Domestic Homicide and Fentanyl Use

Court records and trial testimony detailed the couple’s marriage and estate moves — a June 15, 2013 prenuptial agreement that waived spousal claims except Eric’s masonry business, Eric’s November 2020 living trust naming his sister as trustee and steps to strip Kouri of will and life‑insurance benefits — while prosecutors say Kouri used a fraudulent 2019 power of attorney to take a $250,000 HELOC and ran a house‑flipping business that was roughly $7.5 million in debt with large monthly expenses. Prosecutors portrayed those financial pressures and a multimillion‑dollar real‑estate closing the day after Eric’s death as motive for an alleged life‑insurance and mortgage‑fraud scheme tied to the fentanyl poisoning that resulted in Kouri Richins’ aggravated‑murder conviction; the defense pointed to investigative gaps, called no witnesses, and sentencing is scheduled for May.