Kouri Richins' 'questionable' email tone that included laugh emoji after 'plotting husband's murder' could be a 'trick'

EMAILS sent by a woman who allegedly murdered her husband have been questioned and could have been a trick, a lawyer says.

Kouri Richins, 33, has been accused of killing Eric Richins, 39, by slipping a lethal dose of fentanyl into his drink and then writing a children's book about grief after his death.

Kouri is currently facing charges of criminal homicide, aggravated murder, and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

She has not yet entered a plea and remains in custody.

Kouri, who was arrested on May 8, 2023, had previously spoken to police about her husband's March 4, 2022 death.

Emails Kouri sent to the cops working on her husband's case have been obtained and released by local affiliate ABC4.

On April 19, Kouri emailed Summit County, Utah, authorities to clarify points from their previous conversation.

She wrote about topics relating to her marriage, including her mental health, family vacations, finances, and medications.

Duncan Levin, a prominent criminal defense attorney and Managing Partner of Levin & Associates, PLLC, spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun about Richins' recently released emails and what they might mean for her case.

Throughout the email, Kouri used multiple emojis and exclamation points.

Levin said that while the subject matter of the emails didn't seem out of the ordinary and didn't contain "explicitly incriminating information or illegal activities," there is more to examine.

“It's a truth about e-mail that it is very hard to read tone over e-mail," he told The U.S. Sun.

"There are a lot of people who use emojis now, which is probably a generational thing.

"They don't know that we can read a lot into it from an evidentiary perspective.

"Tone needs to be explained to the extent that the emails are standalone pieces of evidence.

"There's nothing on the face of them that appears exculpatory or inculpatory. They're kind of just almost boring emails."

'HARD TO TELL'

Levin said that while the tone of the emails comes across as friendly, it's harder to determine why Kouri might have taken that tone.

"It could be for any number of reasons that it's friendly, could be friendly because it's friendly.

"It could be friendly to try to trick.

"It's very hard to tell what the friendliness is about.

"At the end of the day, jurors are called to use their common sense and things like that are certainly things that the jury will look at and be asked to use their common sense about how people act after somebody that they supposedly love dies.

"So the tone of this e-mail is something that will absolutely be called into question and and and rightfully so."

While it is not yet clear to what extent the emails will factor into the trial, Levin said they will likely be closely examined.

“I am sure these are going to be read very closely because they're emails coming from her and it's a way of hearing her voice at this trial," he said.

NEW LAWSUIT

Meanwhile, Kouri has filed a lawsuit claiming that she's owed money and assets from Eric's estate due in part to a prenuptial agreement, KUCW reported.

Kouri also claimed she's entitled to the family home, much of Eric's personal property, and a portion of the proceeds generated from the sale of his business, according to court documents obtained by the outlet.

The couple signed the prenup in 2013.

It states that Eric would have kept a number of assets he acquired before the marriage in the event of a divorce, according to the lawsuit.

That included 50 percent of the masonry business Eric owned with a partner and equipment he used at work, including a forklift and two trucks.

The lawsuit claims that Kouri would not become the owner of Eric's share of the business unless he died while the two were still legally married.

Although that's what happened, Eric transferred his equity in the business to a trust before he died.

That share of the business was then sold to his partner for $2million, which is now being held by the court.

Kouri is arguing that she's entitled to that money since the couple was still married when Eric died.

In the lawsuit, she also claims that she's entitled to 50 percent of the equity from the couple's home.

Kouri claims that she contributed to the mortgage payments and utilities and paid for the installation of a swimming pool.

She would also settle for 50 percent of the increase in the value of the home since the couple got married.

The lawsuit also claims that Kouri is entitled to assets from Eric's trust because it was created to provide for her and the couple's three sons.

She argues that this should include any personal property acquired by Eric after the couple's wedding, aside from the assets outlined in the prenup.

In the lawsuit, Kouri also alleged that Eric transferred the home into the trust without her permission.

Katie Richins, Eric's sister and the representative of his estate, has taken the position that Kouri should not receive these assets, KUCW reported.

She has filed a petition to have Kouri disqualified from the estate due to the alleged homicide, but that can't move forward unless she's convicted.