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Kouri Richins
22 Plays12 days ago
In a case as absurd as it is tragic, Nylene picks through the tangled case of murder, false grief, and deception. Join us to hear of the case of Kouri Richins.
Enter the Nightmare for show notes, transcripts, sources, and more!
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Transcript
Introduction to Nim and Nyleen's Nightmare Cottage
00:00:25
Speaker
Welcome to Nim and Nyleen's Nightmare Cottage, where we explore history, mysteries, and other tales of the macabre. I'm Nim. And I'm Nyleen. Let the nightmare begin.
00:00:41
Speaker
Disturbing and mature content to follow. Into the nightmare, if you dare.
00:00:54
Speaker
I don't know if you can hear, Fern, the nightmare puppy is snoring. She currently joined us in here and fell asleep. So hoping, and I'm but kind of giving her ear massage here and she's just snoring directly underneath the microphone.
00:01:12
Speaker
Sorry. i will edit out as much of it as I can. And i might include something in a blog or on the show notes maybe.
Weekly Struggles and Updates
00:01:23
Speaker
Yeah, so, you know, this week has been doozy and a half. Yes, I'm done with it. I'm over it. I am too. Yeah, it's been a lot. But did you hear about, there was apparently like a bag, a company that decided to design this.
Oddities in the World: The T-Rex Leather Handbag
00:01:44
Speaker
bioengineer what they call T-Rex leather because they say, you know, dinosaurs were evolved to survive extreme conditions. And so we want to make sure your purse is tough like that. you Because, you know, leather, traditional leather, like you have to like. Guys.
00:02:02
Speaker
Okay. keep Keep going. Sorry. it's It's a proprietary thing. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Yeah. And especially for that purpose. I feel like there's like so many. Anyways, keep going.
00:02:13
Speaker
So if I'm understanding this correctly, I'm concerned and I'm hoping that I'm not understanding this correctly. It was unveiled recently at a Paris auction and it's valued at half a million dollars. It's apparently supposed to have been made with what they're saying is dinosaur leather. So they're saying it's T-Rex cells grown in a lab from collagen from the leg of a dinosaur that was found in Montana 25 years ago Like a genetic 3D print or... that's It sounds like they like... So do you remember that South Park episode where they grew an ear on a rat?
00:02:53
Speaker
i Yes, I do vaguely remember. That's an old one, yes. that's This is what I'm feeling like is is what happened. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Yeah. It was like they made this this leather handbag made from the T-Rex leather, one of a kind piece, valued half a million dollars. And they put it on auction and the most it came up for was $150,000. So major flop.
00:03:20
Speaker
Also. Put that in front of nerds and they will give you the money for that. What is wrong with you? Yeah. Fashion people will only go so far for a single piece. And I'm i'm a person who doesn't even subscribe to the the handbag thing.
00:03:34
Speaker
Everybody has their thing, and that's great. If you enjoy a good, expensive designer bag, i love that for you. i If I can't afford to put anything into it after I buy it i don't i don't I'm not i'm not a fashion girl.
00:03:48
Speaker
Now, I will say it does seem when, you know, they debuted it in Amsterdam, it did a lot better. It started at like 600,000. So i don't know, maybe the Paris fashion market wasn't it.
00:04:01
Speaker
But it was for Amsterdam. don't know. That's interesting. That is very interesting. I wonder what the, you know, and it really could even just come down to the individual people that were present too. Yeah. That's really interesting.
00:04:13
Speaker
Regardless, that kind of a price tag for a, for a purse. Would you take that anywhere? Would you use that? No. What do you use it for? I mean, if I had... Actually, that's not true. and I have some expensive purses, but I didn't pay full price for them. If I had T-Rex handbag, yes, I would f***ing use the T-Rex handbag.
00:04:33
Speaker
But honestly, I mean, if it's a one-of-a-kind, seriously, that use it for science. Put it in a museum. i know Well, looking at this article, though, it does say that there's some people in the scientific community that are maybe saying... They're wondering if it's truly...
00:04:49
Speaker
I don't know. Some are like, does this count as T-Rex leather? And I'm like, yes, because you cloned it. I don't know. I feel like the cloning thing. it i mean, I guess it's like. mean, faux, right? It's a faux T-Rex because it's obviously not real, right? So it's a faux. It's faux T-Rex leather.
00:05:02
Speaker
But to me. But is it? Is it still tissue? Right? I don't know. Right? Like, where's that line? That's. Yeah, it looks like this was discovered back in 2005.
00:05:15
Speaker
What they believe to be soft tissue connected to a 68 million year old bones of a T-Rex in Montana. a discovery previous believed to be impossible. But they think that the tissue that was found was really a clump of bacteria colonizing the fossil instead of a genuine dinosaur flesh. So then what did they make? I don't know, but it says it's just protein. I mean, it's just no fossilized protein.
00:05:42
Speaker
And they're saying, we think it's a dinosaur, but it could be... Bold claim for that much money they're asking. Yeah. Wow. Exactly. Just an interesting little tidbit.
00:05:57
Speaker
What nightmare did you bring
The Corey Richens Case: Suspicion and Investigation Begins
00:05:59
Speaker
me today? story. So I don't know if you've seen, so recently there was a lady named Corrie Richens who was um up for sentencing for allegedly poisoning her husband's with some kind of narcotics. Have you heard of her? No, it does not ring a bell. Corey Richens. Okay.
00:06:22
Speaker
I promise I didn't ruin any of the plot because this is this is crazy. So I thought it was a pretty basic story when I started looking into it, but you know, i'm a sucker for a good poisoning. Sorry, guys.
00:06:36
Speaker
Corey Richens and Eric Richens appear to be a traditional couple on all accounts. They married, had three children, and they lived in Summit County, Utah. Their marriage seemed a bit rocky over the years, and it all came to a head around 2019. Okay.
00:06:53
Speaker
Like everything else that has gone absolutely to shit in the past few years. yeah I mean, I think things took a significant turn the following year, but fair enough. Yeah, I mean... mean, it was already very bleak at the moment, so yeah, fair enough.
00:07:07
Speaker
Well, in 2019, Corey got into selling real estate. She opened a bank account for her business with a line of credit. She took out a $250,000 home equity line of credit, which is a HELOC. I don't know if anyone knows what that is Against their house using a deed of trust, all without Eric knowing about it.
00:07:28
Speaker
So she basically forged his signature on the deed to their house. So they're married at this point? They're married. And she has basically... And this was something they bought together, not something she inherited? Uh-huh. Okay. And theyve she just solidified her business, opened a bank account for her business on the side without him knowing, and now has taken a loan against the house without him knowing.
00:07:50
Speaker
Almost a full year later, in September of 2020, Eric finds out some of the financial floating that Corey has been doing, and he confronts her about it. All he seems to have learned so far is that she withdrew $100,000 his bank accounts.
00:08:07
Speaker
And also that he borrowed $30,000 on his credit card. Like, yes. Oh, my God. The interest on that is insane. And to get this money, she used a fraudulent power of attorney. So basically wow forging his signature.
00:08:22
Speaker
Great. yeah I mean, and they're married, And they're married. Yep. Wow. So she promises to quit doing it, pay him back. Spoiler. She never actually does. But Eric seems to have had enough with what he's found.
00:08:36
Speaker
Fair enough. I would too. And so he gets in touch with a divorce lawyer and an estate planning attorney. He adjusts his will, establishes a trust to benefit his three children and his business partner.
00:08:48
Speaker
And he makes sure that in the event of his death, his part of the business, his insurance policies, everything would go to the kids and his sister would be in control of doling everything out.
00:08:59
Speaker
Cool. It seems that Eric was right to worry. because Corey and Eric's money problems continue to get worse. Corey is now writing checks with no money to back them.
00:09:10
Speaker
And as for the real estate side of it. In 2019? Yes. Wow. Like, yeah, she's just bouncing checks left and right. It was so hard to write checks even by then. Exactly. Like nobody would take them and you basically needed nine forms of ID and like your first grade teacher's referendum. Yeah.
00:09:26
Speaker
And for the real estate side of it, it seems she's now just straight up forging financial statements to get mortgage loans. So like basically saying, oh, I have more money in the accounts and making the transactions look different. And she's basically sent this to about four different banks. So yeah, this continues for almost two years along with COVID and everything else that went along with all of that. Right.
00:09:48
Speaker
On January 2022, New Year's Day, new year's day Corey apparently had had it. She changes the beneficiary on her husband's $2 million dollars life insurance policy to herself and applies for another life insurance policy. Oh, right, because she has power returning. for $100,000. Oof.
00:10:09
Speaker
Less than a month later, Corey sends messages to a contractor she works with and asks him if he knows where to get pain medication. This person denies being able to get anything, and then texts are deleted from her phone.
00:10:21
Speaker
oh A few days later, she applies for another $100,000 policy on her husband. And at this point in the story, i realized I clearly do not understand how life insurance works.
00:10:34
Speaker
I don't get it. It all sounds fraudulent to me. Unless like you're like in a high risk career, like. It's so awkward because it's like there's, you can gamble that you're going to die within 10 years or whatever. And you have like a certain thing.
00:10:50
Speaker
But then after that, everything you've paid in, if you don't die, then that's all yeah that's all pissed away. so Yeah, I don't get it. Or you can do like you can do whole, but that's a lot more expensive. and it like or something I don't know. I don't know need i was about to say, you seem to know a lot about life insurance. I used to have it.
00:11:08
Speaker
What? Well, i had it at you know my old corporate job. Yeah. so yeah On February 11, 2022, Corey asked their house cleaner, Carmen Lauber, for pain pills.
00:11:21
Speaker
and pays $900 for 15 to 20 pills. Carmen later states that the guy who gave her the pills said they were fentanyl, and she received a clear baggie with pills in it.
00:11:33
Speaker
It seems what she had actually gotten were hydrocodone. A few days later, it's Valentine's Day, and coincidentally, 10 days after the most recent insurance policy becomes active.
00:11:46
Speaker
Corey states that she ordered food for Eric and herself from a local diner. Oh, i see where this is going. Eric says Corey prepared the meal. During the meal, but she did he gets sick.
00:11:58
Speaker
Now, I'm wondering if maybe he was reactive to hydrocodone because it's reported that he broke out in hives and used his son's EpiPen and drank some Benadryl. Somehow, all of that works and Eric eventually does recover, but he later confesses to two friends that he felt like he was actually going to die and that he thinks that maybe Corey is trying to poison him.
00:12:20
Speaker
have their, their vibes together been off? Like how? Oh yeah. I mean, he's, he knows that she's, oh he, okay. He's aware of of all the. fuckckery Okay. Got it. Yeah. So two weeks after this event, on February 26, 2022, Corey contacts her housekeeper, Carmen, again.
00:12:39
Speaker
And this time, asks if they have anything stronger for her investor friend, who has a back injury and just needs a little more. Specifically asking for, quote, some of the Michael Jackson stuff.
00:12:52
Speaker
okay subtle yeah she's alleged yeah go ahead i just i mean i know i mean at what point does a drug dealer be like hey guys i think it's gonna be a murder so i'm gonna be like i'll cut you a deal like i'll tell you that want to be like but is there is there like i don't think there's ethics in drug dealing i'm sorry i am but if you know mean not all drug dealers are bad people no i'm not saying they are i'm just saying i don't think they're like also like they're not all altruistic i understand that but like maybe some of them are and like i feel like if you're no i feel like if no i feel like if you're selling drugs you're probably at a point where you really need the money and i just see a lot of movies where it seems a lot more chill I have some movies to show you. and so
00:13:51
Speaker
So she's alleged to have paid another $1,000 for more pills. And Carmen states that the pills that she got were for the from the same man, but that these were light blue pills this time. So they were a different color. They were different pills.
00:14:04
Speaker
Just five days later, on March 3rd, 2022, everything came to a head. This is where things get a bit fuzzy, and it becomes the family's word against Corey's telling of the events that unfolded that night. This is where it gets fuzzy.
00:14:21
Speaker
Corey states... that she poured both of them a Moscow Mule around 9 p.m. I know, they're so good. Have you ever tried it with a little bit of, I think normally it comes with vodka, right?
00:14:35
Speaker
Try it with a little bit of rum. I've had it with vodka, I've had it gin. And it's good with whiskey, too. But that's a, what is it called? Something else. Something else. All right, sorry, moving on.
00:14:46
Speaker
So Corey pours them both a Moscow Mule. They drink it, they go to bed, and it's 9.30 when they go to bed. Eric stayed in their bedroom and Corey went to one of the children's rooms and slept in there with them since the child was having nightmares.
00:14:57
Speaker
She states she fell asleep and woke up around 3 a.m. The next day, right? March 4th, 2022. And when she went to her bedroom, she finds Eric cold, unresponsive.
00:15:11
Speaker
I bet she does. Evidence shows there was activity on her phone at 3.06 a.m. And 15 minutes later, she calls 911.
Corey Richens: Financial Deceit and Drug Suspicion
00:15:20
Speaker
Corey states she pulled Eric onto the floor and started performing CPR, per the 911 operator's instructions.
00:15:27
Speaker
Dispatch notes that Corey said she was doing CPR. Paramedics and fire rescue arrived 20 minutes later, and one of them later testified that Corey was not performing CPR when they arrived and that there was no evidence of CPR having been performed at all prior them getting there. Doesn't it frequently break your sternum? If you're doing it hard enough, yeah.
00:15:48
Speaker
They said they started life rescue measures immediately, but he was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. Now, Corey then called Eric's sister and father to come since they live nearby.
00:16:00
Speaker
They both arrived in time to be interviewed by investigators. Body camera footage showed Corey describing how she discovered him on the bed and noticed he was cold. She says he was so heavy when she turned him and put a blanket on him.
00:16:14
Speaker
At first, she thought that maybe he was just cold because the room was cold. And quote, my spouse is active. He didn't just die in his sleep. This is insane. End quote. Yeah.
00:16:25
Speaker
You're telling me, sister. Additional footage of the police responding to the incident that night shows Corey answering questions consistently. At one point, she's seen on the phone crying, and she tells officers she has no idea what could have caused this.
00:16:39
Speaker
i bet she did. she When asked if he had any underlying medical issues, Corey mentioned that he had Lyme disease and had to take an allergy shot the prior day.
00:16:51
Speaker
When asked directly, she stated that Eric had not used any recent illicit drugs or prescription drugs. She did mention that he sometimes takes edibles or marijuana gummies before bed, but nothing else.
00:17:03
Speaker
During the investigation, Eric's sister recalled that Corey seemed to be acting inconsistently to someone one who just discovered their husband dead. She seemed put together and not the sobbing mess that everyone else seemed to be.
00:17:16
Speaker
At one point, she remembers having to tell Corey that she needed to console her son. So about this, I feel like people all grieve differently. Yeah. i As I've lost more and more people in my life, it's become more of an explosion of what the fuck a few hours or days later and just like a gentle sadness at first. So it's hard for me to lean heavily on someone not immediately reacting to like losing. Like that that shock is a thing. Yeah.
00:17:45
Speaker
Like, and like there's a survival mode situation. I have, I have been in trauma and yeah, you, you have to, you have to bring yourself, you have to bring what needs to happen yeah and you don't have an option. You just make it happen because it has to happen.
00:18:01
Speaker
One of the responding officers mentioned later that Corey's reaction to her husband's death did not seem consistent. with the 30-plus situations like this that he had encountered. He says she spoke with her hands and her face, and he couldn't see her face at all.
00:18:14
Speaker
And at one point, he had leaned down to look at her emotions, and he noticed that something just seemed abnormal. The EMS team reported that there was blood that appeared to be in Eric's lungs that was expelled when he was intubated.
00:18:27
Speaker
The autopsy revealed that Eric did test positive for COVID, which corroborates what Corey was saying about the family having had this going around at the time. But he didn't die from a COVID-related illness. I'm just putting that out there.
00:18:41
Speaker
This is relevant because at some point, Corey did mention to Eric's father that the medical examiner had told her that Eric died of COVID-related illness. And he obviously didn't.
00:18:53
Speaker
The coroner did note that his ribs were broken and he had blood in his lungs. But again, probably from CPR or intubation. And that happened after. Yeah. Early coronary heart disease was present, but he did not die of a heart attack.
00:19:08
Speaker
He had little white nodules on his lungs, which could have been from industrial exposure, but again, not fetal. There was nothing abnormal about the full examination that they did. So they found things, but nothing that would have killed him.
00:19:21
Speaker
They also held onto his stomach contents for testing and they pulled 700 milliliters of pink fluid and food particles to test. And tests confirmed that fentanyl levels were five times over what would have been lethal.
00:19:35
Speaker
And it had been ingested orally. These levels are excessive even if a person is in addiction or when you relapse. That's suicidal.
00:19:45
Speaker
Yeah. So there seems to have been some question of how well the crime scene was secured and if proper procedures were followed after his death. After Eric's death was confirmed, the family that lived in the house, as well as other members that had come, they were allowed to remain in the house and in close proximity to the deceased while the investigation was happening.
00:20:05
Speaker
Additionally, there's some back and forth about what was searched. Investigators reported finding no alcohol or drugs out in the kitchen. But she made a mouse gamule. There wasn't any in the trash, no medicine cabinets, dresser drawers, nothing like that.
00:20:17
Speaker
They found an old bottle prescribed to him sitting on his nightstand. It was of hydrocodone from 2016. As well as a bag of edibles in their bathroom medicine cabinet, which she had mentioned.
00:20:28
Speaker
ernie They didn't have a warrant to search anything further. But it's weird that they didn't find any... I mean, I guess... I don't know. Moscow Mule is ginger beer. Yeah. So like unless you have like a bottle of ginger beer in the fridge, like you need a can or a bottle or something. Right. Right. So that should at least be in the trash. Same thing with lime or some kind of lime juice. right Yeah.
00:20:53
Speaker
I don't know. I'm just trying to think of like what remnants there would be. Right. But again, had the trash she didn't find alcohol either. But I mean, she came at 3 a.m. m Why would she take out the trash? That doesn't mean she didn't. No, no, no. I know what you mean. But I'm saying in terms of like if this was innocent and there was nothing, nothing foul. I mean, there's something smelly in it and you wanted to get out of the house. You came home.
00:21:16
Speaker
It smells gross and you want it out of your house. OK, and then you make a Moscow mule. Maybe you don't know what my day was. Yeah. Well, they checked everywhere. They checked the trash. They checked everything. On April 13th, 2022, detectives attempted to search the home for any dangerous substances, ideally something that contained fentanyl now that they know what they're looking for. Right.
00:21:39
Speaker
Corey tells law enforcement that her house is never locked and anyone can come in and out. Oh, yeah, I'm sure. They attempt to seize all electronics to determine if drugs were ordered electronically.
00:21:50
Speaker
And Corey states, all of Eric's business electronics have been returned to where he worked, and his personal iPad has gone missing.
The Trial: Affairs, Financial Woes, and Cover-ups
00:21:57
Speaker
i bet it has. In this interview, Corey again seems to be in shock as to why Eric would take fentanyl, and that there was nothing she could think of that but would explain this death.
00:22:11
Speaker
They obviously end up taking her phone, and when deleted phone messages are paired with the overdose death, Corey attempts to explain it away by claiming that her husband was addicted to painkillers and had been asking Corey to help supply it.
00:22:25
Speaker
Eric's sister recalls that she knew her brother used hydrocodone at times, including a stash that he had left over from surgery. But beyond the edibles, she was adamant that he was not addicted to painkillers. Right. And not only that, then he wouldn't have a stash from 2016. It's not a stash if you're addicted to painkillers. Like you're gonna... It would have been gone a long time ago if you were addicted. Exactly. Exactly.
00:22:48
Speaker
Not saying that there's not stages, but you know what I mean. in late March 2023, Corey published a book titled, Are You With Me? It's a children's book oh that tangles with the feelings of losing someone one close to you as a child and missing them on those special days.
00:23:05
Speaker
She states her motivations were for her own children to help cope with the loss of their father. In a local news program promoting the book, Corey is quoted as saying, just because he's not present here with us physically,
00:23:18
Speaker
That doesn't mean his presence isn't here with us. and how On May 8th, 2023, Corey Richens was arrested for the murder of her husband.
00:23:30
Speaker
Good. The financial charges were added a few months later. She was alleged to have put fentanyl in her husband's drink the night of his death. Alleged. Corey pled not guilty to all of the charges.
00:23:43
Speaker
During the trial, the Senate County Attorney's Office called over 40 witnesses. And a lot of new things came to light and dots just started connecting all over the place. That's a lot. Yes.
00:23:56
Speaker
Okay. 40 people. And Corey's defense called no witnesses in her defense during the trial. Did she represent herself? Just, she had her attorneys there. They instead spent the majority of the trial attempting to tear apart the credibility of every witness on the stand.
00:24:13
Speaker
Closing arguments focused on the fact that, quote, they cannot tell you how Eric ingested that fentanyl. They haven't done their job. And now they want you to make inferences based on paper-thin evidence.
00:24:27
Speaker
End quote. I would always finish that with beyond a reasonable doubt if I was a dickhead lawyer. I'm sorry, if I were a defense lawyer. Well, my lovelies, I provide you the paper-thin evidence in question for you to decide for yourselves. fun Please let us know what you think.
00:24:45
Speaker
Nightmare Cottage at gmail.com.
00:24:49
Speaker
While on the stand, Amy Richens recalled that her brother, Eric, had mentioned a few times that he was worried that Corey was trying to kill him. She stated there was an incident in Greece a few years earlier and also mentioned the most recent incident where Eric broke out in hives and had to use an EpiPen after eating that sandwich that Corey served him.
00:25:08
Speaker
Even one of her neighbors came forward to testify around Christmas 2021 that the couple had a big fight and Corey told them that it would be better if her husband were just dead. Great. Yes.
00:25:19
Speaker
Wow. Yeah, like you're telling the neighbor, mm. o So what a horrible thing to say. This was Christmas 2021 when that happened. Remember, on January 1st, 2022, New Year's Day, Corey changed the beneficiary on her husband's policy and applied for another one on him.
00:25:40
Speaker
So that's really, it seems one like. And that's just because she had secret power of attorney. Yes. Somehow. ah She, yeah, she was forging a signature and stuff. In total, it was found that she had bought four life insurance policies on her husband between 2015 and 2017, all without his knowledge.
00:25:57
Speaker
This was just what she bought, though. She was a beneficiary to a few more, totaling about $2.2 million that she had allegedly and allegedly allegedly adjusted to her name.
00:26:10
Speaker
Her net worth was negative $1.6 million the day after her husband's death, not including the loans. Yes. Wow. So she was that much in debt, $1.6 million in debt.
00:26:21
Speaker
And that doesn't include her real estate holdings. yes It's really just hard to wrap my head around how that happens. I know. So she did end up receiving $1.3 million in life insurance payments in the months after Eric's death.
00:26:38
Speaker
Less than six months later, the money had been all spent. Most of it was to pay down her debt, though. I mean... Yeah. right. Eric's brother-in-law testified that Eric was concerned that Corey was monitoring his emails and didn't want her to know...
00:26:52
Speaker
He was considering divorce. He was so worried about what she would do that they set up correspondence for his attorneys to go through him instead. Eric stated they had most recently argued on whether they should purchase a $2 million dollars mansion for her to flip and resell.
00:27:06
Speaker
The day after his death, she signed the papers to finalize the purchase of the property. And you remember that she mentioned that they had a Moscow mule together to celebrate the closing of that property? Oh, yes. I remember the Moscow mule.
00:27:19
Speaker
Why would he willingly celebrate the closing of something that they were fighting about? Dun, dun, dun. Friends of the couple testified that they thought the couple was doing well financially, but the trial brought to light the massive amount of debt that they had and that the real estate business was falling apart.
00:27:38
Speaker
One friend close to Corey remembers Corey telling her that she felt trapped in her marriage. She was frustrated with the relationship and that she was worried if she left, that she'd be left with nothing.
00:27:48
Speaker
That if they divorced, he would end up with everything. Okay, so yeah, kill him. Kill him is your alternative? I guess. And it seemed that they had both gone as far to meet with lawyers on their own. Eric met with the lawyer in 2020, Corey in 2021, but neither of them actually filed. So I guess they both decided for some reason that it wasn't worth it.
00:28:08
Speaker
Okay. The hardest hitting testimony, in my opinion, was that of Carmen Lauder, the house cleaner that worked for the Richens, the one that sold the pills to Corey in the first place. wow yeah She testified. Carmen made a deal with prosecutors for immunity charges in Eric's death and reduced drug charges if she testified against Corey in this trial.
00:28:28
Speaker
And... She spoke of Corey asking her for the pain pills for an investor. And when she realized that Eric was dead a few days later, Carmen called Corey on the phone and she's quoted on the stand saying, please tell me these pills are not for him.
00:28:44
Speaker
To which she says, Corey responded that Eric had passed away from a brain aneurysm. Yeah, she's just telling everyone that just making up a new cause of death for every person she talks to. Yeah. And nobody's going to cross-reference.
00:28:57
Speaker
She's not... Well, this is what happens. Like, I feel like she went underwater a long time ago and she just... I don't know. I feel like it's when a cat falls into water and they just start flailing. Well, you know, the lie gets out of hand and you keep trying to hold on to it. And the more you try to hold on it, the more it gets away. Yes. This is a person who is in a death spiral at this point.
00:29:17
Speaker
So Carmen detailed how she purchased the drugs, who she got them from. And he even testified to for immunity, by the way. And she even went over like how she delivered the drugs to Corey. There was phone evidence, like ah GPS evidence, everything, like everything that connected all.
00:29:36
Speaker
And additionally, it seems that Corey reached out to Carmen again three days after Eric died. She asked her, still have your hookup? Carmen testified that she got more of the drugs for Corey, which she paid for with a check for $1,300 made out to Carmen with a note in the memo that said construction clean midway.
00:29:58
Speaker
Basically making a record that this money she was paying her was for a house cleaning that Carmen states she never completed. Also setting up the past cash payments for that same kind of situation. Mm-hmm.
00:30:11
Speaker
In addition to all of the phone records between Corey, Carmen, and their dealer, there were some internet searches done by Corey on her new phone after law enforcement seized her old one. I'm sorry, this is 2022 at this point. Yes.
00:30:26
Speaker
ah This is twenty almost 2023. So, the it's not a secret that everything that's on your phone yes is... Oh, but they already took her phone, so she's on the new one.
00:30:38
Speaker
Oh my god. And so, okay, so this new one is no longer admissible in court. What is That's what she thinks. Oh my God. So she did some Google searches and they included things like, can FBI find deleted messages?
00:30:55
Speaker
What is a lethal dose of fentanyl? Jesus Christ. If someone one is poisoned, what does it go down on the death certificate as? These searches don't look so good with the circumstances being what they are.
00:31:07
Speaker
Yeah. But Corey, she couldn't stop interfering and she just kept making her situation worse. In September of 2023, a letter was found in her jail cell and this was a letter to her brother detailing a fake story about how Eric had a history about buying drugs in Mexico and had asked her to purchase the drugs from Carmen. She had never gotten the letter to her brother. The prosecution states that the letter was a detailed testimony that was intended to counteract her charges and have her brother corroborate her story that She was basically just helping ah someone who was very addicted. She is just weaving this web. This is insane. She's flailing. She's flailing.
00:31:46
Speaker
One part of the trial that I did not expect, Corgi was actually having an affair. Oh, fun. Yeah. The prosecution used this as an underlying motive outside of the stress of her marriage and the financial crisis that she was in.
00:31:59
Speaker
Apparently, Corey was having an affair with Robert Josh Grossman since 2020. So two years before Eric died, she's having an affair. Also, how do you have an affair in 2020? Like that was like lockdown. I mean, maybe it started as an emotional affair. That's true. Or i mean, what did these people do for work? Did they have like essential jobs where they had to get out of the house?
00:32:20
Speaker
She's a real estate agent. During 2020? Yeah. That's when i bought my house. So she was getting out. That's true. because She was getting out. I mean, you've seen American Beauty, right? Perfect for infidelity. Oh my God.
00:32:34
Speaker
Corey met Robert at some point in her real estate work. And before long, Robert moved into one of the houses she was supposed to be flipping. She would give him money when he asked. pa of Yeah, she is severely in debt. And yet she still bought this guy two trucks.
00:32:51
Speaker
Yeah, I don't understand how, like who is giving this lady money? During the trial, Robert testified in court about everything that happened in those years and provided the investigators his electronic communications.
00:33:03
Speaker
Corey would message Robert things like, quote, I do want a future together. i do want you. i want to figure out life together. If he could just go away and you could just be here, life would be so perfect. my god I love you. End quote.
00:33:18
Speaker
This is not the romantic story they think it is. Nope. And Robert and Corey were scheduled to meet on March 4th, the day that Eric died. They were supposed to meet to celebrate the closing of her $2 million mansion deal.
00:33:31
Speaker
The night before, Robert sent a gif of two people kissing with the caption saying, love you. Even after
Conviction and Aftermath: Corey Richens' Sentence
00:33:38
Speaker
Eric died, they stayed together. But Robert did state that Corey seemed to be grieving for her husband's death.
00:33:44
Speaker
Not a month later, Corey was also texting him saying things like, quote, I think I want you to be my husband one day, a month after her husband's died. Wow. Yeah.
00:33:56
Speaker
It's not a great track record. No. They end up splitting up shortly after that. he Imagine that. Robert said the relationship felt different after Eric's passing. After Corey was arrested in 2023, a private investigator hired by Eric's family met with Robert Grossman.
00:34:11
Speaker
Robert testified that while speaking with the PI, he recalled a conversation with Corey a couple weeks after Eric's death. They were talking about death and God and supernatural stuff.
00:34:22
Speaker
But at some point, Corey asked Robert if he had ever killed anyone while serving in Iraq and how it made him feel. Looking back, he wasn't sure what to think of that conversation.
00:34:34
Speaker
She wants to know what it feels like to kill a man. The verdict? Came through on March 16th, 2026, four years after Eric Richens' death.
00:34:46
Speaker
Corey Richens was convicted on all accounts by an eight-person jury. Good. She was found guilty of attempted aggravated murder for the prior attempts to kill him, aggravated murder for actually killing him, and insurance fraud and forgery.
00:34:59
Speaker
I appreciate the attempt because I don't see that often, you know? Yeah. Usually like, yeah, he's dead. We'll just do the the murder. Right. I mean, sometimes it's part of a plea deal, you know? That's true.
00:35:09
Speaker
Sentencing happened on May 13th, 2026. Must hear. yeah i did think that I had seen this. yeah it It was starting the the children's book part. It just kind of triggered a bit. Yes. Yeah. It happened pretty recently.
00:35:21
Speaker
Prior to sentencing, statements written by her children were read by their therapists. They're quoted as saying, you took away everything from me and my brothers. I don't want you out of jail because I will not feel safe if you are out.
00:35:34
Speaker
You have never said sorry for anything that you've done to me or my brothers. I do not want you to hurt anyone again. End quote. To this, Corey Richens also read a statement and addressed it to her three children.
00:35:48
Speaker
Quote, as much as you've been influenced into thinking that dad was murdered, that I took your dad from you, that is completely wrong, an absolute lie. And the thought of that is still as absurd today as it was four years ago. End quote. Okay.
00:36:03
Speaker
Corey was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of her husband, Eric Richens. In sentencing, the judge is quoted as saying, a person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to ever be free.
00:36:16
Speaker
For the other charges, Corey is ordered to serve consecutive prison sentences. Her attorneys plan to appeal the sentencing and file a motion for a new trial. And I actually looked and that appeal has been accepted and is going to the Court of Appeals in Utah, the Utah State Court of Appeals.
00:36:34
Speaker
Wow. So we'll have to update when we get an update. I don't see this appeal. Oh. I don't know, like... Appeal on what? Like. That's, you know, i guess time will tell if that's what talking about, I guess. Like, there's no way she didn't do this. I'm sorry. There's no way. Right. Like, maybe make me eat my worries in a year, but there's no way. No, the the update will be is, is there some kind of like technical twist? Is she going to be able to like get it thrown out for whatever She's going to Casey Anthony out of this.
00:37:04
Speaker
Oh, God. i mean, that's what do. She's guilty. Yes, well. You heard it here first or whatever. Fresh take or something. Hot take? Nightmarish take.
00:37:18
Speaker
No. Okay. No, I like that. No. But yeah, that's the story of Corey Richens and I will keep you updated if there's anything new on it. Man. Yeah. I didn't realize just quite how absurd that whole thing was. I mean, it's,
00:37:35
Speaker
It's comedic. It's like, it's almost like, it really is. Absurd. Yeah. It it it plays out like a drama. Like, what you what were you doing? Yeah. Like like a soap opera. Like, it's thick. It's thick. It's thick. It's thick.
00:38:00
Speaker
So I recently started watching The Burroughs. Okay. It's on Hulu. It's been a really good watch so far. I think I'm like three or four episodes in. It's kind of like Stranger Things in a retirement community.
00:38:18
Speaker
Stranger Things in a retirement community. And there's that guy from Stranger Things that's actually in it. That's awesome. I recently read the, and I think I put it in Nightmare Field at some point, the Autumn Springs Retirement Home or the Massacre, I believe. Yeah. That was good times.
00:38:32
Speaker
But yeah, the Burroughs, it's pretty good so far. What about you? We've talked about Tales from the Crypt. We talked about Tales from the Crypt on our very rugged first episode. Yes.
00:38:42
Speaker
They are releasing it. it It was a rough. But now, it is they're releasing i don't know if it's all out yet, but they're releasing it like every month, a new season of Tales from the Crypt on Shudder.
00:38:54
Speaker
So, I had tried to watch on an old VHS situation, but it was just so grainy and couldn't I couldn't watch it. it yeah It was just like it was a bad tape. And I was really sad because I just at that point I didn't have aside from like buying every episode on, you know, whatever you buy it on.
00:39:12
Speaker
That's absurd. i can't I can't do that. It needs to be on something I can stream. So now Tales from the Crypt. It's really awesome because on that first episode. yeah, we did watch one of those the other day. And you mentioned on that first episode, you mentioned the episode we watched together, the Santa Claus episode. Oh, yay. Yeah, so that's ah fun. Yeah, and that's we did watch that, rewatch that, and it was just as horrible as I remembered. Actually, i remember it being more brutal. I could have sworn there was more ripping open and blood. but you know i would give it that that we we That was the first season. there's true. There's I think six or something like that, but it's
00:39:47
Speaker
You know, when we were kids, right? Yeah, at all that's what I'm saying. It probably all looked pretty traumatic. So campy and pulpy. It's just a good time. It is absurd. It definitely does not hold up to... No, but it's still fun. I love it. It is very fun. I'm just saying, like, just understand you're looking at, like, 80s and 90s crude horror. You know, it's it's meant to be what that is. So if you don't dig that, skip it. But if you do, go do that.
00:40:15
Speaker
So I have... A little cozy bit that's leaning more in towards the cottage side. We've mentioned on many occasions to your chagrin that I'm quite a skeptic.
00:40:28
Speaker
But I also enjoy which folklore and and ritual and it's, you know, stuff I like to to play with because it's fun. And it it brings me joy. And so I do it anyways.
00:40:39
Speaker
I love to find the way that folk magic crosses with science that we have. Oh, yeah. I love that. So i love how things it's just kind of, you know, actual practical magic, like realistic things that made it into folklore to seem like a mystical situation, but actually had real practical things that were happening. So today I'm going to just mention sage because it's like kind of the the thing that everybody hears about. That was just a cure-all for everything. It absolutely was. And there's a reason for it is because sage actually has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. So it's got the active compounds of camphor.
00:41:18
Speaker
And I'm going to probably pronounce these words wrong because these are scientific words. is It says 1.8 or 1,8 seniole. Camphor, 1.8 seniole. one point eight and Yeah, senole and apinin. Pinine, maybe? Apinin. Yeah, that sounds like a protein something. Yeah. But it's antifungal and antimicrobial. Medicinally, you can use it for oral health. It's good for menopause symptoms. It's apparently great for minimizing hot flashes, which is great. But how are you supposed to like?
00:41:44
Speaker
As a tea, I have this massive sage plant in my backyard. I guess you can make some tea, but sage tea does not taste great. so you kind That doesn't sound like it would, yeah. Yeah, but I've got like mint and some other things I can mix in with it. So I don't know. I'll play with it. Maybe like on lavender and lemon? no i have what does I have lemon verbena and I have lavender. I don't know. i The lemon verbena though, maybe.
00:42:06
Speaker
i didn't do lemon balm this year. Anyways, if I put something together, maybe I'll do a blog post about it and you'll know how it works for me. i wonder if it'll taste like if you use like the same herbs that you would use to like season a chicken.
00:42:17
Speaker
If you use those in tea, if it would taste the same. You mean like just like dry or whatever? It'll, I mean, anytime you use a fresh versus dry, it's just, it's going to taste differently. But will taste like a roast chicken?
00:42:30
Speaker
ah It depends on what else you put in that tea bag. If you put a roast chicken in there. Yeah, if you put a roast chicken in there, it'll definitely taste like a roast chicken.
00:42:40
Speaker
But yeah, so aside from that, okay, so it's got the, it also does cleaning and soothing of wounds and minor skin irritations. It works for food preservation because of the camphor and the removal of airborne bacteria, which is why you see the burning of it in so many different cultures. I will say that if you are going to burn sage, look up what you're doing, make sure you're doing it ethically and sourcing it responsibly. you Do not get white sage. It's a cultural thing and look it up and like learn what you're doing before you do stuff.
00:43:06
Speaker
So sage is super rad. That's why it's such a prominent thing in folklore in so many different cultures, because it grows in a lot of different places. And it's just so useful, practically useful. And so that's going to work its way into healing magic stories and things like that and using it to ward away the negative spirits when you're just using it to purify the air. Yes. I love seeing where magic and science meet. Exactly. Like where we learned why the magic worked. Yeah, but electricity is still magic.
00:43:39
Speaker
Just sorry. There's no, no, no amount of explaining can explain how the current goes through the lines. If you'd like to explain to Nyleen how electricity works, nightmare cottage at gmail.com.
00:43:56
Speaker
I think that that's a good place to call it for tonight. Everybody have sweet dreams. nine Night-night.
00:44:09
Speaker
If you have topic requests, book or movie recommendations, or just want to say hi, email us at nightmarecottage at gmail dot com or visit our website at nightmarecottage dot com. Sweet dreams.
00:44:30
Speaker
Bye-bye.