Share and Follow

Kouri Richins’ brother DJ is speaking out to say that he believes his sister is innocent after she was accused of fatally poisoning her husband before writing a children’s book about grief.

“We know Kouri’s innocent, and all that’s going to come out in court. And I think that’s going to shock people,” DJ told ABC News’ Good Morning America.

Richins, 33, was arrested in May on a series of charges, including first-degree aggravated murder, in connection with the sudden death of her husband, 39-year-old Eric Richins.

RELATED: Kouri Richins Says Letter Found in Her Cell Isn’t Proof of Witness Tampering, But Part of Book She’s Writing

“When I got the news that Eric had died, I broke down into tears,” DJ said. “He was a good guy.”   

“But it’s my sister, I knew Eric, she didn’t do this,” he added.

Eric was pronounced dead on March 4, 2022, when emergency service workers found him unresponsive at the foot of the couple’s bed at their home in Kamas, Utah. Prosecutors have accused Richins of giving her husband a Moscow Mule containing five times the lethal dose of fentanyl the night before, allegedly trying to make his death seem like an accident.

Earlier this month, prosecutors accused the Utah mom of witness tampering based on the contents of a six-page letter found in her Summit County Jail cell, which has since been filed into evidence.

The letter, obtained by People, was allegedly addressed to Richins’ mother, Lisa Darden, directing her brother, Ronald Darden, to falsely testify that Richins late husband obtained drugs from Mexico before his death.

Richins’ defense team filed a motion stating that the State of Utah violated a gag order by filing the letter.

RELATED: Grief Book Author Charged with Poisoning Husband Accused of Witness Tampering after Letter Found in Jail Cell

In a jailhouse call with her mother on September 16 —  the day after the state filed its motion regarding the letter — Richins claimed that the note was not intended for her mom, but was actually a part of “this fictional mystery book” that she has been writing.

“Those papers were not a letter to you guys, they were a part of a freaking book,” Richins allegedly said during the call. 

Richins wrote a children’s book dealing with the grief that comes after losing a loved one, which was published a year after Eric’s death.

In his interview with Good Morning America, DJ described his sister as a “great” mom to the three children she shared with her late husband. He claimed that, before Eric died, he believed his sister and her husband were “in the best place they’ve ever been.”

RELATED: Grief Book Author Accused of Fatally Poisoning Husband With Fentanyl-Laced Cocktail Won’t Face Death Penalty

DJ also accused prison authorities of giving Richins the wrong medicine so they could search her jail cell when she was not in it. He said authorities gave her the wrong meds six times. “One time is an accident. Two times is incompetence,” DJ told ABC News. “Six times is — looks like it’s on purpose.”

Her lawyer added that the letter was marked “attorney-client privilege” and should not have been opened.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Gainesville Woman’s $10k Insurance Fraud Scheme Unraveled: Justice Finally Served

Report by Staff GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On Friday, authorities took Chloe English…

Mother of Missing Melodee Buzzard Reveals Startling Zoo Encounter: Claims Handing Over Daughter to Unknown Couple

Fresh insights have surfaced regarding the disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard from…

Florida Teens Accused in Gruesome Classmate Murder and Arson Case

Authorities in Florida have taken two teenage boys into custody, charging them…

Intensified Hunt for Missing College Student: Authorities Focus on Mysterious Woodland Disappearance

Authorities in New Jersey have escalated their efforts to locate a man…

Shocking Crime: Couple Commits Murder With Babies Present, Investigation Underway

Left: Jaimen Tisdale. Right: Mariah McAteer (Charleston County Jail). A couple from…

Challenges Mount for Trump’s DOJ in Renewed Efforts to Indict James Comey

Left: President Donald Trump walks to board Air Force One at Naval…

Explosive FBI Firing Lawsuit: George Floyd’s Impact on High-Stakes Case Against Bondi and Patel

Left: George Floyd in a picture provided by his family”s attorney (Ben…

Tragic Incident: Mother Charged After 6-Year-Old Son Dies from Cold Shower Punishment

Left: Jannie Perry (Lake County Jail). Background: Damari Perry (North Chicago Police…