PARK CITY, Utah — The murder trial of Kouri Richins is entering its third week, with Cody Wright, Eric Richins' business partner, being called first to the stand.
Watch Live: Trial against Kouri Richins enters third week
Before Wright began his testimony, the prosecution showed a video to the jury that was taken on March 5, 2022, that showed Kouri celebrating and drinking with friends hours after she allegedly poisoned her husband the day before.
During his testimony, Wright said he and Eric's shared company provided a $200,000 loan to assist Kouri's reality business. In January 2022, he was told that beneficiaries to his life insurance police had been charged, although he claimed not to have done so and never observed Eric making those changes.
Wright said that during a Valentine's Day 2022 phone call from Eric, he could hear fear in his business partner's voice. He testified that the only other time he had heard the same urgency and fear from Eric was when he called to say his mother had passed away and when he was in a car accident.
During cross-examination, Wright was asked about when he told law enforcement about a hunting violation committed by Eric, which Wright acknowledged was upsetting for Eric. In re-examination, the prosecution asked if it was hard to tell the truth about Eric regarding the hunting violation. Wright shared that it was hard, but that telling the truth was the right thing to do.
When asked by the prosecution why he went to court hearings with the Richins' family after Eric's death, Wright answered, "I love the Richins. I loved Eric; he was one of my best friends, and I want to be a support where I can."
