Utah Poison Mom Case Takes a Major Turn as Star Witness Recants Fentanyl Testimony
The prosecution of Kouri Richins, accused of poisoning her husband Eric with fentanyl, faces a significant setback as the main witness, Robert Crozier, has recanted his previous statement claiming he supplied the drug. The defense attorney representing suspect Tyler Robinson in the Charlie Kirk assassination case is also involved, arguing that without clear evidence of fentanyl in Richins’ possession, the state’s case is weak. This development could undermine the prosecution’s attempt to secure a conviction, as the defense asserts that the recanted testimony leaves the case in a state of speculation.
Richins is facing multiple charges, including attempted aggravated murder, aggravated murder, distribution of a controlled substance, mortgage fraud, fraudulent insurance claim and forgery. The charges are tied to allegations that she purchased multiple life insurance policies on Eric’s life, including one totaling over $2 million, and attempted to change the beneficiary to herself before his death in March 2022. Her trial is scheduled to begin in February 2026.
The original case against Richins hinges on the claim that Crozier sold fentanyl to a housekeeper, who allegedly delivered it to Richins. Now, Crozier claims he never sold fentanyl, only OxyContin, and says he does not recall ever making the previous claim. If the state cannot reliably place fentanyl in Richins’ hands, the defense argues, the prosecution’s case unravels. “If the state cannot place fentanyl in the hands of (Richins), the state has no case,” she wrote in her motion for bail reconsideration, obtained by PEOPLE.
“Mr. Crozier’s statement doesn’t just poke holes in their case, it throws a grenade into the middle of it, leaving them nothing but speculation and conjecture, getting them nowhere near the realm of (proving their case) beyond a reasonable doubt,” the defense attorney stated. Authorities in 2023 charged Richins with her husband’s poisoning death as a means to collect millions in life insurance funds. The night Eric died on March 3, 2022, authorities say the couple was celebrating Kouri’s recent closure of a $2 million mansion under construction that she wanted to flip and sell for a profit as part of her real-estate business, a warrant states. She then allegedly spiked Eric’s cocktail with fentanyl, killing him in their bed.
Previous court filings allege Kouri purchased four different life insurance policies on Eric’s life totaling more than $1.9 million between 2015 and 2017. On Jan. 1, 2022, months before Eric’s death, Kouri