring the body in, and the morgue staff would take custody and inventory the person's belongings. On March 4th, 22, she received Eric's body. She testified that the first thing she did was remove the body bag seal, take photographs of the body and the belongings, and inventory everything. The body and belongings were then placed in a cooler. The jury, they were shown a photo of the body bag seal to demonstrate that it had not been broken prior to arrival at the medical examiner's office.

She explained that the medications often arrived with the decedent inside the body bag. bag, typically placed in a paper or plastic bag. And those medications would then be secured in a locker as evidence. So after the autopsy was completed, the body would typically be released to a funeral home. On cross-examination, Alex Ramos was back and had her clarify exactly how the medications were received once again. And she confirmed they were usually placed in. Inside the body bag with the decedent in a separate back, the defense moved to admit an exhibit titled Medications Found With Body. And there were no further questions from either side, and Mowbly was released.

And again, both of these witnesses felt very procedural. And many of you in our live stream chat pointed that out too. You know, but, you know, I will say that Sir Niches' testimony added more detail. about what was happening in the bedroom during those life-saving efforts. And Mowgli's testimony reinforced the chain of custody and documentation once Eric's body left the home. And this is all very important. And before we get to the biggest witness of the day, and there was a big witness today. Just, there's a lot in that, by the way. But another quick word from our final sponsor of today's show. We're so grateful for our sponsors today's today.

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And who is she? She is the medical examiner, a retired medical examiner and forensic pathologist. But she was actively working in 2022 before her retirement when she handled this case. And while her testimony was also procedural and clinical, it was also, in my opinion, full of sort of these jaw-dropping nuggets of info that are vital for this case and the jury, including some things that were a bit confusing for me that I looked deeper into. This included Eric Richon's full autopsy. So let's get into it. I'll break it down for you.

She started by walking the jury through what happened when a body is transferred from a scene to the medical examiner's office. The decedent is placed in a body bag that is sealed with a special zipper. poll so it cannot be opened or tampered with before arrival. And once the body reaches the office, a morgue clerk documents the intake and enters the details into a computer system. So Dr. Olmer testified today that she performed Eric's autopsy on March 5th, 2022. She explained that an autopsy consists of both an external and internal examination of the body to determine how the person died. They also collect and retain various samples for toxicology testing. The state then displayed the autopsy diagram Dr. Ulmer completed, and during the external exam,

she documented signs consistent with CPR. Eric had an endotracheal tube in his mouth, needles in both shoulders for IV access, and defibrillator pads on his body. She saw no signs of traumatic injury, but there was blood present on his face. She explained that blood can sometimes be seen in drug overdose cases, especially opioid overdoses due to pulmonary edema. And in those situations, fluid and foam can build up in the lungs and come out of the mouth. CPR can also contribute to lung injury, which may cause blood to seep out. Additionally, intubation carries a risk of minor mouth injury, and during compressions, blood can be forced outward. internally, the first thing she noticed was rib fractures on the left side, and she testified

those were most likely caused by CPR. She also noted about 50% occlusion in one of his coronary arteries, meaning he did have early stage coronary artery disease. She explained that this is common in adult males and does not typically become clinically significant until about 75% occlusion. There was no indication of a blood clot. lot. No evidence of a heart attack. So no evidence of that and no structural damage to the heart. She also found foam present in the trachea and bronch eye, which she believe originated from the fentanyl overdose. And while CPR can contribute to pulmonary edema, she testified that because Eric never regained circulation during resuscitation, most of the foam likely resulted from the

overdose itself. And on the surface of his lung, she observed small white nodule. scattered throughout. These were granulomas. And under the microscope, she determined that these were consistent with the work history as a stone mason that Eric did. She explained that cutting brick and stone creates dust that can be inhaled if someone is not wearing a respirator leading to granuloma formation. However, she did not believe this contributed to Eric's death. The granulomas were not severe enough to impair his breathing. His liver appeared normal. In his digestive system, she found about 700 milliliters of pink fluid with partially digested food particles, and some of that material was retained for toxicology testing. His kidneys, bladder, and genitalia appeared normal.

She testified that samples were also sent for histology, and when those slides were returned, she personally examined them under a microscope. They also performed microbiology testing on the lungs to rule out bacterial or fungal infections that might explain the granulomas, and the testing showed no active infection. She concluded that the granulomas were related to occupational exposure and not a cause of death. She stated that there was nothing abnormal in the muscular skeletal or endocrine systems and additional samples were sent to the health department for testing. In her written report, she listed several tests that were performed and Eric did test positive for COVID.

She said that testing was very common at that time. It was 2022. That's what you did. You tested for COVID and he tested positive. However, she testified that there was no evidence of COVID pneumonia or findings consistent with someone dying from COVID. So while there were some underlying conditions like early coronary artery disease and lung granulomas, none of this would explain a sudden death on its own. And he was 39 years old. The testimony continued building toward toxicology as the key piece, right? Which would continue, though, after lunch. And we waited and we waited. And then after lunch, back with Dr.

Omar on the stand. And the prosecutor continued walking her through the toxicology findings in Eric's case. And one of the first things they talked about was the fluid, which is the vitreous fluid, which is the fluid inside the eyes that was collected and sent off for testing. Dr. Omar explained that nothing was detected in the eye fluid. So whatever was in Eric's system was not showing up there. They also performed additional testing on Eric's stomach contents. The purpose of that was to see if there were drugs present that maybe were not showing up in the blood and to try to determine how the fentanyl entered his body. Dr. Omar explained that they were looking at whether it came from oral ingestion or possibly in injection. She also walked the jury through how blood and other bodily fluids are collected during an autopsy and preserved for testing.

And then we got to the number that really matters here, in my opinion. Dr. Omar testified that there were 15 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl in Eric's blood. She made it very clear that fentanyl should not have been present in his body at all, and that this amount was in the toxic range. Next, the state showed the jury a chart of all of the medications that were sent to the medical examiner's office, along with Eric's body. And these included testosterone injections, doxycycline, which is an antibiotic, hydrocodone, which is an opioid pain medication, disulfrum, which is used for alcohol prevention and sometimes Lyme disease. And that's important, sometimes use for alcohol prevention, right,

and sometimes Lyme disease, put a pin in that. And then Naltrexon, which is used to help reduce opioid use, but can also be prescribed again for Lyme disease. So the state specifically asked whether hydrocodone could expire and somehow become toxic if taken past its expiration date. Well, Dr. Ulmer said that no. Typically medications like that just lose potency over time. So by the way, that's a question a lot of people ask. There you go. There you have it. They don't become toxic. They simply lose potency over time. They do not become more dangerous or suddenly toxic simply because they're expired. She also testified that caffeine and some other substances were found in Eric's system. She noted that she had questions about a few of those because he had not been reported

as taking medications that would account for some of the substances detected. So at this point, the state is clearly laying the foundation that fentanyl was present, that it was at a toxic level, and that it was not explained by any of the medications that were known to be in Eric's possession, right? Dr. Omar explained that informing her opinions, she relied on multiple sources of information. She considered what family members reported about how Eric had been feeling and acting in the days leading up to his death. So she clearly did interviews, phone call. She added this to her full report. She reviewed information gathered by the death investigator. She spoke with law enforcement. She went through Eric's medical records.

And based on all of this, her opinion was that the cause of death was fentanyl intoxication. And when it came to the manner of death, because remember, cause of death and manner of death are different. The cause of death is why, the fentanyl intoxication. And the manner of death adds to it homicide, is it natural? Is it self-harm? Is it accidental? And when it came to the manner of death, which is very important in cases like this, she walked the jury through the standard classifications again natural accident self-harm homicide and

undetermined and in eric's case she ruled the manner of death as undetermined so so not homicide in this case but undetermined she explained though that the investigation was still ongoing at the time she retired and given that uncertainty she believed undetermined was the most appropriate classification And I want to point out that she did retire before Corey Richens was even arrested. The doctor retired and then four months later, Corey Richens was arrested. And so she put undetermined as the most appropriate classification and not homicide. She was then asked about releasing the report to the family. Dr. Olmer said that she typically does release reports unless she is specifically told not to

since families often need them for insurance claims or other official purposes. Next, the state showed her a records request form and shifted to her communications with Corey Richens. So Dr. Omer, she confirmed that she spoke with Corey several times. Corey would call the office and would leave messages and Dr. Omer would return those calls. We heard about this yesterday, these alleged calls. Well, Dr. Omer is laying it out. Yes, Corey called me a lot and I would return. her calls and after each conversation, she documented the interaction in a log form. And so when asked whether she had an independent recollection of the conversations beyond her notes, she said not explicitly,

but she did recall generally that Corey provided extensive health information about Eric. Corey told her that Eric had Lyme disease, was dealing with neuropathy, and was undergoing treatment for neuropathy. She She said that he had not been feeling well before his death and had complained of chest pain, which she suggested could have been related to COVID. Dr. Olmer also mentioned lung disease from possible work exposure. Corey further shared that Eric's mother had died of a fungal infection three years earlier, which prompted them to swab Eric's lung to check for any sign of fungal pneumonia. And then in another conversation, Dr. Olmer asked whether Eric had a history of drug use.

And according to her testimony, Corey said he only used THC gummies. So Dr. Olmer documented that he did not use drugs. He did not. Corey also told her that although Eric had been prescribed medications for chronic Lyme disease, he had not taken them for about four months prior to his death. So after that line of questioning, the state had no further questions for Dr. Ulmer, but the defense did. And they brought some interesting things alike. So defense attorney, Alex Ramos, started his cross-exam by digging into that chronic Lyme disease. He asked Dr.

Ulmer to explain what Lyme disease actually is. And she testified that with Lyme disease, the body can mount an antibody response that continues affecting the system even after the initial infection and that can lead to issues like neuropathy or chronic fatigue syndrome. And then when Ramos asked whether neuropathy can be painful, and, you know, that often happens in their limbs and hands or limbs and feet and legs, she said, yes, it can be, but it varies widely from person to person. Some people experience sharp pinpoint sensations and their feet. Others have numbness and they don't feel much at all. She did not recall what Eric's medical record specifically said about the severity of his pain with his neuropathy.

And then Ramos then pressed her on whether she personally confirmed that Eric had Lyme disease, right? Corey says that he did, but did she confirm that? And she said no, that she relied on what was in the medical records. She also was not sure whether an autopsy would definitively confirm Lyme disease. He moved on to naltrexin, which was one of the medications Eric had been prescribed. So Dr. Omer acknowledged that naltrexon can be. used for opioid reduction and is sometimes prescribed off-label for Lyme disease.

Toxicology did not find naltrexin in-eastern, which indicates he was not actively taking it. In fact, when they looked at the pill bottle, 88 of the 90 pills were still there, so too missing. Dr. Olmer explained that naltrexon is commonly given to people who do have a history of narcotic abuse and are trying to stop because it blocks the effects of opioids. opioids, right? And this, to me, this is where it starts to feel like the defense may be laying groundwork. So here's what could be happening strategically. Eric was prescribed two medications. They're typically associated with opioid reduction, similar in concept to suboxone,

though they can be used off label for conditions like Lyme disease. Yet the Naltrexon bottle was basically untouched, right? Two pills missing. So if Eric truly, truly, had chronic Lyme disease and was struggling with symptoms, you might expect him to be taking the medication prescribed for that, right? So the fact that he was not taking this medication opens the doors for some questions. And at the same time, Naltrexin blocks opioid receptors. So if someone is actively using pain pills or, you know, and then they take Naltrex on, it can trigger sudden withdrawal and make them very sick. So the defense, in my opinion, could be hinting at two possible narratives here. Starting a business can seem like a daunting task, unless you have a

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of over 370 people, those using Weight Watchers saw significantly better results than those following standard nutritional advice alone. See the 2025 study published in the AJCN. That one, maybe Eric did not actually have Lyme disease, or it was overstated, and the medications were related to concerns about opioid use instead. Or two, I'm thinking, even if he did have Lyme disease, maybe he avoided taking the Naltrexon because he knew that if he had opioids in a system, it would cause severe withdrawal symptoms, right? One or two here. When Ramos asked whether Dr. Olmer ever independently confirmed that Eric truly had Lyme disease and she said no, that seemed

significant, it potentially does weaken the certainty around that part of the medical history and gives the defense room to argue alternative explanations, right, for the medication he was taking. It feels like, in my opinion, they are planting seeds, not necessarily proving anything yet, but introducing this sort of idea that there may have been more going on medically than the state is presenting or trying to convince the jury of. Ramos continued by shifting into alcohol. The initial blood testing did not show alcohol in Eric's system, but alcohol was detected in, the gastric contents. Ramos asked whether fentanyl was taken along with alcohol. Dr. Ulmer responded that it's not something she could answer. So in her words, she didn't believe

that question was answerable based on the available testing. And this kind of had a few people going, wait, what? Including me, this entire case hinges on a Moscow mule. The infamous Moscow mule that the state says Corey likely poisoned Eric with. And Corey herself states that she and Eric had celebratory drinks the evening before she says she found him dead. So if they can't prove the fentanyl was taken with the alcohol, many people were wondering, is this poking holes in the state's theory of Corey drugging Eric's drink? So here's what I've learned. in a forensic context, the presence of alcohol in gastric contents versus blood that can provide important clues about timing. So if someone dies shortly after drinking, toxicology may show

high levels of alcohol in the stomach, but not the same levels in the blood. It still can be low levels in the blood or not found at all, indicating that absorption of the alcohol was still in progress at the time of death. So if more time has passed between conditions, consumption and death, the alcohol will likely be more fully absorbed, resulting in higher blood alcohol levels and little to no alcohol remaining in the gastric content. So by comparing these findings, forensic toxicologists can estimate when alcohol was consumed relative to the time of death. To an Eric's case, if we go off of this, if this, if his drink was indeed laced, right, which is what the prosecution state is arguing, I think it is likely that we will learn he died pretty

close to consumption of the drink, which would make sense if he overdosed on fentanyl. And it actually makes sense with what people are saying as far as lividity goes, right? He said that he was cold and he was stiff and that first responders said they believed he had actually been dead for quite some time. So rather than it felt confusing that, you know, no alcohol found in the blood. Wait, is, is somebody implying he didn't even have a drink that night? At closer look, no, there's saying it hadn't absorbed and hadn't, it was in the gastric, but his stomach, but not in the blood. It means an absorption. It means timing of the alcohol.

And so it would mean if he did indeed have that drink, he died shortly after consuming it. He then moved into documentation. Ramos referenced a report detailing phone calls with the family and asked whether Dr. Omar personally entered the information. and she explained that she summarized each call and documented what was discussed and that members of her team did the same. When asked if this was done with every call, she said they try to, though sometimes she might be working elsewhere when a call comes in. She confirmed that Corey Richens called her on March 17th and that she logged notes from that conversation. And Ramos asked when the fungal testing on Eric's lungs was performed.

Dr. Omer said it was likely done before that March 17th call with Corey. He also asked whether there was any indication Eric had experienced allergic reactions or anything that would suggest in opioid allergy. She said that she did not see evidence of that. And when asked whether any drug allergy is possible, she said possibly, but she had never personally seen one. Ramos asked whether any THC gummies were found in the gastric contents. Dr. Elmer said she assumed they would have melted by that point.

There was no measurable THC, though, found in the other toxicology analysis. Ramelson admitted that Eric's preliminary death certificate into evidence, it listed the immediate cause of death as fentanyl intoxication. And again, the manner of death have been changed from pending to undetermined, and it has remained that way. So this is not, the manner of death has never been a homicide on the death, you know, on the, on this death certificate. It's always been undetermined. And it has remained that way. So he asked whether she had meetings with the Summit County Sheriff's Office. And she said that she had phone calls and may have had meetings but did not specifically remember. Ramo's questioned whether she could have followed up further with Corey if she wanted to try to get a little bit more. Dr. Olmer said yes. He asked whether she could have asked detectives follow-up questions,

and she said she could and then added, I'm not sure where you're going with this. And when asked when she officially classified the manner of death as undetermined, she said June 22nd. And I want to point out that, you know, for the defense, to not have a death certificate state homicide is a good thing for the defense. the same time, let's point out too, let's, you know, again, the manner of death, that's a legal classification, right? It's determined by the coroner or the medical examiner. And like, look, so here are the classifications. There's natural, accident, suicide, homicide, undetermined, and occasionally pending. It says this one went from pending to undetermined. Oftentimes it'll say pending while an investigation, a homicide investigation is ongoing and then it'll switch to homicide.

You could say the defense has a win here that it doesn't say homicide, but at the same time, it also doesn't say natural and it doesn't say accident. And they're, right? They're not saying that this was an accidental overdose either. It's undetermined. And in this moment, we're determining, in this trial, we're determining what that manner of death is. The state is saying that it's a homicide, that Corey Richens poisoned her husband, Eric

Richens, and caused his death. The defense is trying to plant these seeds that perhaps it's an accidental overdose. The death certificate at this time says undetermined. Ramos also asked whether she had seen accidental fentanyl overdoses though in her career, right? Kind of again planting that seed. All the time, she answered, noting that the number had increased significantly from 2018 to 2022. And with that answer all the time, she has seen them, Ramos had no further questions. And I'm sure that the defense for the, you know, thought that was a mic drop moment and maybe it was.

But I also want to point out that if the medical examiner had indeed seen, oh, so many accidental fentanyl overdoses, she still did not say that this was an accident. This is undetermined. So with that, Ramos had no further questions. But on redirect. the state clarified that it was indeed Corey who told Dr. Ulmer about the prior fungal infection in Eric's family and that she acted on that information by conducting testing. The state also asked whether Dr. Ulmer had access to other evidence when making her determination and she did not have text messages from Corey's phone, recordings from cell phone companies, or financial records. As of June 6th, she testified that she did not have anything that would

allow her to rule the death of homicide or a suicide involving fentanyl, which is why she chose to classify it as undetermined. Ramos briefly returned and asked whether she had the opportunity to change anything on the death certificate before retiring. And she said she was in the process of closing out hundreds of cases and was not provided with additional information from law enforcement that would have caused her to amend it, especially since the investigation was still active. And that's important. She retired while the investigation was still active. She retired before Corey Richards was arrested and charged with murder. After that, Dr. Ulmer was dismissed. And the next witness on the stand was Allison Christensen. So Allison Christensen worked as an autopsy assistant and autopsy supervisor

in 2020. On March 5th, 2022, she was assigned to handle Eric's toxicology samples. Her role was to prepare and ship them to the labs for testing. The state handed her forms with Eric's name and asked her to explain the process and after samples were collected during the autopsy, they were stored in a refrigerator. Samples included tubes of blood, fluid from the eyes, urine, and other material. And then six samples were sent out for testing and one of those samples that was held back. Christiansen testified that she entered the information into the testing company's online portal. A form was printed and the tubes were placed into plastic bile sleeves and after that then into biohazard bag. The bag was placed into a cardboard box sealed and signed and dated by an evidence technician. The package was then shipped

through FedEx to the testing company. She also explained that the taxicology lab is located next door to the medical examiner's office. So Christensen also testified that she is trained in histology, which is the microscopic study of tissues and cells, and clarified that this is a different process than standard blood toxicology testing. She then explained what type of tissues were sent for analysis. And the state had nothing further, and Ramos declined to correct. cross-examined so she was excused, clearly just laying the groundwork, right, explaining the process, procedural witness. Next up was Chelsea Gibson, the lead crime scene investigation technician

with the Summit County Sheriff's Office. Yes, she's someone who's been around law enforcement for a while, starting as a dispatcher and then eventually moved into crime scene work. And on the morning of March 4th. She arrived at the Richens home around 6.30 a.m. And her main job was to document the scene and help Deputy Woody figure out if there was anything in the house that could explain Eric's death. Well, one of the first things Gibson talked about was the 3D camera scan of the home. The camera takes us past the kids' bedrooms, a shared bathroom, into the master bedroom, then the master bathroom and closet down the main hallway past another kid's room into the living room dining area and kitchen. And honestly, the scan really gives a sense of the layout. And you can see

how the family lived day to day. Gibson was very clear that she didn't see any drug paraphernalia or THC gummies anywhere in the house. She took some photos in the master bedroom that were admitted into evidence. And one of the photos showed a safe right next to the master bed. Inside the safe were firearms, ammunition, a large amount of cache, an empty checkbook, and a few other items. Another photo showed where Eric's body was found under a white sheet. And we can see how straight he was lying, which does line up with what the EMT described as unusual earlier.

If you remember that, that he was so straight and pulled off the end of the bed, not the side of the bed, allegedly. and how, you know, she also searched the master bathroom, but let's take a look at some of this. Do you recognize this? Yes. What is it? The overall photograph I took of inside the master bedroom showing where the deceased was located when I arrived. Fair and accurate representation of the scene on that day.

Yes. I'll move to admit 1-7 and publish, please. 17 is admitted. And so this is where Eric Richens was when you arrived. Correct. Did you look through the bedroom or did you look around the bedroom to see if there's anything that was significant that might have caused his death? I looked around the bedroom a little bit, yes. Did you find anything that stood out to you that may have caused the death of Eric Richens?

Nothing that could have caused his death, no. So she also searched again the master bathroom and bedroom and didn't find anything like THC gummies. She didn't go through the kitchen but said if anything important had been found elsewhere in the house, she would have been called back to documented. By 8.30 a.m. Gibson and the detectives were the last officers to leave the house. And then later other searches were done with search warrants going through cabinets, cupboards, and doors looking for very specific items. And from what she saw that morning, though, there was nothing that immediate explained why Erica died. Again, a 39-year-old father, healthy, in shape. And when deputies

arrived at the Richens' home, everyone was assigned a specific role. On April 13th, 2022, Chelsea Gibson was responsible for photographing the scene and assisting searching for anything that could be related to Eric's death. The team examined the entire house, including the detached garage and during her testimony, the state, showed a 3D scan of the home. The video paused in the master bedroom and Gibson identified a green iPhone that was located. She had the phone on the witness stand, sealed in a plastic evidence envelope, and Gibson opened the package in front of the jury and confirmed that it was Eric's phone. And next, Gibson retrieved another envelope containing pills that had been found in a basket in the bedroom. wearing gloves Gibson opened the bottle so everyone could see the contents.

The state introduced more photos including one of a cabinet above the toilet while some items were left behind. Certain items including two gummies, two chocolate brownies, and two clear baggies of gummies were collected and photographed. Gibson also displayed a bag of gummies from the master closet, which were photographed and added two evidence. Other items she collected included a pair of tweezers from a woman's jacket, which was later sent to the state crime lab. Gibson also described finding documents and a prescription in the backpack labeled with Eric's and Corey's names. They also seized a phone that was on Corey's person. All of these items were collected on April 13, 2020, about a month after Eric passed away a little over a month.

And during another search on May 8th, 2023, Gibson collected an orange notebook and a blue iPhone from the master bedroom nightstand. The detached office was also searched with a document from a cabinet and another phone belonging to court. It was seized and later downloaded as evidence. And then in another search on November 7th, 2024. So, guys, this happened in 2020. we're talking two years later. An apparent timeline was found inside a kitchen cabinet. Additionally, a Motorola phone belonging to Carmen Lauber, the housekeeper, right? The house cleaner and the

alleged drug dealer was collected as well. Gibson explained that the process for handling phones once booked into evidence, and you know where this is going, right? The process of handling phones once booked into evidence, that means we're going to be looking at phone. evidence. I'm sorry, but phone evidence is always, always interesting, right? In 2022, the sheriff's office could not download phones directly. They had to be sent to a forensic lab. And so in early 2023, the office acquired Cellbrite. Who knows what Cellbrite is? sell bright is a program that downloads a phone's data and gibson assisted in downloading Corey's blue iPhone using this well-known system and this is a big deal i almost felt like with this

they left us hanging sell bright what's on the phone the clues and the evidence left on phones It's a big deal. I think it's going to be probably a pretty big day tomorrow if that's where we're headed. But who knows? Who knows? After that, the state finished their questioning of Chelsea Gibson and Judge Marazick said, we will pick back up with her cross-examination tomorrow. So Chelsea Gibson will be back on testifying, but with cross-exam, with the defense, which should be interesting. And then it'll be interesting. to see if we delve into that phone evidence, right? And Google searches and texts and relationships and all sorts of fascinating finds on the phone.

The phones tell us a lot these days and these trials. Thank you, everyone. And for those that do have information for us, we do keep sources off record here. we keep them private. And for anyone that has information about this case or any insight, please email us at hidden true crime info at gmail.com. We are listening, we are learning, and I'm going to continue bringing these daily trial recaps every day

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