Kouri Richins: Mom of Utah author accused of killing husband with fentanyl overdose also ‘involved’ in plan

KAMAS, UTAH: Kouri Richins, a seemingly perfect couple in Kamas, Utah, was revealed to have a darker image after Eric Richins' death from fentanyl poisoning, sparking a scandal.

Kouri Richins was accused of poisoning her husband. As the investigation proceeded further, the authorities believe that Kouri's mother, Lisa Darden is also involved in the murder of her son-in-law Eric Richins.

Lisa Darden 'involved in planning and orchestrating' murder

Authorities claimed that on the night of Eric's death, Kouri, her mother Lisa Darden, and he were celebrating Kouri's recent closure on a $2 million mansion that was being built in Wasatch County.

According to a warrant, the 33-year-old, Kouri who ran a real estate business, intended to complete construction on the mansion and resell it for a profit.

Following her husband's death, Kouri wrote and published 'Are You With Me?', a children's book about a father's passing. A recently released sealed search warrant now shows what might be an even more sinister side of the family.

A search warrant affidavit submitted in May 2023 by a detective from the Summit County Sheriff's Office expressed the detective's belief that Darden might have been "involved in planning and orchestrating Eric's death," given her personal connection to a suspicious death that occurred in 2006.

"In investigating Kouri Richins’ associates, it was discovered that in 2006, Richins’ mother, Lisa Darden was living with an adult female with whom she was having a romantic relationship. In April of that year, her romantic partner died unexpectedly," the Summit County detective stated in the affidavit for a search warrant obtained by Fox News Digital.

Lisa Darden's partner died from overdose of oxycodone

According to an autopsy, Darden's partner's "immediate cause of death was a drug poisoning from an overdose of oxycodone."

"Further investigation showed that Lisa Darden had been named as the beneficiary of her partner’s estate a short time before her death," the detective continued.

Detective further added, "The female did have current prescriptions for oxycodone and reportedly struggled with abusing her meds. She, however, was not in a state of recovery from addiction at the time of her death. Based on my training and experience, this would likely rule out the possibility of an accidental overdose." 

Darden's "proximity to her partner's suspicious overdose death" and her close relationship with her daughter, the detective continued, "may indicate that she was involved in the planning and orchestration of Eric's death."

Kouri Richins's lawyer, Skye Lazaro, refuted the detective's recommendation, claiming Darden's partner was a victim of the nationwide opioid crisis, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports claimed claimed 112,000 American lives between May 2022 and May 2023.

"Summit County is well aware that opioid addiction and fentanyl overdose is a rampant problem throughout the country. According to the CDC, 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl," Lazaro said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Lazaro went on to say, "Not only was Summit County the first Utah county to file a lawsuit against ‘Big Pharma’ Opioid Manufacturers and Distributors, in 2022 Park City Police, the Summit County Sheriff, Summit County Attorney and Park City School District issued a joint statement to its citizens warning they’re finding an increasing amount of fentanyl, a drug fueling a surge in accidental overdoses nationwide."

Darden's partner, Lazaro said, "was one of the millions that suffered from, and ultimately succumbed to, opioid addiction," which "is hardly ‘suspicious. It is tragic, and unfortunately, quite common," the attorney said.

Eric Richins was murdered by his wife Kouri Richins

Eric Richins, a wealthy man, was murdered by his wife Kouri Richins, who allegedly purchased four life insurance policies totaling over $1.9 million between 2015 and 2017.

Eric's estate-planning attorney, Kristal Bowman-Carter, claimed that he made unusual choices and provisions to his estate plan before his sudden death, including taking Kouri off his will and making his sister and father the beneficiaries instead.

Eric had been in fear for his life after Kouri allegedly tried to poison him several years ago in Greece and again on Valentine's Day in 2022.

Eric's primary goals were to protect him from Kouri's financial abuse and to ensure his three young sons would never be able to manage his property after his death.

Kouri changed the beneficiary for his $2 million life insurance policy without authorization, and allegedly spiked her husband's Moscow Mule with fentanyl.

Kouri's defense attorney, Skye Lazaro, defended her client, stating that poor financial decisions do not make her client a murderer.