Grief Author Murder Trial: Kouri Ritchins’ Ex-Lover Takes the Stand

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2:02And what a day In the Corey Richens murder trial The so-called grief author murder trial The boyfriend of the woman on trial Was on the stand yesterday And it was more emotional That maybe folks had anticipated With that welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ ropes He's the most anticipated witness Right? Even if he might not be the most important Yes, I think the most important witness was At the end of last week when we heard from the housekeeper of Corey Richens Who claims that she secured the fentanyl for Corey Who then, according to prosecutors, Gave it to her husband first in a sandwich That was a failed attempt And then eventually in a Moscow mule Which ended up with him having five times The lethal limit, a fentanyl in a system So yes, she was important but now we're hearing the why This is going towards the motive Prosecutors say she wanted money and she wanted her man

3:04And her man was Joshua, Robert Joshua Grossman Yeah, this is very important as far as establishing motive Yeah, and I didn't know I was expecting I suppose More questions And it seemed like they weren't to get a lot of stuff in evidence And have him confirm a bunch of their communications But this was essentially Robert Joshua Grossman Sitting up their robes Looking through a lot of their text messages But it gave us insight into their relationship Where her head was and where his head was Yeah, it was really fascinating to watch So they put up all of their text messages In the month and then the weeks leading up to Eric Richens' death And we're all reading them on the screen Along with the jurors And then they'll throw a shot of the ex-boyfriend And he had his head on the table He was not looking, he was covering his eyes And when he would lift his head up He'd be wiping tears

4:04I mean this is, it was four years ago to the day The Eric Richens died And to see that emotional impact of just seeing those texts And where he was I mean this was a man who seemed to be deeply in love With Cory Richens and hoping to spend the rest of his life with her I mean he, they finally got him to admit on the stand And maybe that was a little pie in the sky But based on some of these writings wrote Absolutely he was in to this woman in a major way A reminder here, Cory Richens out in Utah Park City, Utah Gused of killing her husband In March of 2022 by giving him that least drink She claims he must have gotten somewhere else He had pain pills he used And THC gummies he used So she's claiming maybe he did it to himself Or took it himself but the prosecution Doesn't believe that's the case Saying she poisoned him And then I guess robes the other part after that And the reason they call it the grief author murder trial I guess some of those details are the ones that are really often Make headlines and have people interested in this story

5:05That's right, because she actually wrote And published a book about helping children Get through the grief of losing a parent And she had actually been on Local television stations, local radio Promoting her book And then within weeks of that book promotion She's arrested for murdering The father of her children Yeah, I can't make this stuff up You cannot I can't make it up So this is where we are She's facing, and while as it is Roads you should mention Yes, she's facing a murder charge But also an attempted murder charge Because they say she failed the first time She tried to kill her Right, with that sandwich that she tried to give Or she did give him and he ate But apparently he was able to survive it By he just was texting her saying Hey, and we've seen the text Admitted into court where he's telling her I feel terrible I might have to go to the hospital He ended up giving himself an epiphen And taking some benederal and sleeping it off And surviving it

6:06So yeah, according to prosecutors Two weeks later she tried again And was successful It's a weird thing to think Roads And it's not a comedian Would make a joke about it What would she try next? If the drink didn't work What is the next thing she's going to serve him? What other dish is there? What other Right, it seems like she was determined to kill Excuse me? She's accused She is innocent to approve and guilty But based on the prosecution's storyline This woman was determined to kill this guy Yes, and it's real You know, you look at her She looks like this Girl next door, your next door neighbor Mom of three Real estate agent It's just she doesn't fit the type of someone Who you would think would be capable of something like this And then to actually Yesterday was so fascinating Hearing from her Then boyfriend And to see the text She didn't give him one indication That she was headed in this direction They were talking about her getting a divorce Her needing time Because she didn't want to break up her family

7:07And she absolutely kept her boyfriend Her lover in the dark In terms of her plans If she in fact did murder Eric Richards She certainly didn't let him know That's where she was headed But there were other things The prosecution is trying to piece together That seemed to allude to certain dates We'll get into that into a second But Rome's I was I didn't know But he explained on the stand How they met in the first place And it was all because of a help on it Yes, so they met in South Carolina He answered the help wanted ad Because she was flipping homes down there So he started working with her And I believe he ended up He said that it was purely platonic For the first couple of years I think he said they met Even in 2016, 2017 So quite a while ago But he ultimately moved to Utah In 2020 to work with her But he said before he moved to Utah Things turned romantic And I was This is he starts working with her roads But he didn't He wasn't necessarily an employee

8:08It was interesting to hear the arrangement They had I guess once they started dating Yeah, so he had his He talked about he had his dog with him And he would live in the house That they were flipping And so kind of basically he was He was working for shelter and food And a car He said she bought him a vehicle Two vehicles actually So she said She would give him cash Here and there But it wasn't as if he was on the payroll He wasn't paying taxes It wasn't as if he was a formal Or yeah, a formal employee It was like kind of her paying him on the side And letting him live in these homes And that's a part of understanding Where his head was and what Or at least how he felt about her He said it on the stand I liked her so I worked for free He said If you said it once robed you said it 50 times Well, he was testifying Oh, I feel bad for this guy Because it did up there he seemed like a

9:09Love sick puppy He did. He looked this is a Look, he is a guy He has a formidable appearance He was an Iraq war veteran A good looking guy Kind of like that blue collar Almost as if I hate to say this But like almost a suburban Wife's fantasy You go and you meet this kind of rugged Handsome War vet who has his dog He's good with his hands He can build things, he can fix things And so But doesn't that sound like the beginning Of a romance novel? I'm not sure that you are familiar with them But I can tell you that this is actually I was thinking this as I was watching It was almost as if it was It was like a stereotypical Affair in a way Like she a board housewife Looking for some hot blue collar guy Who's gonna love her And not talk too much Not want to go too deep about anything Philosophical just like fun sex

10:09Never would have thought that Yeah, that's what it looked like to me It looks like he fell hard for her And he was still so emotional She was stone faced by the way Because they would cut to her And he even kind of he looked at her Since 2023 And since they broke up And they broke up several months before she was arrested But I felt So bad for him And look, I think when you're hearing this story as a juror You're feeling terrible for Eric Richens If you believe that She actually committed this crime And it almost Honestly having him on the stand look like This is a woman who basically manipulated Two men Who were both wanting to be with her Yes, if nothing else And a lot of the messages we read And some of the back and forth The stuff to be expected And the folks already knew they were in a relationship I don't know how impactful some of that is But Robes it I told you from an emotional standpoint Seeing that guy

11:09I was upset with her She was so genuine Because so much of the messages And so much of what we did see Was I don't want to say leading him on A lot of it wasn't she apologetic The way she couldn't spend so much time with him She was, she kept saying I'm so sorry You deserve more than this At one point it looked as though And the defense really tried to hone in on this Didn't wasn't she breaking up with you Before Eric Richens died But I think she was just basically Acknowledging that he was only getting Just a few drips And drops from her She wasn't able to give him the time He deserved And love with you And then she said If I weren't married Would you marry me tomorrow And he said of course I would Well she goes on and reciprocates at one time I'm in love with a man that's not my husband She says that to him And the guy on the stand I mean he kind of admitted Maybe I go ahead over heels more than most

12:09But they asked him Directly do you believe That she loves you too I have a tendency for going head over heels Maybe more than most There was just something so heartfelt about that Yeah I just I felt for him But I thought one of the worst texts That they were able to put up there For jurors to hear was where Cory Richens Talked about wanting to just be with him She said If he, meaning Eric, her husband If he could just go away And you could just be here Life would be so perfect If he was on trial for cheating That would be awful Does that suggest murder We have seen We have covered enough trials in the past six months That we have seen some google surges and text messages Much more damning than some of these We saw but they established whatever they wanted to But the thing Did it make a difference to you At least from a case From an evidence standpoint

13:09Is it circumstantial Is it just surrounding when they were supposed to meet For brunch and have mimosas This was strange I'm thinking that she Look, this is a woman who was If she is guilty She was manipulating everyone Because she didn't let her lover in on her plans She made him think About a year from now Maybe I could get divorced So she wasn't saying anything That would insinuate That she was planning what prosecutors say That she was Very actively planning So if she was planning that Would it also make sense That she was planning to have brunch plans With her lover The day Eric died that morning To celebrate a big real estate deal That was about to go through that day as well So why would she If she did Kill her husband and plan this all out Why would she choose to do it The morning Where she was closing on this house

14:09She had been working on closing for many, many months And going to celebrate With her lover Could she have thought that this would be Something that police would look at Investigators would say Oh, there's no way she would do that Look at what this big day was that she had planned Why would she have done that? That wouldn't make any sense She knew that it was going to come out probably That she was involved in an affair So it doesn't make sense If she planned to have that brunch That would lend itself To suggesting Not guilty, is that what we're saying? Yes, so maybe she planned it So it would look like it So if it There, then you're saying she's probably guilty Because now you're talking about A lot of manipulation and planning And surrounding this death Even looking to manipulate the police That suggests an extensive amount of Preparation Google searches, I'm piecing this together Her Google searches were Ken police You know, look at your phone

15:09And look at your messages and all this stuff So she was probably thinking they are almost certainly Going to find out that I was having an affair Then we give them breadcrumbs Yes Then we give them breadcrumbs It was the last thing here on him Just seeing him yesterday was at time A little devastating We mentioned that the He got upset, he was crying several times At times when they were just showing On the screen at least we were seeing Just the text messages Like a close-up reading Whoever's controlling the cameras Did a cutaway to show him With his head down It was devastating He stopped reading them And I'm sure he hasn't read that stuff in years And to go back and put himself in that position To where he, well he seemed like he was head over heels for this moment Oh, that was devastating Also of note She asked him and he said We both went whoa Towards the end he said she asked him If he'd ever killed anybody And how did it make him feel

16:09And he had been in Iraq So he said looking back now That might be a little weird at the time He didn't think anything up it but he has the hindsight now Is at the end of the world Again, it's all circumstantial It's all circumstantial, it all looks bad It's another piece in the puzzle To get a fuller picture when they're making their decision So I thought this was actually fascinating Also asking him about a listed drug use She was asking if he ever did anything more than marijuana All of that now seems interesting Given how prosecutors say she killed her husband Interesting No smoking gun, quite just yet But this wasn't the only emotion And also not the only drama In the courtroom yesterday There was outside of the presence of the jury A pretty interesting Back and forth between the prosecution lawyers And the defense lawyers Including a flat out accusation Of one side Misbehaving when it comes to the jury

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18:09Prescription required See website for full details, important safety information, and restrictions This is Sophia Bush from work in progress with Sophia Bush Bring the good with avocados from Mexico Upgrade your meals, your get-togethers, even your everyday life Give your moments a little glow up Either one, everyone's glad showed up Because avocados from Mexico spark the joy with every bite And by the way, they're good for you too So elevate your everyday Bring the good flavor, so rich and craveable Avocados from Mexico Always good Honey Sorry, I was dreaming about a new kitchen Then let's do it. Renify lets us borrow based on our home's value after renovations Up to $750,000 And we get to keep our low mortgage rate New bathroom? Yes Finished basement? Yes Girl's trip to Tuscany Renify doesn't do that

19:17Craving bold, authentic taste without kitchen chaos? True Nature meets Japanese teriyaki style delivers Tender beef glazed with sweet savory umami Pre-cooked perfection inspired by Japanese chefs Eat in two minutes, slice over salads or plates Complaints turn to second health things Real meat, real flavor Go to truenaturemeats.com Code free meat, where 20% off Plus free New York strip, Texas smoked brisket, and Mediterranean chicken With code free meat at truenaturemeats.com Welcome back everyone to this episode of Amy and TJ Where we have been glued to the coverage And watching the trial of Corey Richards She is the 35 year old mama three Who was accused of poisoning First attempting to poison her husband And then successfully Poisoning her husband with fentanyl And then writing a book Helping her children deal with the grief of losing their father

20:19So that she could help children everywhere Who have lost a loved one She was arrested a few weeks after that book was published And now she is on trial for Eric Richards murder We saw her lover on the stand yesterday But as you said before the break This was not the only drama in the courtroom We saw yesterday We're used to at the end of a trial Actually it's usually the end of the prosecution Making their case the defense It's customary They get up and make a motion for this missile We move for mistrial Right? It's never granted All of those I've never seen it happen Not a one Right that's pretty high bar So the prosecution is still putting on its case They always have some back and forth They need to work out an issue And these lawyers have more issues It seems to work out than most But there was an issue That the defense said they received a text message

21:19Which said That Carmen Lover The housekeeper who got the drugs For Corey Richards Carmen Lover Had a violation In drug court Why is that a big deal Because the defense says We didn't know about it ahead of time Which could have changed how we Prosecuted our case The prosecution had the burden To tell us They didn't And Rose she explained it In about 60 seconds And I didn't know where it was going Then she all of a sudden she said We immediately move for mistrial What? Yeah Robert violated drug court Yeah That would be that would change perhaps How they cross examined her What they held her accountable for It would call into question her credibility Even further Which they already tried to erode

22:19But the prosecutor's response was Yeah I don't know what you're talking about Yeah Don't know what text she's talking about You all have had and then they went through This information has been out there We gave it to you several days ago It was part of this And so the judge in that moment Said look you're going to have to put this in writing He said I'm not going to shoot from the hip Is what he says So I'm not going to rule right here right now On a mistrial Something like this So they waiting on him So it might be very interesting when they start today Correct so the trial continued As planned with him considering this And yes we'll hear on what he rules on later The other claim that the defense made The defense was claiming That the prosecution was making faces at the jury To try and sway them in their direction I didn't hear I don't know how you make a face this way But they said during cross examination

23:19When the defense is up there cross examining They're getting reports that the prosecution At times is making faces in reaction to whatever is going on With the defensive times How do they know this Television They said people who are watching TV Somehow let them know That they have seen The the prosecution So yes like perhaps just i'm guessing When they're cross examining and say The defense attorney says something crazy You they're looking at the jury like Uh-huh really right Like that's what i'm assuming they're talking about I don't know A wink, a nod, a rolling of the eyes I don't know I loved that the judge didn't Necessarily entertain this much Yeah he shot it down But he's gonna need he hasn't seen anything He's like i'm looking at the prosecution But his point was i have a better view than Even the cameras and i haven't seen a damn thing So yeah You got to give me more than that And he was about to let it go

24:19They have now agreed to go back and get time stamps Judge of the faces Roads i can't wait for the start of course I hope they have like time stamp And then like a freeze frame Like a snapshot Of whatever these faces are They claim look i wonder though I wonder if you just as a human being React i don't have a poker face I do not So when someone says something that sounds fishy Or a bunch of BS or something seems ridiculous You're probably gonna see it on my face Now did they turn Their faces to the jury and do that Are you not allowed to have a human reaction To something if you hear it and you Smell BS I mean obviously you're not allowed to interact With the jury in any way Fine but are you not allowed So you're that's the question Rose Can an attorney roll his or her eyes Just looking are you not supposed to react In any way shape or form Emotionally in the courtroom I've seen Corey Richards and i think that's just a human reaction When you hear something that you disagree with I don't think it's right she's raised her eyebrows

25:19And tilted her head and squinted her eyes And been like wait what And then whisper to her attorney And the jury can see all of that So i don't know i guess the difference Would be turning your head to the jury Like right right you see Like that would be the distinction So they'd have to actually show Because i do think it's just an understandable thing To have a reaction to something that you don't agree with They better come with receipts today But folks this trial What what was the timing on this when they said How many was this you know i feel like all trials They always say four to five weeks And i feel like that is about what they've said This one will go as well So we're coming at the end of two weeks And for the i don't know how much more The prosecution still has in terms of witnesses It's always a little bit of a unknown entity Because sometimes they make decisions In fact they had a surprise witness yesterday So that was why the court was delayed for an hour So we shall see but definitely still Many many days ahead of this trial It still has to put up and we assume it will put up It's defense they don't have to But it looks like they're going to

26:19In terms of what we heard from opening arguments We will of course stay on top of this trial As always Thank you for listening to us everyone i'm Amy Robock Alongside TJ Holmes We will talk to you soon This is Julian Edelman from Games with Names I want to take a second to talk about something that's personal to me I've had the privilege of working closely with Robert Craft For a long time And one thing i've always respected is how seriously he takes up standing up to hate As a Jewish athlete my identity is something i'm proud of But i also know what it feels like to be singled out for it That's why this new commercial for the blue square alliance against hate That aired during the big game really hit home It's about showing up for someone when they're targeted Even if you don't have the perfect words And sometimes standing next to someone is enough And you can show support by sharing the blue square

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