Murder Defense Focuses On Richins Family's Private Investigator

Kouri Richins' lawyer Wendy Davis cross-examined Richins' brother-in-law, Clinton Benson, in trial today (Tuesday, February 24). Benson manages real estate operations and assets for Salt Lake County, Utah. He's also married to Kouri Richins' sister in law. He testified about discovering a $250,000 line of credit taken out on the home in Eric's name, which prosecutors allege was Kouri's doing. You can watch his direct-exam here:    • Brother-In-Law Discovered Kouri Richins' $...   01:49 "You talked about then in 2020, that you helped Eric hire a divorce attorney?" "Yes." 03:56 "Did you send the documentation to the divorce lawyer that was requested?" "Yes." "Alright, and so try to say you were doing this because Eric didn't want Kouri to know he was considering a divorce at that time?" 05:13 "Ultimately, Eric decided that he was not going to divorce Kouri, correct?" "correct." "And nothing came of these meetings and correspondence." 06:02 "We were supportive of Eric no matter what the arrangement was. We were supportive while they were married. We were supportive of the divorce as well. So that was his choice." 09:11 "The last time they searched that home was two weeks ago, I believe today, correct?" "Yes." "So almost four years after Mr. Richins' death, law enforcement is still searching the home?" "Yes." 11:16 "Mr. Gabler, this is the private investigator that you and the family hired?" "the trust that the three boys are the beneficiary of correct?" "the three boys are the beneficiary?" "Yes" "okay, but that money was used to pay for an investigator?" 13:27 "You were very involved in what Mr. Gabler was investigating, fair to say?" "yes" "and you knew that he was investigating Kouri in order to try and come up with something that would result in criminal charges? Fair?" "No, that's not fair" 14:11 "The truth you were looking for was evidence to charge Kouri Richins?" "that's false." 18:39 "So did he ever take things out of the home with him?" "I don't have a specific record of what he would have taken out of the home. He would have a record of that." 20:16 "So fair to say that during all these times that Mr. Gabler was searching the home, moving things. He was looking for things to help the prosecution. Fair?" "I know that's not fair." 23:59 "And you said that what was unusual was that Kouri was shaking her hands, and you found that someone whose husband had just dropped dead in front of her shaking the hands was an unusual reaction?" 24:50 "Had you ever seen Kouri prior to that day, immediately after losing one of the closest people in her life?" "No." "You've never seen her grieving prior to this?" "No." "So you don't know what was typical or not typical for Kouri Richins, right?" "Nope." 27:26 "Two questions. First, were you aware that the boys had already told their grandmother that they knew that their father had passed earlier, before, maybe even before you got there? Are you aware of that?" "I'm not aware of that." 27:45 "And ultimately, it was Kouri herself who spoke to the boys and told them what had happened. Correct?" "Yes." "Were you there when that happened?" "I was in the home, but I wasn't in the room." "You weren't in the room sitting with the boys when she told them that their father had died." "No, I believe I was in the room." Background: Kouri Richins, 35, is accused of fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, with fentanyl at their home in Kamas, Utah, in March 2022. After he died, she self-published a children's book she authored titled "Are You With Me?" about coping with grief. Eric Richins, 39, was found dead in their home on March 4, 2022. Prosecutors allege Kouri dropped a lethal dose of fentanyl in a Moscow Mule cocktail she prepared for him. They say she was motivated by money because she owed nearly $5 million to lenders and had changed her husband's life insurance policies prior to his death while also taking out a home equity line of credit without his knowledge. She also was in a romantic relationship with another man. You can watch the prosecution's opening statement here    • Greed & Lust Drove Kouri Richins To Poison...   and the defense opening statement here:    • Defense Says Kouri Richins' Husband Overdo...   Prosecutors allege she previously tried to murder him by poisoning his sandwich on Valentine's Day 2022, which her husband told a friend about. Richins' criminal charges in Summit County, Utah, include aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, forgery and two counts of insurance fraud. ****************************************************************************** Subscribe to Legal Affairs and Trials with Meghann Cuniff: https://www.legalaffairsandtrials.com...