Defense attorneys for children’s book author Kouri Richins — who has been accused of murdering her husband — claimed that state investigators have harassed and intimidated potential witnesses.
Richins’ attorneys filed a motion on Sunday, January 25, requesting the disclosure of all texts and communications exchanged between the prosecution team and any witnesses in the case, according to KUTV.
“Last week, the defense team received notice from one of the State’s witnesses … that she was being harassed by an investigator working with the prosecution and inquiring whether there was anything we could do to protect her from them,” the document stated, according to the outlet.
Attorneys claimed that the witness shared text messages she exchanged with lead detective Jeff O’Driscoll, in which the cop threatened to serve her with a warrant for her arrest.
“Make your life easier and answer our calls so we can prep you on what you will be asked. Otherwise, the next time I knock on your door, I’ll have a warrant and a catch pole for the dog,” O’Driscoll allegedly said in the texts, according to the documents.
Defense attorneys argued that the conversation was “blatant witness intimidation.” Additionally, prosecutors allegedly said they did not think O’Driscoll acted improperly in the exchange.
A second witness also claimed to the defense that they were harassed by investigator Travis Hopper.
According to text messages allegedly exchanged with Hopper, the investigator asked the witness to cooperate. After the witness referred him back to his original statement, the witness told Hopper that he could send any additional questions in writing.
“Investigator Hopper then threatened to withdraw previous immunity granted to this witness and submit him to prosecution if he does not agree to come in to discuss his testimony in person with the prosecution team,” the defense claimed.
The defense attorneys went on to claim that Utah Code prohibits threatening witnesses with harm, which includes “physical, emotional or economic injury or damage.” They added that threatening to arrest someone for not providing testimony ahead of trial would “suffice as ‘harm.’”
Additionally, the attorneys said that the prosecutors violated the Victim and Witness Rights with the way they conducted the questioning.
“The defense is hereby requesting the Court to compel the prosecution to disclose any and all text messages, voice mails, recorded calls emails, or any other digital messaging with witnesses,” their request stated.
The prosecutors have not publicly responded to the filing and told KUTV that they will be dealing with the issue privately with the court. “We will be responding non-publicly with the Court, as is appropriate this close to jury selection,” Attorney Margaret Olson said, per the outlet.
Richins, 35, has been accused of fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, by spiking his drink with fentanyl in March 2022. Additionally, she is facing multiple counts of forgery, mortgage fraud and insurance fraud for alleged actions she took before and after her husband’s death.
She became a local celebrity when she published a children’s book called Are You With Me?, which detailed her grieving process following her husband’s death.
Richins’ trial is scheduled to start in February. She has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, according to ABC News.
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