facebook-pixel

Housekeeper says she sold Kouri Richins fentanyl, drug husband died from

Richins’ defense attorneys questioned the housekeeper’s credibility during cross-examination.

(Spenser Heaps | Pool) Kouri Richins, a Utah mother accused of fatally poisoning her husband, looks on during her murder trial at the Summit County Courthouse in Park City, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.

Carmen Lauber took the witness stand at Summit County’s Third District Court Thursday afternoon.

She was Kouri and Eric Richins’ housekeeper. And she got emotional giving testimony about selling Kouri Richins fentanyl, which Summit County prosecutors say killed Eric Richins.

“That hit hard,” Lauber said, referring to when she learned of his overdose. “Only for the fact that, if that’s what happened, I needed to step up and take accountability of my part in this, what happened.”

That’s why Lauber said she decided to cooperate in the investigation into Kouri Richins. Lauber also said she hoped to get immunity.

Kouri Richins’ defense attorneys tried to use that fact against her. They played a taped conversation between Summit County investigators and Lauber after she was arrested while on probation and in drug court in April 2023.

Read more at kpcw.org.

Note to readers • This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.

Help The Tribune report the stories others can’t—or won’t.

For over 150 years, The Salt Lake Tribune has been Utah’s independent news source. Our reporters work tirelessly to uncover the stories that matter most to Utahns, from unraveling the complexities of court rulings to allowing tax payers to see where and how their hard earned dollars are being spent. This critical work wouldn’t be possible without people like you—individuals who understand the importance of local, independent journalism.  As a nonprofit newsroom, every subscription and every donation fuels our mission, supporting the in-depth reporting that shines a light on the is sues shaping Utah today.

You can help power this work.

$15$25$35
By Connor Thomas | KPCW