SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: The brother of writer and Utah mother Kouri Richins, simply known as DJ, defended his sister during Friday’s episode of ‘Good Morning America’.
Kouri Richins, 33, has been accused of poisoning her husband Eric Richins, 39, by putting five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in a Moscow mule cocktail, resulting in his death in March 2022. She went on to publish a children’s book on processing grief.
DJ claims ‘Kouri’s innocent’
DJ spoke to ABC to make a case for his sister’s innocence saying, "We know Kouri's innocent, and all that's going to come out in court. And I think that's going to shock people."
Kouri’s brother further said to the outlet, “When I got the news that Eric had died, I broke down into tears," before reminiscing, "He was a good guy,"
However, sticking to his original claim, he said, "But it's my sister, I knew Eric, she didn't do this.”
DJ also alleged that Kouri, who is now kept in the jailhouse is misadministered medication. He accused the authorities of tampering with her medication so that her jail cell can be searched.
He said, "One time is an accident. Two times is incompetence," before adding, "Six times is -- looks like it's on purpose."
Claiming that Kouri is a “great mom,” DJ remarked on the relationship of Kouri and Eric saying, "At the time he died, I thought they were probably in the best place they've ever been.”
What did Kouri Richins do?
Richins is in the jail for a number of charges including aggravated murder. Eric was found dead on March 4, 2022. Per the prosecutors, he died of a fentanyl overdose.
The autopsy report indicated that the fentanyl was sourced illegally and was not medically graded. They also said that the drug was probably ingested orally, alleging Kouri administered the lethal dose in her husband’s cocktail on the night of March 3.
Contrary to the prosecutors’ claims, Kouri’s family brought forth the hypothesis that Eric occasionally used drugs and he probably overdosed leading to his demise.
However, the prosecutors further claimed that prior to his death, Eric had warned several of his family members that if something happens to him, Kouri was to be blamed.
The search warrant said that several family members of Eric "suspected his wife had something to do with his death.” The affidavit claimed, "They advised he warned them that if anything happened to him she was to blame.”
The search warrant also stated that before his death, Eric removed Kouri from his will and life insurance.
He was also reportedly "looking into a divorce and wanted his kids taken care of.”
The search warrant claimed that in January 2022, Kouri allegedly changed Eric’s life insurance policy agreement to make herself the sole beneficiary.
However, the victim’s business partner came to known about it and changed it back to the original where they were each other’s sole beneficiaries.
After her husband's death, Kouri self published a book titled 'Are You With Me?', where she grieved her husband's death.
