"An autopsy report of the female partner showed that her immediate cause of death was a drug poisoning from an overdose of oxycodone. Further investigation showed that Lisa Darden had been named as the beneficiary of her partner’s estate," says affidavit.
A newly unsealed search warrant in the Kouri Richins case reveals that the Utah murder suspect's mother also had a partner die of a drug overdose.
Sixteen years before Richins' husband Eric Richins died from an overdose of fentanyl, the woman who was in a relationship with Richins' mother, Lisa Darden, died "unexpectedly" from drug poisoning, according to the police affidavit submitted as part of that warrant obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
"An autopsy report of the female partner showed that her immediate cause of death was a drug poisoning from an overdose of oxycodone," the affidavit says. "Further investigation showed that Lisa Darden had been named as the beneficiary of her partner’s estate a short time before her death."
The affidavit says that the deceased "did have current prescriptions for oxycodone and reportedly struggled with abusing her meds," but Det. Jeff O'Driscoll of the Summitt County Sheriff's Office writes that she "was not in a state of recovery from addiction" at the time, which he believes "would likely rule out the possibility of an accidental overdose."
O'Driscoll then notes in the affidavit that Richins is "very close" to Darden and communicates with her almost daily, both for personal matters and in her business dealings.
"Conversations have been found on Kouri's phone showing disdain for Eric on Lisa's part," writes Det. O'Driscoll. "Based on Lisa Darden’s proximity to her partner’s suspicious overdose death, and her relationship with Kouri, it is possible she was involved in planning and orchestrating Eric’s death."
The affidavit then closes out with O'Driscollll asking that the judge sign off on the warrant allowing police to search the digital contents of a cell phone police recovered during a search of Darden's home.
It is not clear what became of that warrant. Darden has not been arrested or charged with any crime in relation to her partner's death in 2006 or the death of her daughter's husband from a drug overdose.
Richins' lawyer Skye Lazarro says in a lengthy statement that any suggestion that Darden played a role in the death of her daughter's husband or her former partner is "nothing more than a baseless conspiracy theory."
Lazarro also says that "opioid addiction and fentanyl overdose is a rampant problem throughout the country.".
"The fact that Ms. Darden’s significant other was one of the millions that suffered from, and ultimately succumbed to, opioid addiction is hardly 'suspicious.' It is tragic, and unfortunately, quite common," Lazarro says.
"The fact that Ms. Darden was the beneficiary of her romantic partner’s life insurance policy is also not unique," she continues. "It only demonstrates that her circumstances are no different than most families in America. To suggest otherwise is nothing more than a baseless conspiracy theory."
Greg Skordas, a spokesperson for the family of Eric Richins, released a statement to KUTV after the unsealing of this search warrant, saying: "It makes it more likely that Kouri could have said yes that that's something that occurs once before, it worked, let's try it again."
Richins is currently behind bars in Utah after a judge denied her request for pre-trial release ahead of her murder trial later this year.
She is accused of killing her husband, Eric, with a fatal dose of fentanyl. Richins is charged with aggravated murder and three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. She has entered a plea of not guilty to all these charges.
A warrant obtained by Inside Edition Digital alleges that Richins initially told officers she brought her husband a Moscow mule in bed to celebrate the fact that the couple had closed on the house on March 4, 2022, and then went to sleep with one of their three sons because he was having a "night terror."
She said that when she returned to her bedroom her husband was cold to the touch, according to the warrant.
The warrant says that investigators became suspicious when a search of her phone allegedly showed movement during the time Richins claimed to be sleeping in her son's bed. The search also allegedly revealed that text messages had been deleted from the device.
Richins went ahead and signed the papers for the new home the next day, then threw a party to celebrate. Richins later went on to write a children's book about grief, which included an illustration of her husband with angel wings on the cover.
Investigators eventually determined that Eric's death had been caused by a fatal dose of fentanyl that was "ingested orally," according to the warrant.
"He expressed to some of his family members that 'If something ever did happen to him, that [Richins] should be investigated,'" Skordas previously told Inside Edition Digital.
Police believe that may have been the result of a previous attempt on his life.
The warrant alleges that Richins had purchased fatal quantities of hydrocodone and fentanyl before she purchased the fentanyl she allegedly used to spike her husband's drink on the night of his death.
An acquaintance of Richins told police that after she requested "some of that Michael Jackson stuff," he provided her with $900 worth of fentanyl twice in February 2022.
On Feb. 11, 2022, police say Richins procured between 15 to 30 pills from the dealer.
"Three days later, on February 14, 2022, Eric and the defendant had a Valentine’s Day dinner at their Kamas home," the warrant alleges. "Shortly after the dinner, Eric became very ill. Eric believed that he had been poisoned. Eric told a friend that he thought his wife was trying to poison him."
Richins allegedly received the second batch of the drugs on Feb. 26, 2022, according to the warrant. Eric died on March 4, 2022. Deputies arrested Richins on May 8 after a lengthy investigation.
A judge denied her pretrial release after prosecutors argued the widow and mother of three posed a "substantial danger."
As proof of that "danger," prosecutors noted a jailhouse conversation in which Richins' mother noted that the only person she is a "danger" to is her sister-in-law. Richins responded by laughing at the comment and agreeing with her mother, according to the prosecutor's motion.
Richins and her sister-in-law have both sued one another over access to Eric's estate.
