Mom of widow charged with murdering husband before writing grief book repeats 'lie’ as she defends daughter
Rhiannon Ingle
Featured Image Credit: Facebook / ABC4
The mom of the Utah woman charged with murdering her husband before writing a grief book has been accused of repeating a major 'lie' as she defended her daughter.
Kouri Richins, 34, has been charged with murder following the death of her husband, Eric, back in March of last year.
Eric's death was determined to be a result of fentanyl overdose as he was found with five times the lethal dosage of the drug in his system.
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Following the loss of her husband, Richins went on to write a children's book on how to deal with grief as she navigated life as widow with her three children.
Richins, who is currently being held in a Utah jail, has now also been accused of engaging in witness tampering.
In a court filing, the state claimed Summit County deputies searched Richins' cell block and found a six-page, handwritten letter addressed to her mother.
It was found the widow repeatedly asked her brother, Ronald Darden to repeat the narrative that Eric died after receiving drugs and pills from Mexico.
Per Fox 13, the letter read: "Eric told [redacted name] that he got Pain Pills and fentanyl from Mexico from workers on the ranch."
Prosecutors have since made clear their belief that this narrative is a lie, saying there is no link to back her story and therefore Richins is attempting to get her brother to lie on the stand.
Richins also allegedly added in the letter that: "[Redacted name] can reword [the narrative] however he needs to, but is super short not a lot to it.
"Tell Ronald I need him to do this," the letter found in the cell added.
New information has since come to light allegedly exposing how Richins' mother, Lisa Darden, repeated the 'same narrative' that Richins mapped out in the letter.
In an hour-long interview with DailyMail.com, Darden claimed: "I think Eric bought some pills off the street and they were laced, and he didn't know it."
According to the outlet, Darden then criticized Eric calling him a 'controlling, sometimes violent, man who cheated on his wife and once punched her in the face after she confronted his mistress'.
The mother went on to allege that Eric ate weed gummies 'daily' and brought marijuana and possibly other drugs home from international trips.
She went on: "I know two occasions he bought in another country and put the stuff in Kouri's bag and didn't tell her there were drugs in her bag till they were up in the air."
Darden also reportedly claimed Eric had asked her a 'few times' for her prescription pain medication after she had surgery.
Referring to the prescription opioid Oxycodone, Darden said: "I had several surgeries, so he thought I would have Oxy.
"He'd come by, say 'Lisa, have you got anything for pain? Got anything for pain?"
She continued: "He'd ask these workers, got anything for pain?"
"Do I know that he went out on the street?" she added. "I know what people have told me."
Darden has maintained regular contact with her daughter in jail via phone and video as well as visiting twice a week - something which could potentially change depending on how prosecutors handle the situation at hand.