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.

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