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Mom of Utah grief author accused of poisoning her husband also possibly involved in his death, affidavit says
The mother of a Utah grief author awaiting trial for allegedly poisoning her husband was also possibly involved in the man’s death, a newly released court affidavit revealed.
The Summit County Sheriff’s investigator wrote in the affidavit it is “possible” that Lisa Darden, the mother of Kouri Richins, was “involved in planning and orchestrating” Eric Richins’ death.
Investigators discovered Darden had been living with a female romantic partner who died suddenly in 2006. An autopsy determined the woman died of an overdose of oxycodone, the affidavit said. The woman struggled with drug abuse, but at the time of her death she wasn’t in recovery, which the investigator said would “likely rule out the possibility of an accidental overdose.” Darden had become the recipient of the partner’s estate shortly before her death, the affidavit said.
Skye Lazaro
The affidavit also said conversations “have been found on Kouri’s phone showing disdain for Eric on Lisa’s part.”
“Based on Lisa Darden’s proximity to her partner’s suspicious overdose death, and her relationship with Kouri, it is possible she was involved in planning and orchestrating Eric’s death,” the affidavit states.
No charges have been filed against Lisa Darden.
Eric Richins was found unresponsive in his bed after he, his wife and her mother had been celebrating after Kouri Richins closed on a real estate transaction for her business, investigators said.
Investigators determined Eric Richins died from fentanyl poisoning, with a medical examiner finding he had five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl in his system. The fentanyl was determined to be “illicit” and not pharmaceutical grade, the affidavit said.
Eric Richins’ family believes Kouri Richins spiked his drink the night he died, according to “48 Hours.”
A year after her husband’s death, Kouri Richins wrote a children’s book on coping with grief, which she promoted on a local TV show caled “Good Things Utah.” She was arrested a month later.
Darden previously spoke with “48 Hours” about her daughter’s arrest, saying she was “shocked” when it happened.
She said her daughter and son-in-law had a great marriage, but one that was not without problems. The couple had three sons. Eric Richins owned a successful masonry business in Utah while Kouri Richins worked on her real estate business selling houses. But prosecutors say Kouri Richins began stealing funds from Eric Richins’ account in 2019. Her family denies she ever stole from her husband.
A food company known for popular grocery store condiments has recalled a package of tortilla strips that may be contaminated with wheat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The product is meant to be gluten-free.
Sugar Foods, a manufacturing and distribution corporation focused mainly on various toppings, artificial sweeteners and snacks, issued the recall for the “Santa Fe Style” version of tortilla strips sold by the brand Fresh Gourmet.
“People who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product,” said Sugar Foods in an announcement posted by the FDA.
Packages of these tortilla strips with an expiration date as late as June 20, 2025, could contain undeclared wheat, meaning the allergen is not listed as an ingredient on the label. The Fresh Gourmet product is marketed as gluten-free.
Sugar Foods said a customer informed the company on Nov. 19 that packages of the tortilla strips actually contained crispy onions, another Fresh Gourmet product normally sold in a similar container. The brand’s crispy onion product does contain wheat, and that allergen is noted on the label.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
No illnesses tied to the packaging mistake have been reported, according to the announcement from Sugar Foods. However, the company is still recalling the tortilla strips as a precaution. The contamination issue may have affected products distributed between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Sugar Foods has advised anyone with questions about the recall to contact the company’s consumer care department by email or phone.
CBS News reached out to Sugar Foods for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
This is the latest in a series of food product recalls affected because of contamination issues, although the others involved harmful bacteria. Some recent, high-profile incidents include an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots that killed at least one person in California, and a listeria outbreak that left an infant dead in California and nine people hospitalized across four different states, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The E. coli outbreak is linked to multiple different food brands while the listeria outbreak stemmed from a line of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu-Shang Foods.
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