LIVE UPDATES | Day 3 of Kouri Richins murder trial

Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three boys, is accused of fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, in 2022. She is on trial in Summit County, Utah, on charges of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud and forgery.

Today is the third day of the trial. It is scheduled to begin each day at 8:30 a.m. East Idaho News will be posting live written updates all day. Please excuse typos. You can watch the livestream here. The most recent updates are at the top of this page.

9:24 a.m. A person named Mr. Smoot from the US Postal Service was at the home while the warrant was being served. Judge says he has a scheduling conflict from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. We are taking a one-hour recess.

9:22 a.m. Gipson says Kouri Richins was not in the home when they went to serve the warrant. Nester asks if the search warrant covered the vehicles at the house. There were two vehicles in the garage, but Gipson was not part of the team searching the cars. Nester asks Gipson if she remembers the weather that day. It was cold and snow was on the ground. Gipson and the team were at the house for about a half day – several hours.

9:20 a.m. Prosecution raises objection about Nester using the term “y’all.” Nester says it’s a southern thing and it’s part of her vocabulary. She says she will try to refrain from using it. Nester asks Gipson what steps she took before the search warrant was executed. There was a briefing beforehand. Gipson thinks she was there for part of it.

9:18 a.m. Nester asks about Gipson going to the home on April 13, 2022, with a search warrant. Nester asks if people are given a heads-up before a search warrant is served. They are not. Gipson clarifies that she is not a law enforcement officer and it’s up to the detectives on how search warrants are executed.

9:16 a.m. Nester asks if it’s possible for someone to store illicit drugs in old prescription bottles. Gipson says it’s possible. On the day of the death, Gipson did not go upstairs or downstairs. Nester asks about the kitchen and liquor downstairs. There was a fridge in the basement filled with beer. There were liquor bottles in the kitchen downstairs. Nester asks if any of these items were photographed. Gipson says if she did, they would be in her collection of images.

9:15 a.m. Nester asks about the gummies and if they were all stored high up where children would not be able to reach them. Gipson responds, “I believe so. Yes.” Nester asks about drug paraphernalia – if Gipson saw any on the day of the death. Gipson did not.

9:12 a.m. Nester asks what happened to the hydrocodone bottle found in the nightstand. Gipson says the Medical Examiner has it. Gipson has never tested it. Nester asks if there was fentanyl residue in the bottle, we wouldn’t know because it was never tested. Gipson says she was never given the bottle. Nester asks Gipson if she took photos of the kitchen or the closet. She took photos of one side of the closet.

9:10 a.m. There is some confusion over the different hydrocodone bottles – where they were located in the home and which ones are in evidence. Gipson retrieves the bottles from her evidence box and the attorneys approach the witness stand to look at the bottles.

9:07 a.m. Nester shows a photo of the nightstand in the bedroom. There is a wallet on the nightstand. She asks Gipson how it got there. Gipson believes it was in the kitchen and placed on the nightstand. Nester asks if anything under the wallet could be contaminated because it was placed there. Gipson says it was just placed there. Nester asks if she was aware a hydrocodone bottle had been removed from one of the drawers. She is aware, but did not personally take the bottle.

9:05 a.m. Nester asks about a photo taken in the master bedroom showing a sheet off the bed. Dispatchers told Kouri to give Eric CPR and because he was heavier than her, she pulled him off the bed onto the floor with the sheet underneath him. The sheet is still in evidence. There was some blood on it, Gipson says. Nester asks why Gipson kept it as evidence. “Because it was where he died on,” she responds.

9:02 a.m. Nester asks about calls and whether Gipson was involved in making transcripts of the calls. She was not. Nester wants to go through a timeline. She asks Gipson if EMTs were still doing CPR on Eric Richins when she arrived at the home. They had stopped. Gipson was on scene to assist Detective Woody. Woody told Gipson she needed assistance in documenting the bedroom.

9 a.m. Judge explains to jury that, at times, legal issues come up and he needs to consult with the attorney. He also tells the jury not to speculate or discuss whether the defendant was in custody or has been in custody at any time.

8:57 a.m. Nester asks if there were calls between Kouri and her family that Gipson obtained recordings of. “On about a weekly basis for a while, were you downloading calls between Kouri and her family?” Gipson responds, “Are you talking about jail calls?” Nester responds, “Your honor, move to strike and need to approach.”

8:56 a.m. Sidebar over. Nester asks about 911 calls – how they are gathered for evidence purposes. They are taken from the dispatch center and put into evidence. Nester says the 911 call will be revisited later in the trial, Nester says.

8:55 a.m. Attorneys still in sidebar. Lots of open seats in the courtroom gallery today.

8:45 a.m. Gipson’s office does not handle blood, other bodily fluids. The medical examiner stores those items. Nester moves to admit the 911 recording. Prosecution objects based on hearsay. Judge asks for sidebar with attorneys.

8:40 a.m. Defense attorney Kathryn Nester is questioning Chelsea Gipson, the evidence scene technician. Nester goes through the responsibilities associated with Gipson’s job – logging evidence, keeping the scene secure, making sure evidence is handled appropriately, etc.