PARK CITY, Utah (Court TV) — Things were tense in a Utah courtroom as Kouri Richins‘ defense pressed a private investigator about his involvement in the case and what he found.
Kouri Richins listens to testimony during her murder trial. (Court TV)
Kouri Richins, 35, is standing trial on charges she murdered her husband, Eric Richins, with a deadly dose of fentanyl in a cocktail at their home in 2022.
Eric Richins’ family hired Todd Gabler as a private investigator. When Gabler took the stand on Monday, the cross-examination became heated when Kouri Richins’ defense attorney accused him of working with the police. Gabler denied working with the police or receiving any help from them while gathering evidence for a separate civil suit Kouri Richins faces.
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Kouri Richins’ paramour previously testified in her murder trial; Kathryn Nester, Kouri Richins’ attorney, tried to suggest that Eric Richins had also been unfaithful while questioning Gabler. Gabler conceded that the couple may have had a bad marriage, but said he saw no evidence that the victim was carrying on other relationships.
Todd Gabler was hired as a private investigator by the Richins family. (Court TV)
Nester pointed to a text that Eric Richins sent his best friend, Bryce Knudsen, that said, “Kouri and I are starting an open relationship tonight. So I told her I’m taking you home.”
“It’s a joke,” Gabler testified. “I don’t understand this to be sexting. I think you’re wrong about that. These are two friends joking with each other. That’s what I’m reading here.”
Nester disagreed with the characterization and pointed to multiple texts where the two discussed oral and anal sex.
Kouri Richins’ murder trial is expected to continue for another week; if convicted of the top charges, she faces a potential life sentence.
