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00:00:14no matter if it's a parent a sibling or friend talking about loss with kids can be a tricky
00:00:20subject joining us now is author of are you with me Corey Richards and Corey I want to start with
00:00:26your story what happened in your personal life so my husband passed away unexpectedly last year he
00:00:33was 39 it completely took us all by shock we have three little boys 10 9 and 6 and it's
00:00:41only been a
00:00:41year how did you go from processing death to I need to write a book and help others you know
00:00:47I just
00:00:48watched the struggle that my kids were going through and trying to find something that we
00:00:53could use to cope at nights nights are the hardest it seems like for everybody when you know dealing
00:00:57with anything but I just wanted some story to read to my kids at night I was reading in it
00:01:05and I
00:01:05remember I was just was in tears and and I thought like this is perfect for your family it just
00:01:09seemed
00:01:09perfect and so I I was just baffled at how she even had the time to do that and it's
00:01:16you know explaining
00:01:17to my kids just because he's not present here with us that doesn't mean he his presence isn't here with
00:01:23us and he's doing these things with us viewers at home what they saw in that interview was this
00:01:30bereaved young woman who tragically lost her husband like dad is still here it's just in a different way
00:01:36but this would be just the beginning of the story and boy was there a lot more coming their way
00:01:42and we're clear all right good job everyone let's get ready for headlines
00:01:59okay tell me exactly what happened
00:02:05okay I need you to take a deep breath what's going on
00:02:12it's a little after three in the morning and Corey Richens calls 911 saying her husband Eric
00:02:18is not breathing and is cold to the touch okay we're gonna can you do CPR
00:02:26you don't know I'm gonna tell you how to are you willing to do CPR
00:02:32yeah okay one two three four one two three four count out loud so I can hear you I'm counting
00:02:41with
00:02:42you one one one three four officers are dispatched of the scene paramedics and firefighters are already
00:02:50there when they arrive in those first few moments of the police body-worn camera you are watching this
00:02:57life or death moment unfold law enforcement is trying to make sense of it all inside the bedroom
00:03:05you can see law enforcement trying to help Eric Richens he is on his back on the ground is no
00:03:11pulse he's not breathing
00:03:13and they're using a CPR machine so you can hear this sort of rhythmic sound
00:03:21what's your first name let's let them do their work in there it's what happened today
00:03:38when you say we were fine what time did you see him when he was alert
00:03:45we had a drink together at nine to celebrate something at work hours earlier they were celebrating
00:03:52a big financial win for her real estate business she mentions it had a cocktail before bed she mentions
00:03:59that her son has night terrors and that she'd been asleep with him
00:04:05where are your children now at one point the you know officer asked if she would like to call
00:04:25anybody and she mentioned she wants to call her mom I got a call it was Cory said mom you
00:04:40need to come up here
00:04:47I said something's happened she said Eric
00:04:55does he have any medical conditions or anything like that
00:05:11so while she's talking to the officer she says that sometimes he takes a gummy to sleep but she also
00:05:21tells him she's not sure whether he took one that night
00:05:24it's like a gummy as in like a THC gummy okay does he have any history of illicit drug use
00:05:32or anything in the past year no
00:05:34as I pull in the driveway three cops come running at me asking who I am I went running through
00:05:44the house to get to Cory
00:05:46Cory and it was just devastating she was in total shock I had no idea not only as a mother
00:05:53what to do for her but as a person how to help a person in shock
00:05:58oh my god oh my god
00:06:06I went and talked to the boys and they're just confused they're not crying because they don't know what's going
00:06:12on they just know a lot of cops are there
00:06:14Cory Richland's mother Lisa Darden says that he got weekly allergy shots and maybe that has something to do with
00:06:21his medical condition
00:06:23he didn't look good last night
00:06:25he looked pale last night and I just I asked if you're okay
00:06:31I said yeah but he was saying his chest was hurting
00:06:36I had seen him that day and I said oh my god what is wrong with you you look horrible
00:06:44for a moment the deputy walks away from Cory Richards and you can see a conversation between him another officer
00:06:49and an EMT
00:06:50I don't know if he had an anarchy or something with all the blood
00:06:55that's
00:06:57that's
00:06:57there's a lot of blood for no reason
00:06:59a little bit coming out as soon as we start to compress
00:07:02when the blood came out
00:07:03okay
00:07:05alright
00:07:07I don't know
00:07:08the amount of blood was sort of surprising to the paramedic and this leads to the initial hypothesis of an
00:07:14aneurysm
00:07:15my husband's active he didn't just die in his sleep this is insane
00:07:21Eric was very athletic you would never expect an aneurysm but that's what they're telling us
00:07:30they don't know they're saying an aneurysm and um you just can't believe he's gone
00:07:36in the body cam footage you actually hear Eric's sister Katie before you see her
00:07:49she's moaning and she's screaming out and it's raw guttural pain that you hear when you've just learned that someone
00:07:57you love has died
00:07:59in the video you see Katie take Corey and Eric's young boys upstairs and away from the turmoil
00:08:08but at one point Katie even can hardly breathe
00:08:12natural okay
00:08:13take a deep breath
00:08:15take a deep breath
00:08:17okay okay
00:08:18I gotta breathe
00:08:20I gotta breathe
00:08:21oh my god I gotta breathe
00:08:22I just talked to her like a couple of hours ago
00:08:28at 3.58 a.m. Eric Richens is officially declared dead
00:08:32but it's also noted that he appears to have been dead for quite some time before they arrived at the
00:08:38residence
00:08:39the next thing is our detective and our medical exam is going to respond to the location
00:08:45they're going to do their investigation and document everything
00:08:50and then most likely because of his age and his health and everything else
00:08:58the county coroner's office has an obligation a legal requirement really to investigate forensically any unexpected death
00:09:07whenever you have a young man like this who dies mysteriously you can bet they're going to do an autopsy
00:09:16this is the night of a tragic end but the beginning of a mystery that will take years to unravel
00:09:35the night that Eric died
00:09:38Cory says that they were celebrating
00:09:43they were celebrating what was going to be her most ambitious purchase yet for her real estate business
00:09:51a distressed mansion in midway Utah that she hoped to buy for millions flip it and sell it for millions
00:10:01more
00:10:01she was so excited about it and the possibilities for it
00:10:05this was a very big moment for Cory Richens
00:10:11Cory grew up working for her aunt's cleaning company
00:10:15cleaning cleaning the toilets of the rich people who lived in mansions in Park City
00:10:21Cory would dream that one day she would be the one that owned the mansions and not the one cleaning
00:10:28the toilets
00:10:29this was Cory's moment to say look I did it
00:10:33I made something of myself and now I'm on the other side
00:10:40Cory grew up in a family that moved a lot
00:10:43my parents worked construction so we would move every 2-3 months growing up
00:10:48we weren't poor by any stretch but we weren't wealthy by any stretch either
00:10:53my parents did what they had to do to get by
00:10:57when she got to junior high
00:10:59her family really made a home in Heber City, Utah
00:11:03it's also part of Summit County
00:11:05it's a beautiful mountain town
00:11:06and there she finds a really close group of girlfriends
00:11:13we just had a really good core group of friends
00:11:16and I mean the text we'd get every weekend was hey where's the party at
00:11:20and then we also played sports and then we were in the same classes together
00:11:24and we just kind of evolved from there
00:11:28she's on the cheer team in high school she's playing tennis
00:11:31and she seems to have really found a home and belonging
00:11:37she was a tough cookie
00:11:39anybody said anything wrong about us
00:11:41you could kind of always count on Cory to handle it
00:11:45Cory and Eric met when Cory was working at a Home Depot
00:11:49Home Depot paid the best
00:11:51it was brand new, it was in Park City
00:11:53and it paid really well for cashiers
00:11:57he was coming into the Home Depot a lot
00:11:59because of his stone masonry business
00:12:01and they hit it off and started talking
00:12:03and people remember you know sparks flying
00:12:07and instant chemistry
00:12:09he was significantly older than her
00:12:11she just thought the world of Eric
00:12:16Eric was it
00:12:18Eric grew up in Bountiful, Utah
00:12:22went to high school at Woods Cross
00:12:26the Richens owned a cattle ranch in Summit County
00:12:31and he grew up working on this ranch
00:12:34his sisters rode horses
00:12:36they had animals
00:12:37they were outdoorsmen
00:12:39Eric was one of three children
00:12:40with two sisters, Amy and Katie
00:12:44and he was very close to his mother who had died in 2018
00:12:49Eric grew up a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
00:12:53also known as the Mormon Church
00:12:55his dad shares that it was one of the most important things
00:12:58that they wanted to instill in their children was faith and religion
00:13:04so much so that Eric went on a two-year mission for the church to Mexico City
00:13:11and then came back and started his stone masonry business
00:13:14Eric was a very dynamic individual
00:13:19he worked hard, but he also played hard
00:13:22he had ATVs, he camped, he explored
00:13:26Eric was a big time hunter
00:13:28go to Africa, big trophy hunting stuff
00:13:35they began dating
00:13:36Corey became pregnant with their first child
00:13:39and they married soon after
00:13:42the marriage is a backyard ceremony
00:13:45family and friends gather
00:13:46Corey is about to walk down the aisle
00:13:50and Eric's mother presents her with a pre-nup
00:13:55and the pre-nup says that his stone masonry business belongs to him
00:14:01and that the only way that she would benefit from that business
00:14:04would be if he were to die while they are married
00:14:07Corey was pretty distraught over it
00:14:09but ultimately she signed it
00:14:11and she loved Eric
00:14:12she wanted to marry Eric
00:14:13so she went along to get along I guess
00:14:17I don't think it's a secret that Eric's family
00:14:20or at least parts of Eric's family
00:14:22didn't approve of Corey
00:14:25it was a rough start at the beginning
00:14:26and once that got passed
00:14:28I mean they had a good wedding
00:14:32Corey and Eric ended up having three boys in four years
00:14:37she planned that
00:14:38she was a planner
00:14:39and that was her plan
00:14:42Corey was everything he'd probably want as a mom
00:14:44she loved her boys
00:14:46her boys are her world
00:14:48and when she wasn't working
00:14:50she was with her kids
00:14:51from boy scout leader to soccer to you name it
00:14:56she's involved in everything
00:14:58Eric really, he was a dedicated dad
00:15:02he was a soccer coach for the boys
00:15:05my last memory of Eric
00:15:07was me in their living room
00:15:09playing soccer with his son
00:15:10you know
00:15:11and Eric was sitting in his chair
00:15:12like sitting back like this giggling
00:15:16while his son kicked my ass in soccer
00:15:18you know
00:15:19and he was really proud of it
00:15:22Eric's business has become incredibly successful
00:15:25it's a million dollar business
00:15:27C&E Masonry
00:15:28and they have a very affluent life
00:15:30they're taking trips together
00:15:33my first cruise was with them
00:15:36they would go out
00:15:37to fancy restaurants
00:15:40yeah, they had money to spend
00:15:43at the beginning of all
00:15:44Corey stayed home with the children
00:15:45but at some point
00:15:46Corey wanted more
00:15:48and she started a real estate business
00:15:51in 2019
00:15:52Corey starts
00:15:53Kay Richland's Realty
00:15:55which is her home flipping business
00:15:57that first year
00:15:58Corey buys
00:15:59and resells a property
00:16:01to a family
00:16:02that says
00:16:02they found their dream home
00:16:04guess whose homeowners
00:16:06me
00:16:06and him
00:16:07and me
00:16:08and him
00:16:09and me
00:16:11and me
00:16:11we just bought a house
00:16:14just two years later
00:16:16Corey is managing
00:16:1715 renovation projects
00:16:20Corey's making a very good living
00:16:22it's expanding quickly
00:16:23she's buying a lot of properties
00:16:25and by all accounts
00:16:27it is very successful
00:16:29this looks like
00:16:31the all-american
00:16:33perfect family
00:16:34a beautiful home
00:16:36a beautiful family
00:16:37beautiful children
00:16:38and two thriving businesses
00:16:41what's your first name?
00:16:44nobody ever thought Eric was going to die
00:16:47of course Eric Richland's
00:16:49a dedicated father
00:16:50has provided for his children
00:16:51but this grieving widow
00:16:53is about to discover
00:16:55her future
00:16:56won't be quite
00:16:57what she thought
00:16:58Eric's sister
00:17:00Amy
00:17:00says this home
00:17:01isn't yours
00:17:02they're screaming back and forth
00:17:07I stepped in between the two of them
00:17:21I learned the news about Eric passing on March 4th
00:17:24through a phone call
00:17:26why?
00:17:27what happened?
00:17:28what could have caused it?
00:17:29it was just surreal
00:17:33and just the day before
00:17:35Corey says
00:17:36that she and Eric
00:17:37were toasting the purchase
00:17:38of her dream property
00:17:40a 2.9 million dollar mansion
00:17:45and just hours later
00:17:47Eric would be dead
00:17:50Eric was beloved in the community
00:17:52and many people come
00:17:53and gather at the family home
00:17:55to sort of celebrate his life
00:17:58there were just constant people
00:18:00coming in and out of the house
00:18:01paying their condolences
00:18:02we were just
00:18:03you know
00:18:04reminiscing about Eric
00:18:06we were all just there to support Corey
00:18:08keep the boys occupied
00:18:09keep their minds
00:18:11sort of off of
00:18:12you know what happened
00:18:13we were literally talking about Eric
00:18:15the entire night
00:18:16and he was dancing
00:18:17and listening to his favorite songs
00:18:22one of our friends is shotgunning a beer
00:18:24Richard!
00:18:25Richard!
00:18:26Richard!
00:18:26and it's not the way everybody else may celebrate
00:18:29but that's how we did it
00:18:30because that's what Eric would have done with us
00:18:32at one point
00:18:34you know they're playing music
00:18:35and Cody Johnson's
00:18:36Till You Can't comes on
00:18:37and this is Eric's favorite song
00:18:39I mean it's an incredible song
00:18:49with a very obvious meaning
00:18:51live until you can't
00:18:52you know
00:18:53and to know that we just lost somebody so suddenly
00:18:55it put things in perspective
00:18:58yeah if you got a chance
00:19:00take it
00:19:02Corey's dancing with her three sons
00:19:04and Eric's sister Amy films the dance
00:19:07and there was this light that kind of projected around them
00:19:10and she's like I swear Eric's dancing with them right now
00:19:12like she it was special
00:19:13and it's this real moment of sort of solidarity between the two families
00:19:18but that solidarity appears to be short lived
00:19:26the morning after that gathering there is a dispute and argument between Corey and Eric's sister Amy
00:19:35Corey realizes that Eric's will is in a safe
00:19:39she seemed a little adamant about getting the will
00:19:43and she was pretty positive that it was in the safe but she didn't know what the combination was
00:19:49Eric Richen's sister Amy is at the house and a locksmith shows up to access the safe
00:19:57you just hear like this blood hurtling scream as I ran out into the garage
00:20:04and Amy had seen a sign on a truck that said locksmith or something
00:20:10she flipped out and told Corey you know you're not supposed to be getting into the safe
00:20:16and then Amy drops a bomb she tells Corey that Eric had secretly set up his trust and will
00:20:23and Corey was largely cut out
00:20:26they're screaming back and forth I stepped in between the two of them
00:20:32eventually the police showed up
00:20:35in the midst of all of this
00:20:37Corey wants to fact check what's going on and they call the estate planner
00:20:41so the estate planner ends up confirming to Corey that right around 2020 Eric had created an estate
00:20:49and that his sister Katie was in charge of that and the executor
00:20:54he makes his sons the beneficiary of the trust he puts the house in the trust
00:21:01and that's when those words of it's not your home came out
00:21:04and Corey's like it is my house I've lived here for 10 years
00:21:06you know what are you talking about
00:21:08Amy told authorities that Corey punched her in the face in the neck
00:21:11Corey is then arrested and charged with assault
00:21:15she ends up pleading no contest but she is found guilty of assault
00:21:19to think this is happening two days after Eric's death
00:21:23and then these two families have to see each other again at Eric's funeral
00:21:30the funeral itself I think went off very well
00:21:33but you could already see the animosity between the two families
00:21:38it's contentious
00:21:41oh the funeral was incredibly uncomfortable
00:21:44Corey stood in one and then his family stood in like another area
00:21:48yeah it was a very obvious divide immediately
00:21:51and they wouldn't talk to each other
00:21:53there really wasn't much reference to Corey
00:21:56there wasn't a lot of love going on
00:21:59over the top lavish casket
00:22:01it was like a horse and buggy
00:22:03it was grand
00:22:04it was very country
00:22:05it was just the most uncomfortable funeral I've ever been at
00:22:07his 40th birthday was just a couple weeks after the funeral
00:22:11like his clothes had already been taken down
00:22:13and she wasn't wearing her wedding ring
00:22:15and I thought that was a little odd
00:22:16I mean it was it wasn't even a month
00:22:22as the months passed Corey filed a civil lawsuit
00:22:25against Eric's sister Katie disputing the trust
00:22:28and Corey seems to continue to adjust to life
00:22:31as a single mother and a businesswoman
00:22:34Corey talks a lot about how important routine is
00:22:37to getting through the process of grief
00:22:40and so you know usually at night time
00:22:42this is when you read to your children
00:22:43and she was saying that they looked for something to read
00:22:45they would answer some of these questions
00:22:47and she found nothing
00:22:48she said I have looked everywhere
00:22:50and I can't find a book on grieving for children
00:22:55she said I wonder if I could write one
00:23:00Corey Richens self-published a book called Are You With Me?
00:23:05The first part of the book is actually written from the child's perspective
00:23:09the little boy who's wondering if his dad is with him
00:23:12Corey actually used a ghostwriter in order to create this book
00:23:17are you at my soccer game when I scored that goal for you?
00:23:22I looked for you in the crowd but you weren't there
00:23:24did you see it?
00:23:26and then later on in the book it switches to the deceased father's perspective
00:23:32and he sort of starts saying yes I am with you
00:23:34I am with you when you scored that goal for me
00:23:37you couldn't hear me cheer for you
00:23:39but I yelled and clapped as loud as I could just like always
00:23:42Corey dedicates the book to my amazing husband and a wonderful father
00:23:46and then there is a drawing of the family of five
00:23:50who see Corey and Eric together with their three children and the dog
00:23:55I will forever love you my sweet baby until we see each other again
00:23:59yes I am with you
00:24:03in March 2023 Corey Richens goes on these local radio and TV stations talking about the book
00:24:13start from week 2
00:24:15and good morning and happy Friday everybody thank you for tuning in
00:24:17we got an email wrote into the station it was Corey saying that she had just written what she believed
00:24:23to be was the first book for kids about coping with grief and that she would love the chance to
00:24:28share that on Good Things Utah
00:24:30my kids and I kind of wrote this book on the different emotions and grieving processes that we've experienced last
00:24:38year
00:24:39and to make sense and process I'm sure
00:24:42yes exactly exactly
00:24:44what a shock this must be for this poor woman my heart went out to her
00:24:49I'm new to all of this so kind of doing all you know research and reading books and things to
00:24:54try and understand
00:24:55you know not only how to grieve as a widow as a wife but also you know with my kids
00:25:02how to help them how to help them understand what just happened
00:25:05but the big shock happened a couple of days later when we get an anonymous email and there's just one
00:25:11line and it's an all capital letters with many exclamation marks at the end and it says you know she
00:25:17killed her husband
00:25:26thank you
00:25:27thank you
00:25:28thank you
00:25:29while Corey has moved on with her life and is promoting her children's book about coping with grief
00:25:35authorities have been digging into the circumstances surrounding Eric's death
00:25:54and I think that made a lot of sense to the family on scene right then because what else would
00:26:01it be that would make a healthy 39 year old man all of a sudden stop breathing in the middle
00:26:07of the night
00:26:08so law enforcement says that there will be an autopsy they think it might have been an aneurysm but they
00:26:13don't know
00:26:14for the people that knew Eric the autopsy was absolutely shocking
00:26:19the initial autopsy report comes back and it's drug intoxication fentanyl as the cause of death
00:26:28five times the amount of fentanyl that could kill anyone
00:26:32Eric did not do drugs not to my understanding you know and Corey was saying the same thing so it
00:26:39was just baffling
00:26:40they also found that it was not medical grade fentanyl so this is nothing that was prescribed by a doctor
00:26:45this would have been you know drugs off the street the type of drugs that you would procure on a
00:26:51corner and don't necessarily know the origins of
00:26:55the autopsy report jump starts a criminal investigation because this is not a natural death
00:27:00this is either an accidental overdose or someone killed Eric
00:27:06now police officers realize they have to find the origin of the drug
00:27:09police get a search warrant to search the rich and home for illegal drugs
00:27:16investigators go in they seize Corey's electronics Eric's electronics
00:27:21and they search the house for anything that could possibly have traces of fentanyl
00:27:26but they don't find any fentanyl
00:27:29during this search Corey is stopped by then lead detective Jamie Woody and at that moment Corey says what everybody
00:27:37else is saying
00:27:38that Eric doesn't do drugs that she's shocked by the cause of death
00:27:43Corey Richens talks to the chief medical examiner and essentially has a bunch of questions
00:27:48and she goes down a list of the various items that were found in the stomach contents
00:27:52the third one the acetyl I don't know how you say that
00:27:57acetyl fentanyl yeah that's just a variant of fentanyl that is usually only present in the setting of illicitly manufactured
00:28:07fentanyl
00:28:08illicit manufactured like a pharmacy
00:28:11no no no like fentanyl that's manufactured by drug cartels as opposed to by pharmaceutical companies
00:28:17oh good lord it's pretty clear she's kind of reading from the report
00:28:21and asking individual questions about each part
00:28:24I was just trying to figure out you know if we found out anything new
00:28:28definitely you know death from fentanyl intoxication
00:28:31and we still don't know how we got it into him
00:28:34yeah I mean is that anything you could ever find out
00:28:41when the toxicology report comes back Eric's family comes forward to law enforcement and says
00:28:46well we have some concerns about the toxicology report Eric didn't do drugs
00:28:51the Richens family was immediately suspicious that Corey had a role in Eric's death
00:28:58according to Eric's family while it seemed like Corey and Eric were flying high
00:29:03when he died it was a very different reality
00:29:11Eric discovered actually in 2020 that Corey had taken out a loan to help her business
00:29:18and did so without telling him
00:29:19Corey had taken out a $250,000 line of credit against the home
00:29:24which Eric solely owned and had no idea about
00:29:28that made them all start to be very concerned with Corey's financial situation
00:29:33and that is actually what caused him to change the trust
00:29:36because he wanted to make sure his children were taken care of
00:29:39the family says that when Eric finds out he visits a divorce attorney
00:29:43I think it's like how can you deceive your spouse like that
00:29:47when you own a home the idea that you're going to take out a line of credit
00:29:52that they're never going to realize this
00:29:54and you're somehow going to go out and spend $250,000
00:29:58and they're just never going to get that that's what was going on behind the scenes
00:30:01it's pretty shocking
00:30:05they end up going to counseling and they do not separate
00:30:09but there is this idea you know she's lied about their finances
00:30:13even if there's the facade of things being good within the marriage
00:30:17there's still a real permanent rift between the couple
00:30:21and the trust that's been broken there
00:30:22but as it turns out allegations of financial crimes
00:30:26are not the only evidence investigators are uncovering
00:30:38a year after Eric's death Corey's finances are not looking good at all
00:30:44she thought she was going to be getting an inheritance
00:30:46and now the weight of her debt is bearing down on her
00:30:52she's in a lot of trouble here
00:30:53she owes a lot of money millions and millions of dollars
00:30:57it was hard for her that year financially and emotionally
00:31:01her kids you know were crying at night because their dad is gone
00:31:06and she has Eric's family who are blaming her for his death
00:31:13emotionally she kind of seemed like she's hanging on by a thread
00:31:16Corey was also trying to run this business that she was doing
00:31:20and she just seemed really stressed out
00:31:24one of Corey's biggest financial burdens was this mansion she had purchased
00:31:29a luxurious piece of property on the most beautiful land
00:31:37she buys it for close to three million dollars
00:31:40but at this point the mansion is far from finished
00:31:45Corey Richens commissioned this YouTube video of the house construction
00:31:49it even included a virtual view of the planned luxe amenities
00:31:54Corey had talked about turning the midway mansion into an event space
00:32:00where people could have weddings
00:32:02it needed a lot of work estimated to be a couple million
00:32:07Corey is allegedly making all of this work through hard money loans
00:32:11and these are loans that are short term
00:32:14they cost more they tend to be riskier
00:32:17but Corey didn't have money from Eric's estate to help
00:32:20and eventually lost the mansion to foreclosure
00:32:24the fallout from Corey's financial strain
00:32:27allegedly ends up harming one of her best friends
00:32:31a woman named Chelsea Barney
00:32:35Corey's been helping her best friend buy a home
00:32:38her first home
00:32:39so she says look I'll get the loan
00:32:41you'll sign the deed
00:32:42the home will be yours
00:32:44and you can pay the mortgage each month
00:32:46she was a waitress and a manager at a restaurant
00:32:49and she had saved all of her tip money for years
00:32:52she gave Corey $45,000 as a down payment
00:32:57she was always on time with her payment
00:33:00and so when all of a sudden she was getting notices
00:33:03that her home might be in trouble
00:33:05she called and asked for a copy of the deed
00:33:08essentially Chelsea had found out that the deed was never properly filed with the county
00:33:13she never was the owner of the home
00:33:17the house is foreclosed on Chelsea and her family are evicted
00:33:22and to add insult to injury all this money she saved up to buy this home
00:33:28it's gone
00:33:31and there's another family who also say their dealings with Corey did not end well
00:33:38we just bought a house
00:33:41Taryn and Alec Wright buy this home for their family
00:33:44it's been remodeled
00:33:46there's a view of the mountains
00:33:48it has a great yard
00:33:49but once they were in that home
00:33:51they discovered a major problem
00:33:54they claim they find mold in the walls
00:33:58and they say there was water coming in
00:34:00and that everyone in the family got sick
00:34:04nosebleeds
00:34:05asthma
00:34:05really unpleasant stuff
00:34:10Corey denied that she had any knowledge of any problems with the home
00:34:14and that the home had been inspected prior to their closing on it
00:34:19the Wrights filed a lawsuit and told 2020
00:34:22they lost their house to foreclosure
00:34:24saying they've been financially ruined by the cost of a long-term temporary rental
00:34:29while still paying for that home
00:34:33meanwhile there are people who are starting to say out loud
00:34:37what only a few knew
00:34:39that Eric had gotten ill in the past
00:34:41and he suspected Corey was behind it
00:34:45Eric and Corey were on a trip to Greece in 2019
00:34:50they're out having dinner one night
00:34:52and everyone is ordering drinks
00:34:54Eric had just recently got Lyme's disease from a hunting trip
00:34:58he's taking medication for it
00:35:00on that medication you're not allowed to have alcohol
00:35:02it would make you very very sick
00:35:05Eric ordered a virgin drink
00:35:08when they brought it over
00:35:10he tasted it and said that
00:35:12he thought that there was alcohol in it
00:35:14he started not feeling well
00:35:15and they ran up to the hotel room
00:35:18he called his sister Katie
00:35:20and told her that he thought that Corey had tried to poison him
00:35:25I don't believe Eric said that
00:35:28I don't believe he ever said that
00:35:30they were in a restaurant when he got sick
00:35:31so the only one serving him was a waitress
00:35:38then actually on Valentine's Day of 2022
00:35:41so only weeks before his death
00:35:44Corey had ordered a sandwich from a local diner
00:35:48the server answered the phone
00:35:49the server answered the phone
00:35:50and a to-go order was placed
00:35:52a Bald Mountain Bagel Sandwich
00:35:55which is just a toasted bagel
00:35:56with bacon, egg and cheese
00:35:58avocado and sliced tomato
00:36:01and twelve minutes later
00:36:03Corey came in and picked it up and paid for it
00:36:07when she left the sandwich form
00:36:09she left a note basically just saying
00:36:11Happy Valentine's Day, I love you
00:36:15after just a single bite
00:36:17Eric seemed to believe he was having an allergic reaction
00:36:19he used his son's EpiPen
00:36:21took some Benadryl
00:36:23and went to sleep
00:36:24and when he woke up
00:36:25he texted friends
00:36:26you almost lost me this time
00:36:28I think she might have poisoned me
00:36:31and police are about to learn
00:36:33just where that poison
00:36:35could be coming from
00:36:46he's been
00:36:47Corey came to me about a year after she said her husband had died
00:36:50all she had said was that
00:36:52he passed away and she was ready for some new family photos
00:36:57so she wanted to get her hair done to look cute in the pictures with her sons
00:37:02I was really impressed with how she was handling that situation with her little boys
00:37:08and how much she was doing with her life
00:37:11Corey spent five or six hours in my chair
00:37:15we did a full color on her
00:37:16and then we did her extension install after that
00:37:19I think she ended up spending around $2,900
00:37:32It's been a year since Eric Richen's death
00:37:35and Corey is moving on with life
00:37:37but Eric's family however is frustrated
00:37:40they say they're not seeing progress in the investigation
00:37:43and they're dealing with the back and forth lawsuits over the estate
00:37:48so they decide to hire a private investigator
00:37:53this PI pulls phone records
00:37:56looks at thousands of text messages
00:37:58pulls electronics
00:37:59gets cell phone data
00:38:01so when the private investigator gets into these phone records
00:38:04he discovers that there are essentially three people
00:38:07that Corey is communicating with all the time
00:38:09one is Eric
00:38:11the other is her mother
00:38:12and the third person is a woman named Carmen Lauber
00:38:17this is between the months right before and right after Eric Richens dies
00:38:23so why is Corey talking to Carmen Lauber so much?
00:38:30Carmen worked for my sister cleaning houses and cleaning the fix and flips
00:38:35and Corey would call her and say hey I need you to go to this address clean this house
00:38:38this woman has a checkered past including a whole bunch of drug stuff
00:38:43with the information that the private investigators gathered
00:38:46he's forwarding all of that to the Summit County Sheriff's Office
00:38:48a new lead detective is put on the case
00:38:52Detective Jeff O'Driscoll
00:38:54and his theory is to start over, start fresh
00:38:58Carmen is in a court ordered drug program
00:39:02and Detective O'Driscoll takes the opportunity to search her trash
00:39:06he finds drug paraphernalia and that's a violation
00:39:11now he's got probable cause to search her home
00:39:14not only do they find enough evidence to bring drug charges
00:39:18they find a gun and she's not allowed to have one
00:39:21since she's a convicted felon
00:39:24and they notice something that stops them in their tracks
00:39:26they're looking at a wall full of inspirational sayings that she's posted
00:39:30and they see taped to a mirror a copy of Eric's obituary
00:39:38at this point they really zeroed in on Corey as being you know the prime suspect
00:39:42to Eric's passing and they need somebody to kind of connect those dots
00:39:47without Carmen police really didn't have much of a case
00:39:50so can Carmen tell them if Corey had any connection to the fentanyl
00:39:56write down something as far as you remember it right now
00:40:00and then we can work on the details as we continue to talk about it
00:40:04as we check phone records as we you know do all of our side to corroborate what you're saying
00:40:16and that's fine because you know what we want to make sure we get the right story
00:40:20and so the way you're remembering it is you know is all you can give us
00:40:24you can't make something up that you don't remember right
00:40:27she tells police that not only has Corey asked her to get fentanyl
00:40:31but she did so on two separate occasions and she even said things like the first batch wasn't strong enough
00:40:38the thought was insinuated that she wanted you to get something that somebody can die from
00:40:43I know one thing that when we got one it wasn't dark enough
00:40:52Carmen explained she got one set of drugs sometime in February and then was asked to get stronger stuff
00:40:58and then got another dose of drugs a second time around
00:41:02so Carmen's facing prosecution and years of prison time
00:41:06the only exception to that and the only thing that they're willing to kind of help you out with
00:41:13is if you can help us out with us
00:41:16and by so he means like give us the details that will ensure Corey gets convicted of murder
00:41:25oh my god
00:41:26this is a serious case Carmen I'm not saying
00:41:27that is way more of my phone
00:41:29I know
00:41:31you got Carmen who's looking at 25 years to life for drug charges and gun charges
00:41:37she's going to tell the cops whatever they want to hear
00:41:40and they're making a plea deal
00:41:42the goal is to convict Corey for an aggravated murder
00:41:47these parallel drug investigations those aren't priorities
00:41:51Carmen says her dealer was Robert Crozier
00:41:54he's already in custody for other drug crimes and he's also detoxing
00:42:01he says that he and Carmen would meet at a gas station where he would sell her the drugs
00:42:07Carmen says she would hide the drugs at one of the houses Corey was trying to flood
00:42:12a flip
00:42:13Crozier says it wasn't a regular thing
00:42:15yeah I met her just two times
00:42:18I think I talked to her a couple more times
00:42:20after that
00:42:21but just to see you know what I mean
00:42:23hey
00:42:24you know somebody spending you know what I mean
00:42:26you know five six hundred bucks
00:42:32it's not just the drug sales themselves it's the timing
00:42:37there were you know 30 text messages exchanged between Carmen and Corey on Valentine's Day 2022
00:42:43the day of that infamous sandwich
00:42:45and the other day is February 26th
00:42:50which is right before Eric's death
00:42:54now law enforcement has the drug link through Carmen and they have the financial information
00:43:01Corey Richards was in massive death
00:43:04she was trying to funnel money back into her own real estate and house flipping business
00:43:10you add this all up and it's finally enough for police to make their move
00:43:15woman who wrote a children's book about grief after the death of her husband now faces charges for his murder
00:43:22Corey Richards is charged with one count of aggravated murder and three counts of possession of narcotics with intention to
00:43:30distribute
00:43:31I woke up in the morning to headlines of Utah mom and children's grief book author arrested and charged with
00:43:42murder
00:43:42it was shocking it was unbelievable
00:43:45I just couldn't fathom it like not not Corey you know why why her like it just became this huge
00:43:53story because she wrote that children's book
00:43:55they are trying to ruin and convict an innocent mother
00:44:01the simplest answer is often the correct one is most likely an accidental overdose
00:44:07I will take it to my grave that Corey did not do this
00:44:10I too believe it's an accidental overdose
00:44:15for Corey Richards she's either victim or killer there is nothing in between
00:44:20is she a widow who had lost her husband and the father of her children tragically
00:44:25or did she plan this all out to get from under some massive debt
00:44:30in my experience money and love are two of the most powerful motivators for a murder
00:44:36now police know about the money and there may be a romantic angle as well
00:44:42if Corey wasn't with Eric on Valentine's Day and she wasn't who was she with
00:45:01my kids and I kind of wrote this book on the different emotions and grieving processes that we've experienced last
00:45:10year and to make sense and process I'm sure
00:45:14right now we have the arrest of a Utah mom who wrote a children's book about grief after her husband's
00:45:20death
00:45:21she has now been charged with killing him
00:45:25I'm new to all of this as a widow as a wife but also you know with my kids
00:45:30I'm thinking she's just powering through she's trying her best maybe not to cry
00:45:36maybe not to get too emotional
00:45:38toxicology report found five times a lethal dosage of fentanyl in his system
00:45:44this last page particularly poignant I will forever love you my sweet baby until we see each other again
00:45:53yes I am with you
00:45:54written as though it's in the father's words for their boys
00:46:01you are an amazing woman and we thank you for being vulnerable and sharing this and touching the lives of
00:46:07others
00:46:07thank you I really appreciate being here
00:46:09thank you guys
00:46:10thank you
00:46:11all right GT was back with more
00:46:13state prosecutors say they do have enough evidence against Corey Richens to proceed with a trial
00:46:18the imminent charge of murder allegedly at this point but still naturally you're thinking can I believe what she said
00:46:29on May 8th 2023 Corey is arrested and charged with the aggravated murder of her husband as well as several
00:46:36counts of possession of illicit drugs with the intent to distribute
00:46:41finding that out was such a shock I mean talking about this now it still blows my mind
00:46:49this could all very well be the perfect crime a storybook ending where she thought she couldn't get caught
00:46:58it's a story that resonates because it's sort of this idea that she's two very different people
00:47:04a Jekyll and Hyde situation
00:47:06she was so empathetic at first glance and then the story becomes much more sinister
00:47:15in a June 2023 hearing where Corey is going to find out if she makes bail or not she appears
00:47:23in street clothes but she is in shackles and she has this look of confidence on her face almost as
00:47:31if she thinks this is still going to go her way
00:47:41the defendant came to the door and wrote a check from her business for thirteen hundred dollars for the purchase
00:47:53of the fentanyl
00:47:54the initial bail hearing had a forensic accountant going into her finances it went over the phone records and some
00:48:00of her searches on her phone after her husband's death
00:48:03during the bail hearing the cell phone expert presented evidence that prosecutors said was a sign of consciousness of guilt
00:48:10consciousness of guilt can be virtually anything that a criminal defendant does that is consistent with them understanding that they
00:48:18are guilty
00:48:19some of the more interesting internet searches included luxury prisons for the rich in America
00:48:26can cops uncover deleted messages iPhone if someone is poisoned what does it go down on the death certificate as
00:48:37and finally what is a lethal dose of fentanyl
00:48:42those internet searches did not come until after Corey had been given a search warrant that was executed on her
00:48:50home
00:48:50that search warrant laid out that they believed that Eric had died from a lethal dose of fentanyl
00:48:58that she had murdered him with it and so you know to now say well she searched it so it's
00:49:05the consciousness of guilt
00:49:06I think it's human nature someone hands you something and says hey we think you poisoned them with fentanyl
00:49:12and you're like I don't even know what a lethal dose of fentanyl is what do we do we google
00:49:17search
00:49:18prosecutors argue that the motivation behind Eric Richard's death is that Corey Richard's was in massive debt
00:49:24being bad with money does not make you a murderer
00:49:27the defense makes the argument that the prosecution has no case because they have no way of showing how the
00:49:33drugs ultimately got into Eric's system
00:49:36they went through the home and they found absolutely no forensic evidence to substantiate their allegation
00:49:43that she must have given Eric fentanyl in this drink
00:49:49but perhaps the most compelling argument was made by Eric's sister Amy Richens during her victim's impact statement
00:49:57Eric was a family man who always strove to be the absolute best father and husband
00:50:03I go through the terrible sequence of events I wonder when he realized he was in mortal danger
00:50:09this last year has been a living hell for our family
00:50:13we have watched as Corey has paraded around portraying herself as a grieving widow and victim
00:50:18while trying to profit from the death of my brother
00:50:22the circumstances of this case weigh soundly against granting pretrial release of any kind
00:50:31since Corey was arrested she's been held in the summit county jail
00:50:36Corey not only has been separated from her children at this point she lost custody of her children
00:50:43the state of Utah takes her kids away even though she's presumed innocent
00:50:47because Utah has a law that allows the court to do that when one spouse is suspected of causing the
00:50:54death of the other spouse
00:50:56and it's while she's in jail that authorities make what appears to be a stunning discovery
00:51:01deputies did what's called tossing her cell where they go in and they essentially perform a search
00:51:06and they found a letter that the prosecution believed to be very very significant in the case
00:51:20since her arrest Corey Richens the aspiring writer is being held in Utah Summit County Jail
00:51:26and she's at it again
00:51:29during a sweep of Corey's cell an officer uncovers a four page letter
00:51:35at the top of the first page it says walk the dog with an exclamation point
00:51:39and prosecutors argue that this letter is a message for Corey's mother to relay to her brother Ronnie
00:51:46what he needs to say to help get her off
00:51:49it reads in part here's what I'm thinking but you have to talk to Ronnie
00:51:53he would probably have to testify to this
00:51:56Eric told Ronnie he gets pain pills and fentanyl from Mexico from the workers at the ranch
00:52:03reword this however he needs to make the point with Mexico and drugs
00:52:08prosecutors say this is evidence of witness tampering of influencing a person's testimony
00:52:13that could potentially take the stand in her case and providing a story that is alternative
00:52:18to how Eric had gone to Mexico and possibly obtain drugs while there
00:52:24of course that's hugely significant from the perspective of detectives and the prosecution
00:52:30I mean she just explained to me that it was some fairytale book that was loosely based on what's going
00:52:38on
00:52:38but there's a whole bunch of stuff in there that makes it very obvious that it's not true
00:52:42Corey has always maintained that the walk the dog letter was part of a greater manuscript
00:52:47not only was it attorney client communication it was also attorney work product
00:52:53is this damaging does she admit that she committed murder in it absolutely not
00:52:59so the question becomes whether a jury will see this as Corey insists as a fictional manuscript
00:53:05or further evidence of her guilt
00:53:09first with the death of her husband and this children's book are you with me
00:53:13and now with this four page letter you see Corey writing herself into the plot
00:53:18it is Corey's own written word that prosecutors keep coming back to as evidence that she is in fact at
00:53:25the center of this
00:53:26the Camas mom accused of killing her husband and then writing a children's book about grief is facing more criminal
00:53:32charges
00:53:32so in March 2024 the prosecution amended their complaint to include an allegation of attempted murder
00:53:39this is the attempted murder charge for the poisoned Valentine's Day sandwich that Eric ate just weeks before his death
00:53:46Eric supposedly saying that he thinks his wife is trying to poison him is just it's absolutely absurd
00:53:54and the heat is about to be turned up even higher on Corey
00:53:57with all the media coverage on her case someone was watching
00:54:01and that someone reached out to Eric Richard's family wanting to clear a guilty conscience
00:54:07that someone is 41 year old Josh Grossman who Corey had hired as a handyman at a home that she
00:54:15was renovating
00:54:16authorities learned that Grossman and Corey had been carrying on a years long affair
00:54:21according to investigators the lovers texted almost daily
00:54:24I want you today every day not just sexually but physically mentally every day when I wake up I do
00:54:33want a future together
00:54:35so in addition to the financial motive here we also have a totally separate motive
00:54:40and that is she's having an affair where she's repeatedly communicating with this man
00:54:43talking about how much she wants to be with him and how much she loves him
00:54:47among the frequent text exchanges in February of 2022 Corey wrote
00:54:53if he could just go away and you could just be here life would be so perfect I love you
00:55:00you know I'll acknowledge the timing of of the texts are not ideal
00:55:06you know is this evidence of murder no
00:55:12but is it one of those things that may weigh in the back of a jurors mind
00:55:16when they're thinking about how to weigh all this other evidence
00:55:20I think that absolutely becomes the case
00:55:24we're following breaking news out of Summit County for you
00:55:28the judge granted a request from the defense team to withdraw from her case
00:55:32suddenly defense attorney Sky Lazaro withdraws from the case
00:55:36citing a conflict of interest involving her law firm
00:55:39and this preliminary hearing is a critical right that every single
00:55:44replacing Lazaro is public defender Kathy Nestor and co-counsel Wendy Lewis
00:55:49together the defense attorneys have more than 30 years of experience
00:55:53whenever legal counsel changes in a case this will heavily stall any sort of outcome
00:56:00because now a new attorney has to come on
00:56:02build a rapport with Corey and learn the case inside out
00:56:06in May 2024 just days after her new lawyers are appointed
00:56:11Corey makes her first public statement in an audio recording released to ABC News
00:56:16the world has yet to hear who I really am
00:56:18what I've really done or what I really didn't do
00:56:21what I've really done is protect Eric at all costs
00:56:23what I really didn't do is murder my husband
00:56:27I could not and would not ever do that to Eric
00:56:33or anyone for that matter
00:56:35I'm asking the world to give me a chance
00:56:38and Corey Richens will have that chance in court
00:56:41while the narcotics charges were dropped
00:56:43she has pleaded not guilty to the remaining charges
00:56:47including two counts of insurance fraud
00:56:50one of those charges alleges that Corey took out
00:56:53a life insurance policy on Eric without his knowledge
00:56:57when you throw in a financial motive
00:57:00that's big that's huge
00:57:02that she needed Eric Richens dead
00:57:06that's financial motive is massive
00:57:09it's big but then you throw in an affair
00:57:13you throw in a love story
00:57:16now you're talking multiple motives
00:57:19the state first has to prove that he was murdered
00:57:21you know that's step one
00:57:24and they've got to be able
00:57:26from the jury
00:57:27I mean I want to know how
00:57:28you know you can't just say he died
00:57:31she was there must have been her
00:57:33you know because she had an affair
00:57:36they're gonna have a hard time connecting those dots
00:57:39all eyes on Utah this morning
00:57:42as the Corey Richens murder trial begins
00:57:51the murder trial of Corey Richens is now underway
00:57:55nearly three years after her arrest
00:57:56Corey Richens is in court right now for day one of that trial
00:58:00we'll be inside of that courtroom all week
00:58:03bringing you the latest
00:58:05I knew that this trial would be big
00:58:07I didn't know it was going to be this big
00:58:09this story just in a quiet community that doesn't have things like this happening is obviously a pretty big deal
00:58:16this is a small courthouse sort of off the beaten path in the beautiful mountains of Utah near Park City
00:58:25Utah
00:58:27most people expect that there will be 12 people on a jury but in this case there were eight jury
00:58:32members six men two women
00:58:34my name is Laura and I was the jury foreperson in the Corey Richens murder trial
00:58:41before being selected as a juror I had heard or read just a couple headlines but I never really looked
00:58:49at stories
00:58:50I really knew nothing about the case
00:58:54Corey looks nervous
00:58:56she's worried she doesn't have that same confidence she did a few years ago
00:59:03while the situation appears tough for Corey she still has her supporters
00:59:08I'll be in the courtroom right there with her with her family supporting her every second every minute every day
00:59:14as long as it takes she will beat this work by words
00:59:18all right we'll now proceed with opening statements
00:59:22the prosecutor Brad Bloodworth is very direct he gets right to business
00:59:27in opening statements the prosecutor had a laundry list of motives as to why Corey would have killed her husband
00:59:37the evidence will prove that on the day that Eric died Corey Richens owed
00:59:43over four and a half million dollars to over 20 different lenders
00:59:49that Corey Richens was chronically unhappy in her marriage
00:59:53that Corey Richens murdered Eric for his money and to get a fresh start at life
01:00:04on the defense side they start with someone else's voice Corey's voice the 9-1-1 call she made the
01:00:13night Eric died
01:00:27those were the sounds of a wife becoming a widow
01:00:33the defense urged the jurors to focus on the six hours leading up to Eric's death and not the six
01:00:42years prior
01:00:44so those six hours somewhere in that time Eric Richens died
01:00:50somewhere in that time he ingested a fatal dose of fentanyl
01:00:55what you're never going to hear is how that fentanyl got inside of him
01:01:00because there is zero evidence of that
01:01:04the witnesses that the state started with were powerful
01:01:07your honor the state calls Katie Richens Benson
01:01:11they called Eric's sister Katie to the stand
01:01:14that you received a phone call about Eric
01:01:17yes it was early in the morning
01:01:21who called you?
01:01:22my dad did
01:01:25what did he say?
01:01:30this is not easy
01:01:33he was screaming and crying
01:01:35it said Eric's not breathing, Eric's not breathing
01:01:38sorry guys
01:01:40this was the worst in my life
01:01:42I'm sorry
01:01:46the state needs to convince the jury
01:01:49that Corey purchased that lethal dose of fentanyl
01:01:52with the intention to kill
01:01:56when Carmen takes the stand
01:01:59all eyes are on her
01:02:01she makes or breaks this case for the state
01:02:04please proceed
01:02:05thank you sir
01:02:05remember Carmen Lauber was facing a lot of trouble with the law
01:02:09but now she's testifying with immunity
01:02:11she made a deal with prosecutors
01:02:13if she tells the truth about how Corey Richens purchased fentanyl from her
01:02:16she's pretty much getting a out of jail free pass for her testimony
01:02:21she comes clean
01:02:23the first part of her testimony is essentially
01:02:26Carmen Lauber laying out all of her sins for the entire world
01:02:32have you ever sold drugs?
01:02:34yes
01:02:34do you have a criminal history involving drugs?
01:02:39yes
01:02:39Carmen became very emotional on the stand
01:02:42and yes
01:02:43she was given a deal for her testimony
01:02:45but if you believe her
01:02:47she insists
01:02:48that isn't the only reason that she's doing this
01:02:50she says
01:02:51she's trying to right a wrong
01:02:53for her role in all of this
01:02:55did you ask Corey Richens about Eric's death?
01:02:59yes I did
01:03:00yes I did
01:03:01what did you ask?
01:03:02I said please tell me these pills were not for him
01:03:05when they had mentioned that it was from an overdose
01:03:12that hit hard
01:03:16only for the fact that if that's what happened
01:03:19I needed to step up and take accountability
01:03:24of my part in this that happened
01:03:28and what I was asked for
01:03:33defense attorneys love witnesses like Carmen
01:03:36because she has a criminal record
01:03:38they are going to go after her on her credibility
01:03:42especially about the drug charges
01:03:44and you lied about it?
01:03:46yes
01:03:46all right
01:03:47that's what addicts do when you're using
01:03:49that's true
01:03:50addicts lie
01:03:51all right
01:03:52active addicts
01:03:53next the state calls the person they say
01:03:56put those drugs in Carmen's hands
01:03:59Robert Crozier
01:04:00remember he's the one prosecutors say
01:04:03sold her the fentanyl that killed Eric
01:04:06we selling pills in late 2021 and early 2022
01:04:11selling broxies then yes
01:04:13but on cross-examination the defense points out
01:04:16that he had changed his story
01:04:18and is now saying those pills weren't fentanyl
01:04:22when you initially agreed with detectives
01:04:24that you might have sold fentanyl
01:04:26you were high
01:04:27you were coming down
01:04:28and you don't remember saying that specifically
01:04:30that is correct
01:04:31yes
01:04:32all this testimony was crucial
01:04:34for attempting to piece together
01:04:36the how
01:04:37but what was really mind-blowing
01:04:39was the why
01:04:40and that testimony
01:04:42came from Corey's longtime friends
01:04:46Becky Lloyd is someone that was a friend of Corey and Eric
01:04:51and someone that ended up working at C&E Masonry
01:04:57Becky testifies that there was an evening in December during Christmas time that Corey and Becky started talking and having
01:05:07a bit of a heart to heart
01:05:08she talked about how she was feeling trapped
01:05:11she was feeling like there wasn't an easy way forward out of the marriage
01:05:15and she said that in many ways it would be better if he were if he were dead
01:05:25Corey's lawyers pounds challenging Becky's memory
01:05:28a couple of weeks after Eric died you gave an interview about this conversation you and Corey had
01:05:34yes
01:05:35and isn't it fair that in that first interview you never mentioned anything about saying it would be better off
01:05:41if Eric was dead did you?
01:05:42I don't recall
01:05:43you don't recall?
01:05:44I don't recall
01:05:45okay
01:05:46your honor the state calls Allie Staking's
01:05:50Allie Staking is called to the stand
01:05:53this is Corey's best friend someone she's known since middle school
01:05:58I've known I was going to take the stand for four years now
01:06:01and it's been a nightmare
01:06:05there was a lot of emotions in walking in the courtroom
01:06:07and then seeing Corey
01:06:09it felt like I was about to betray her going on the stand and I didn't like that feeling
01:06:15are you one of her best friends?
01:06:17yes
01:06:19yeah
01:06:19I was
01:06:20yeah
01:06:21when I was asked on the stand if she was my best friend or not like it's
01:06:26I don't know
01:06:26because I'm now learning a completely different side of this person
01:06:31that I knew and loved my you know for the last 20 years
01:06:35Allie should be a strong witness for the prosecution
01:06:38they want her to tell the jury about a conversation she had with Eric about that infamous Valentine's Day sandwich
01:06:45but it sort of backfires on them
01:06:47he said that he thought that um
01:06:50Corey had tried to poison him
01:06:52but it was more of a
01:06:55funny story
01:06:56it was it was like an allergic reaction is what we had thought it was
01:06:59we were all laughing
01:07:00and that past laughter has now turned to loss
01:07:04I wish I could say it was nice to see my friend
01:07:06but I miss my friend
01:07:08but that's
01:07:10things are different now
01:07:13having your best friend take the stand is one thing
01:07:16your honor the state calls Robert
01:07:18Josh Grossman
01:07:19but when your ex-lover walks into the courtroom
01:07:22well that's just a whole other level
01:07:23Mr. Grossman
01:07:24you need a minute or two
01:07:26I don't know what I mean
01:07:33please have a seat
01:07:35Mr. Bloodworth the state's next witness please
01:07:38the most anticipated witness the state is about to call
01:07:42it's a bombshell
01:07:44your honor the state calls Robert Josh Grossman
01:07:48Josh Grossman is the man that Corey was having an affair with
01:07:52she said she was in love with him
01:07:54and he's the one who wrote those text messages
01:07:57to Corey
01:07:59do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give in the matter
01:08:01before the court to be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
01:08:04subject to the pains and penalties of perjury
01:08:06the swearing in of a witness is usually a pretty routine thing in a courtroom
01:08:11but not this one
01:08:13while he's being sworn in they're asking if he's going to be honest
01:08:17he doesn't know how to answer it
01:08:22sir
01:08:25I've never seen this moment before
01:08:27where the judge has to explain what he needs to do
01:08:32Mr. Grossman do you understand the difference between what's true and what's not true
01:08:35I do
01:08:36and then Josh says okay I understand yes I'm going to be honest in my answers
01:08:42and right away Josh has our attention
01:08:55Josh is quiet he has this southern accent he's a redhead like Eric
01:09:03he served in the military including combat in Iraq
01:09:07Eric came from an affluent ranching family and Josh was a man from South Carolina who was essentially couch surfing
01:09:14she took care of me you know I lived for free she did she gave me money whenever I needed
01:09:21it I just you know I liked her so I'd work for free
01:09:27his body
01:09:28his body is slouched he fidgets
01:09:32during that time that you were romantically involved with Ms. Richens
01:09:37did you love her
01:09:40yes
01:09:41during that time
01:09:43did you feel that she loved you
01:09:46I think she did
01:09:49so this of course gives prosecutors more than just a financial incentive for Eric's death
01:09:55the prosecution introduced a series of text messages between Josh and Corey
01:10:02they put them up on the screen for a painfully long period of quiet time allowing everybody to read them
01:10:10they were sad they were very corny at times he said you know I tend to fall head over heels
01:10:19in love with someone
01:10:20Corey seemed a little less authentic like he she was kind of bleeding a month
01:10:25I want to know everything about you it's part of being in love
01:10:29there's something specific you want to know I will be up all night wondering babe
01:10:35the text ranged from poetic confessions of love almost had like a middle school feeling about it
01:10:44I love you I love talking to you being with you I don't have that in my marriage and I
01:10:50really enjoy my relationship and love for you
01:10:52but you're right we both know this love triangle can't go on forever
01:10:58he looks so uncomfortable as the world reads his private text messages
01:11:04I love you K kind O outgoing you unique R romantic I inches away from signing her divorce papers
01:11:16and falling madly in love with her soulmate
01:11:18too late I have already fallen night
01:11:22there's this moment where he starts crying
01:11:27I'm watching this and wondering what is the jury thinking right now
01:11:32we couldn't talk about it you could see in people's faces and their eyes like
01:11:37oh that was that was heartbreaking
01:11:41Josh presented himself as very sincere and genuine sad broken hearted
01:11:48it was kind of devastating to watch him on the stand
01:11:51the court I think was very patient with him
01:11:53do you need a minute or two I don't know what I mean
01:11:57let's just start with that why don't we take a five pause for a moment
01:12:03the text between Josh and Corey evolve Corey sort of suggesting to Josh her dream life
01:12:12which would be to live with him in the guest home of the Midway Mansion and run a event center
01:12:22together and raise children together
01:12:24I have a crazy dream I divorce and come up with millions and millions we buy Midway and live in
01:12:32guest house and rent out the huge house as a big event center $15,000 a day raise some kids
01:12:42have a little farm deal
01:12:44you see all of these exchanges and they contextualize what that relationship was
01:12:51and then Corey sends her boyfriend a plea in the form of a text and that's less than 48 hours
01:12:58before Eric is found dead
01:13:01she texts roughly hang in until Friday
01:13:05well what was Friday? Friday was the day Eric Richens died
01:13:10life is going to be different I promise can I try Friday?
01:13:15give me a few days hang in there until then please
01:13:22the relationship between Josh and Corey just fizzled out it was in the weeks after Eric passed away
01:13:28he testifies that he and Corey take a drive they stop and they sit in her car and talk
01:13:35Josh testified that Corey asked him a very important question perhaps a very revealing question
01:13:43what sir did she ask? she asked if I had ever killed anybody
01:13:48and was that specific to killed anybody while serving in Iraq?
01:13:52right
01:13:54did you respond? I did
01:13:57did she ask a follow up question?
01:14:00yes
01:14:00sir what was that follow up question?
01:14:04she asked me how it made me feel or something along those lines
01:14:10grossman's dramatic and emotional testimony comes to a close
01:14:14and then something utterly mind-blowing unfolds in the courtroom with the defense team
01:14:22as they are about to present their case
01:14:25Ms. Lewis, Ms. Nestor what's the plan?
01:14:28ready to go
01:14:29who's uh defense counsel's first witness?
01:14:39could we have just a minute?
01:14:40yeah
01:14:40we have
01:14:42we have a couple of options
01:14:43understood
01:14:45the prosecution's case took 13 days
01:14:48and the defense's case was expected to go 7 to 10 days
01:14:52Corey's defense attorneys are whispering to each other back and forth
01:14:56and it seems like they're trying to decide who to call first
01:15:00but that is not what we got
01:15:02you know actually at this time the defense intends to rest
01:15:06they said they were calling no one and also rested
01:15:11it was an absolute shock
01:15:13I was very surprised that there was no defense
01:15:15so when the defense rested without presenting any witnesses
01:15:21my mouth I think dropped open
01:15:23there has to be another side of the story and we can fill in the little holes
01:15:28and then when they didn't call anyone I was shocked
01:15:32why would Corey Richen's defense rest without calling anyone?
01:15:36they may believe the prosecution didn't make out their case
01:15:38that having any witness on the stand wouldn't make sense because
01:15:42they've already won their case
01:15:44do you understand that you have the right to testify at trial?
01:15:48yes I do
01:15:49are you following your attorney's advice and waiving your right to testify at trial?
01:15:54yes I am
01:15:58prosecution and the defense have presented their closing arguments
01:16:02Judge Mrazik instructs the jury and courts dismissed
01:16:07then on the same day that the trial ends and just within a few hours
01:16:12there's word from the court
01:16:15okay um I just received some news that a verdict is in
01:16:20no way
01:16:24if you feel overcome with emotion just look down
01:16:27we cannot have any outward reaction
01:16:39Mark?
01:16:40yeah
01:16:43I told my kids early on that Eric had died
01:16:46and my kids were devastated
01:16:48I said along the way sometimes it looks like Corey might have done it
01:16:51but you know and then my kids would say well did she and I'd say I don't think so
01:16:55but it sometimes looks like it
01:16:59there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that Corey is innocent
01:17:02I know my little sister
01:17:04she loves her boys way too much to take their father away from them
01:17:14State of Utah versus Corey Richens, Ms. Richens is present
01:17:20after deliberating for just under three hours
01:17:23the jury informs the court they've come to an agreement
01:17:26the court has informed that the jury has reached a verdict
01:17:31would you please hand the verdict form to the deputy?
01:17:36Ms. Richens, please stand
01:17:43count one, aggravated murder
01:17:47we the jury unanimously find that the defendant Corey Richens is guilty of aggravated murder
01:17:57Corey Richens is found guilty on all counts
01:18:03the entire three hours was constant robust electrifying discussion
01:18:11there were some people who were sort of on the fence with some of the elements
01:18:15like they felt that she was guilty but maybe the state didn't meet the burden
01:18:20and so we focused on what some of those issues were
01:18:25they gave them pause and then we all discussed at length
01:18:28and that helped us kind of come to the conclusion
01:18:33and it helped people jump off the fence
01:18:35to convict a woman of murder was absolutely heartbreaking
01:18:41Corey's friend, Ali Staking, watched the verdict live online
01:18:46Guilty
01:18:48Eric was my friend too
01:18:49I didn't choose Corey over Eric
01:18:52but I'm now, I've lost
01:18:55I've lost both of them
01:18:59and she was somebody that meant a lot to me
01:19:01her family meant a lot to me
01:19:03and they meant a lot to me
01:19:04to my kids
01:19:16and that's
01:19:19it's a loss
01:19:20nobody wins in this
01:19:25after the verdict is read
01:19:27Eric's family and friends gather outside of the courthouse
01:19:30and embrace each other
01:19:41four years ago our family lost the brightest light
01:19:45Eric is deeply loved and missed every single day
01:19:48we are grateful to everyone who has worked tirelessly
01:19:51to bring justice for Eric
01:19:53our focus is now on honoring Eric's life
01:19:56and supporting his voice as we all continue to heal
01:19:59thank you all for being here
01:20:01in a statement to ABC News
01:20:03the Richens family wrote that the justice system
01:20:06has now fairly run its course
01:20:09and we believe the jury's verdict was just and accurate
01:20:12there is a hole in our family that cannot be filled
01:20:15but now at least we have definitive closure
01:20:22Corey Richens will return to that courtroom
01:20:25to learn her sentence on May 13th
01:20:28which is no ordinary day
01:20:30that would have been Eric Richens 44th birthday
01:20:35she faces up to life in prison
01:20:40and her legal troubles are far from over
01:20:44she's facing a whole other criminal indictment
01:20:47with multiple counts of mortgage fraud
01:20:50money laundering, forgery, bad checks
01:20:53these are serious allegations
01:20:56one of the real tragedies in this case
01:20:58is Eric and Corey's kids
01:21:00their father tragically passed away
01:21:03their mother's parental rights have been terminated
01:21:06she has forever lost her children
01:21:09those children have been adopted by one of Eric's sisters
01:21:14there are three little boys at the heart of this
01:21:16just love
01:21:17they have a lot of love
01:21:18a lot of love surrounding them
01:21:19they're
01:21:21they're
01:21:21they're great boys
01:21:22and they're gonna
01:21:24they're gonna be fine
01:21:26he was an amazing father
01:21:27brother
01:21:28son
01:21:29nephew
01:21:30person
01:21:30friend
01:21:31he was an amazing person
01:21:33the most contagious laugh out there
01:21:38I'll remember Eric's laugh
01:21:40if I can hear it in my head
01:21:42he needs to be remembered as just a loving dad
01:21:46he had so much more life to live
01:21:50and he wanted so much for his boys
01:21:52I'm gonna remember just how much he loved them
01:22:00and that's our program for tonight
01:22:02thanks for watching
01:22:02I'm David Muir
01:22:03and I'm Deborah Roberts
01:22:05from all of us here at 2020 and ABC News
01:22:07goodnight
01:22:25the
01:22:25yeah
01:22:26he's
01:22:40yeah
01:22:41yeah
01:22:41goodnight
01:22:42every time
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