SENTENCING: UT v. Kouri Richins | Grief Author Murder Trial

Case number 23150139, the state of Utah versus Corey Ridgens.Can I have counsel for the state make their appearance?Good morning, Your Honor.Brad Bloodworth, Lindsay Scherbenack, and Margaret Olsen for the state.Thank you.And for the defense?

Wendy Lewis, Catherine Nestor, and Alex Ramos for the defendant who is present.Very good.This is the time set for sentencing.The court plans to proceed as follows.First, I need to address three administrative matters, the setting of a restitution hearing, which the court proposes would include discussion of the state's request for recoupment of defense costs at that time, the state's request for a continuous protective order, and any alleged inaccuracies in the precepts and decrees.report.

Second, I'd like to hear from counsel for the state and from those who wish to present a victim impact statement.Third, I'd like to hear from defense counsel and those that defendant desires to present information regarding the appropriate sentence.And finally, the court is rich and it's an opportunity to speak if she so chooses.Any objections, Mr. Bloor?No, Your Honor.I have one other housekeeping matter if I may.

Please.Your Honor, the defendant previously waived the jury as it relates to the domestic violence fine.I cannot recall, if I have the record, whether or not the court has actually made that fine.I would ask the court to do that.I can't recall whether there was a stipulation about their status as cohabitants made on the record during trial.That's the issue.

Right.And I think that...It doesn't impact the decisions today, it just impacts the record for any future offense that might be committed by this person.That is correct.Right.Your Honor, the one thing, it will affect the analysis as it relates to a continuous protection.

Understood.No, I understand your position.Yeah.Yeah, and I do believe we put that on the record during the jury instruction conference.OK.We discussed specifically the cohabitant issue, and you got us to make a statement on the record.

OK.Very good.So I think there's a stipulation among counsel that the record includes a stipulation of fact recorded for the record that Eric Richens and Corey Richens were cohabitants under Utah law at all relevant times.Anything further, Mr. Bloderman?No, Your Honor.Ms. Nestor, Ms. Lewis, any objection to how the court intends to proceed?

Yes, Your Honor.Okay, fair warning to everyone inside the courtroom.As with the time when the verdict was read, everybody in the courtroom deserves our respect while they are in the courtroom.So there can be no outward reactions to what's said today.This is an emotionally charged situation, reasonably so.But bottom line is, no outward reactions.

If you feel overcome with emotion, please look down.Keep your hands folded in your lap.Moreover, to those that might be coming to the podium to make statements today, please make sure you're addressing me, the court, not other people in the courtroom.You're, of course, allowed to reference other people in the courtroom, but speak to me.All right.Let's talk about setting a restitution.

What makes sense in the state's perspective?Your Honor, the restitution amounts that the state is seeking are well known in the record, or the defendant, are well known in the record.So we can proceed in very short order.I don't know if there's going to be much dispute on the amounts.From the defense team, what makes sense?We need an opportunity to brief the defense team.

these issues and do a little bit of research.We were surprised by some of the requests that came.Yes.So we need to look into that.I know thatI'm going to be out of town the first two weeks of June.

I'm going to be out of the country.So if we could do it before or after, that would be helpful.After would work far better for me.OK, same.So other than that.Brittany, what would you recommend?

Is there an afternoon in which we don't have a ton of stuff said?Yesterday afternoon of July 10.Ms. Lewis will be out of town, and that is the week we are doing the preliminary hearing in my case that you talked about.Understood.All right, we'll say 1 30 p .m.

on July 31 is necessary.Would you like to appear in person or by phone?of extension?In person, Your Honor.All right.We'll set a restitution hearing to include a discussion of the state's arguments regarding recoupment as made in their sentencing memorandum on July 31, 1 .30 p .

m.in person.Okay, anything further on that, Mr. Blood?No, Your Honor.Ms. Nester?Yes, sir.

Pardon?Mr. Blood, the state's request for a continuous protective order.I looked hard at this.Let me relate some of my concerns and have you respond to them, and then we can go from there.I looked at this case as cited by the state.I looked at the statute, considering the absurdity doctrine.

It seems to me that the legislature has adopted a policy where a convicted person's First Amendment rights are reasonably restricted in domestic violence cases to prevent the survivor of domestic violence are being re -victimized by contact, either direct or indirect, by the convicted perpetrator.And it seems that the legislature has recognized that a survivor of domestic violence can be re -victimized by the perpetrator contacting their family members or other household.The statute contemplates that.But here, or in a situation like this, where the Domestic Violence Act does not have a survivor, rather it has a decedent.It seems from the face of the statute and other statutes involving criminal actions causing death that the legislature has workedto the First Amendment being the baseline and also that there are other remedies available to the family members of that deceit such as stalking objections if they are Receiving contact that Constitutes a course of conduct that would cause an objectively reasonable person to suffer emotional stress Moreover, the juvenile court has tremendous authority to determine whether and how much, if any, contact a parent in this situation should have with the children of the decedent.

I'm not sure that I have the authority to enter a continuous protective order in this case.I acknowledge this may not be what the legislature intended, but maybe they didn't see around this corner when passing the statute in.I appreciate the state's position that maybe they should take a hard look at it, but the act says what it says to respond to that.Your Honor, the state questions the court's kind of read in the act, and when the court relates members of the victim's, you know, any harm to members of the victim's family relating back to the harm to the victim, causing the victim harm, I think the plain read of the statute is, and it's 78 Bravo dash 7 dash 8 0 4 3 D 5 necessary to fully protect the victim and members of the victim's family.Correct.The claimant.

of that sentence, your honor, does not say that the protection for the members of the victim's family does not, it does not relate back.It is a separate clause.It does not relate back to protection of the victim.And I think within the scheme of this, the statute, the legislature envisions protection for the victim, separately protection for the victim's family as an option of this court.And I think that's kind of consistent.This section's odd.

I think it's subsection B, which has a preamble on legislative intent.And I think consistent with that preamble on legislative intent, is the legislature's grant of this court, any court, authority to protect the victim's family under the statute as well, because of the innate nature of domestic violent crime.An argument the state didn't make, maybe because it just doesn't believe in it, but it seems that a strict reading of the statute would say, I'm required to enter the continuous protective order instead of hearing, and then let the defendant make the argument that.Your Honor, procedurally, I think that's right, because of the thresholding query of whether or not the victim, the student in this case, reasonably apprehends a harm.Right.Practically, though.

But practically, I don't know that.I mean, it seems to me, it's state brief, that that is evident.A student cannot reasonably apprehend a harm.Let me hear from the defense counsel for a moment.Yes.Yeah, we agree with you.

court's original statements.We think this request for a continuous protective order is outside the purview of the statute.It's outside this court's authority.We believe it violates her First Amendment right.If these communications are not threatening, this would basically mean she could never send her sons a birthday card, a Christmas card, any type of communication.We'll pause there for a minute.

Let's take the three boys out of it, because there's a whole separate set of concerns there, given that her parental rights have not been terminated.Right.And I don't have authority to do it.Correct.Jubal Court does.But if we would talk just for the moment about the adult family members of Erin Richards.

It would mean that she could never reach out to them.Well, and that could create problems if they're the guardians of her children, and there's an issue, if she is given any type of parental input to major life decisions, to medical care, to anything like that, that she would not be able to communicate would be problematic.She has no intention of communicating with them outside of matters that have to do directly with the children.I also think this, you said you're setting the boys aside, so my other arguments, I'll deal with them.But as far as As far as I can see, there's another courtroom where this could happen, there's another venue under which this could happen, and this is not the appropriate place to do it.All right, Mr. Bloodworth, any additional thoughts regarding the state's request for a continuous protection order?

No, Your Honor.Full transparency.I don't like the result.But under this court's reading of Utah Code 78B -7804, subsection 3, court determines as a matter of law that it cannot issue a continuous protective order in this case, because it is evident that the victim of the domestic violence charges, in this case for which Ms. Richards was convicted, cannot possibly have a reasonable fear of future harm or abuse.It very well may be that this is not the result the legislature intended.And I would encourage the legislature to take a hard look at 78B 7804 subsection 3.

to fill this gap explicitly.But they haven't done it yet.They know how to do it.And the court is not persuaded that this result is so far outside of what they could have possibly intended, given the overlay of the First Amendment, that the absurdity doctrine requires a different result.And so the court hopes the legislature will make a legislative change.that would provide protections for the members of the family of a deceit in an aggravated murder case like this.

They haven't done it yet.The court simply, in my view, does not have the authority to issue a continuous protective order against them.In so ruling, the court expresses no opinion whatsoever, one way or the other, as to whether Eric Rich and his family members might qualify for issuance of a stocking injunction in the future and expresses no opinion one way or the other as to whether the juvenile court will put in place restrictions regarding Ms. Rich's communications with her three boys.Anything further on that, Ms. McCormick?No, Your Honor.Ms. Nesbitt?

No, Your Honor.OK.Ms. Nesbitt, may I ask you a couple of questions regarding the pre -sentence investigation report?Yes, sir.Have you had a chance to review it?We have, Your Honor.

Have you had a chance to review it with Ms. Ritchie?We have, Your Honor.Okay.Are there any inaccuracies in the PSR that we need to address?We submit there are inaccuracies.They're all related to the factual recitations which this court presided over the trial and is very familiar with.

We have confidence the court remembers what happened at trial and remembers what was presented and we would submit.Okay.For the purpose of today's hearing, To the extent there are any factual inaccuracies in the recent investigation report regarding the factual background of this case, the court determines that those factual inaccuracies are not relevant to the court's sentencing decision and do not affect the court's decision regarding the appropriate sentence one way or the other.Anything further on that, Ms. Messer?No, Your Honor.Okay.

Mr. Blutter, how would you like to proceed?Your Honor, the state is prepared to present.Please.Your Honor, on Valentine's Day 2022, Cori Darden Richens tried and failed to murder her husband and the father of her three young children, Eric Richens.Over the next 17 days, she did not think, what have I done?Rather, she thought, how can I do better?

And then she murdered Eric in the presence of their children, using poison and for money.Such a person should never again lurk among the rest of us.Her children should never worry that they may one day encounter her.For these reasons, the reasons set forth in the state's sentencing memorandum, and the boundless reasons the court has learned from presiding over this case, the pending criminal case, and the multiple associated civil cases, the state requests that the court impose a sentence of life in prison without parole on count one, 5 years to life in prison consecutive to any other sentence on count 2, 1 to 15 years in prison consecutive to any other sentence on counts 3 and 4, and 1 to 5 years in prison consecutive to any other sentence on count 5.Furthermore, the state requests that the court order the defendant to pay restitution to auto owner's insurance company in the amount$1 ,017 ,018.

And True Stage Insurance Company in the amount of $352 ,562.State request that the court order the defendant to pay recoupment to Summit County in the amount of $1 ,391 ,943.Cory Darden Richens earned this sentence.Her children deserve it.Only this court can order it.The court's time this morning is best spent hearing from a few of Cory Darden Richens' victims.

Fathers are not meant to bury sons.Gene Richens will present his victim impact statement first.Losing a sibling is losing a piece of yourself.Katie Richens Benson, Clint Benson, and Dr. Amy Richens will then present their victim impact statements.There are no greater victims in this case than Eric's three young boys.The defendant took both of their parents from them.

Jessica Black, who is Weston's counselor, Christina Greening, who is Ashton's counselor, and Sarah Barger, who is Carter's counselor, will then present the boys' victim impact statements.Your Honor, Gene Richards.Your Honor, my name is Gene Richards.I'm Eric's father.No parent should ever have to bury their child.It's a loss that changes you forever.

Eric was taken from us way too soon, and his loss has left a permanent hole in our family that will never be filled, ever.Eric was first and foremost an incredible father.to his three boys, Carter, Ashton, and Wes.His sons were his world, and he was theirs also.They didn't just see him as a dad.They saw him as their best friend, their coach, their mentor, their protector.

He was present in every part of their lives, whether it was soccer, baseball, basketball, or any activity that they were involved in.Eric was there coaching, encouraging, and supporting not only his own boys, but every child on the team.Eric didn't just coach sports.He built confidence.He built character and friendships.He gave his time freely because he cared deeply about helping young people grow into strong, kind, and capable individuals.

The impact Eric had on these children and familiescontinues even now.On the soccer team that he coached, before every game, the players gathered and called out a cheer.For many teams, it might be something ordinary.But for Eric's team, even four years after his death, they still break the huddle with the words, one, two, three, Eric.That simple cheer.

speaks volumes about a man he was and the lasting imprint that he left upon young lives in this community.He was a light to his sons, to the boys he coached, and to our entire community.A light that was taken far too soon.Eric was only 39 years old.As his father, I miss him every day.I miss our conversations.

I miss watching him grow into a man I was so proud of.One of the greatest joys of my life was seeing the kind of father he had become.Eric was patient, loving, dedicated, and fully present in his boys' lives.Watching him raise his sons with such care and devotion was incredibly meaningful to me.Eric was also an amazing brother to two sisters, a loving uncle, nephew, cousin, and loyal friend.He was a trusted business partner, a valued colleague, and a respected member of our community.

He was generous with his time, his energy, and kindness.He treated people with respect, showed gratitude even for the smallest acts of kindness, and gave freely of himself because that's simply what he did.was.He worked hard to provide a beautiful life for his family.He gave them a home many would consider a dream.He ensured their needs were met, supported them, cared for them, and treated his wife with love every day.

Yet despite everything he gave, his life was taken from him, not by a stranger, But by a person he should have been able to trust the very most in his life.He was betrayed in the most imaginable way possible.His life was taken through calculated, intentional actions motivated by the greed, control, and desire for a different life with someone else.Eric's boys lost a father.I lost my son.His sisters lost their brother.

Our family lost a man who represented the very best of what a person can be.The ripple effects of this loss extend far beyond our immediate family.His friends lost someone they trusted and admired.The children he coached lost a mentor, a role model.Our community lost someone who genuinely cared and gave back without expecting anything in return.Eric will never see his boys graduate, get married, or become fathers themselves.

He will never, again, stand on the sidelines cheering them on.He will never offer guidance, encouragement, or love in any way that only a father can.That opportunity was stolen from him and from all of us.Because of the calculated and intentional nature of this crime, I respectfully ask the court to impose a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.This sentence is important to Eric's three sons, never have, to live with the fear that the person responsible for taking their father could ever harm them again, and to ensure she can never harm anyone else ever again.Despite our immense grief, I want to acknowledge and thank those who have worked tirelessly to bring justice for my son.

Eric was always grateful for others, showed kindness and dedication, and I know he would want to express sincere appreciation to those who gave their time, effort, and professionalism to seek the truth in this case.We are deeply thankful to the prosecution team, Margaret, Brad, Lindsay, Fred, Joe, Wendy, Patricia, and the entire staff who supported them for their commitment and and their professors.We also want to recognize and thank Todd for his dedication and relentless efforts in helping us ensure justice has been served.We are also grateful to Grace Gortys for serving as a spokesperson and an advocate for our family throughout this process.We thank the Summit County Sheriff's Office, Lieutenant Hemingway, Detective O'Driscoll, Detective Hopper, Officer Woody, Officer Gibson, and all the law enforcement personnel who worked on this investigation.We thank the bailiffs who ensured the safety and the order of this courtroom.

We thank you, your honor, for your patience, professionalism, and stewardship of this process.We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each juror, including the alternates, for their sacrifice and their time.are seriously taking the responsibility to carry it out to ensure justice was served.Nothing can bring Eric back.Nothing can restore what has been taken from his sons, from our family, and from this community.But accountability matters here.

Justice matters.Eric mattered.His life, his love mattered, his example mattered.He will always be remembered as a devoted father, a loving son, a supportive brother, a loyal friend, and a man who made lives of those around him better.We miss him every day and will continue to honor his memory by living with the same kindness and dedication that he showed to everyone fortunate enough to know him.Thank you, Your Honor.

Thank you.I'm Katie.And I'm Eric.sister.To begin, there are a multitude of people who deserve credit and appreciation.Law enforcement agencies across the state of Utah, the Summit County Prosecutor's Office, the Medical Examiner's Office, expert witnesses who worked hand in hand with law enforcement, Eric's friends, Eric's co -workers, my friends and my family, our entire team of lawyers and experts in the civil lawsuit.

There are far too many people to mention by name and I suspect if I try to, I will inadvertently leave someone out.But to all of you, please know that this would not be possible without your efforts.your support and the strength of the community that has stood beside us.Both my family and I are forever grateful to each of you.I am also very grateful to you, your honor, to this court for the dignified manner in which it presided over the trial, and to the members of the jury for faithfully performing their civic duties.Today is Eric's birthday.

I stand before you because he can't.He was taken away from my dad, my sister, his nieces, his friends.our community, and worst of all from his three amazing sons.Sorry.He was taken away from us by a person he should have been able to trust, the person he should have trusted most in the world, his wife.It's impossible to fully describe how devastating Eric's death and Cory's crimes have been to our family.

Nearly every aspect of our lives has been permanently changedwe have no choice but to live with those changes and with Eric's loss forever.Eric was a phenomenal brother, father, son, nephew, grandson, cousin, friend, and businessman.Eric and I were extremely close.We went through school together and navigated life side by side.Where I was usually tagging along right behind.

In school, Eric's nickname was Richie, and mine was Little Richie, a reflection on how inseparable we were.He wasn't just my brother.He was my constant, my protector, and one of my closest friends.Eric was the kind of father who anticipated his children's needs before they ever had to ask.He made sure they were always having fun.taught them how to be respectful and kind, and was constantly planning for their future.

His mind and heart was always on his boys, always.Everything he did was for them.Eric was the very best uncle.He made his nieces, my daughters, feel truly special.He always found ways to have fun with them.He doted on them with love and attention, credible son, always there for my parents, stepping in without hesitation and helping in every way he could.

without being asked.The bond he shared with my mom was truly special.We would often joke that the umbilical cord had never really been cut, but in truth, it spoke to the deep, unbreakable love they have for each other.This is who Eric truly was.A man defined by love, integrity, and unwavering devotion to his family.He is none of the things that Cory tried to portray him as.

Those mischaracterizedwere nothing more than a vile effort to deflect blame.And those mischaracterizations stand in stark contrast to the reality of the man we all knew and loved.Eric's life and his actions and the profound impact he had on those around him speak for themselves.And they tell a story of goodness, strength, and character that cannot be rewritten or diminished.The saddest part for me in all of this is that I got something with Eric that his sons never did.

Time.I feel cheated that I only got to spend a few decades with my brother, but I should feel lucky in comparison.As Eric's eldest son told me shortly after his dad's death, he and his brother should not even get 10 years with their dad.It is devastating that Eric is not here to coach them, to work the family ranch with them, to teach them how to drive, to attend their high school graduation, to send them off to college, to see them get married, or to celebrate the birth of his future grandchildren.His three sons are going to grow up and live nearly their entire lives without their dad.They're going to get to know their dad more from the stories we tell about them than their actual experiences.

In all likelihood, by the time they are each 44 years old, which is how old Eric would be today, they will have little to no actual memories of Eric.And they have to go through life without their dad, because their mother planned and carried out his murder.She could not have done anything more selfish or more cruel to those boys.In the place of a stable, secure, and loving home, Corey gave the boys permanent trauma.They were in the house the night she killed them.father.

They were awake.They knew that something terrible had happened to their dad, as we heard on the 911 call during trial.One of them even walked into Eric's bedroom, where Eric's body lay dead, poisoned by someone who his son should have been able to unconditionally trust, love, and depend on.No child should have to bear that trauma.But Eric's three innocent sons will bear that burden, and they will bear it for the rest of their lives.Cory's selfishness and cruelty did not end with Eric's murder.

In the time after Eric's death, Cory has done nothing but isolate, manipulate, deceive, and do harm to those boys.Almost immediately after Eric died, she cut them off completely from our family, from Eric's family.The isolation was calculated and strategic.Corey used the boys' bargaining chips with my dad.She repeatedly threatened not to let him see his grandsons unless he could convince me, as Eric's trustee, of his trust to capitulate to her legal demands and give her all the trust assets.While isolating the boys, Corey provided them with false and harmful information about me and my family.

When DCFS took custody of the boys following Corey's arrest and asked where they would like to go, they expressed fear of my family.The fear was not based on reality, but on what they had been told.For over a year, Corey led them to believe that I hated them, that I had that I was attempting to take Eric's money for myself, and that I intended for them to be left without support, that they would be homeless and starving.These statements were entirely false, and had no basis in reality.Had they not been subjected to that influence, they would have been homeless.Prior to Eric's death, our families were very close.

My daughters and his sons had strong friendships, and I had a meaningful individual relationship with each of my nephews.I spent time riding horses with one, helping another identify summer coding programs, and the youngest participated in ice skating lessons with my daughters.Our families shared holidays.worked together on our family ranch, took trips together, and I was present the day each of the boys were born in the hospital.The boys have expressed their confusion about these circumstances.They have stated that prior to their father's passing, both Eric and Cory frequently told them if anything were to happen, they should go with me, that I would care for them and support them.

Following Eric's death, however, those messages changed.After Eric passed away, Cori prevented all contact between our family and the boys.She prohibited communication and continued to provide them with false information about us.When we were finally able to see the boys again, approximately 15 months after Eric's death, the boys hardly recognized the relationship we had.Instead, they viewed my family and me with fear and hesitation, as though we were strangers.Also went to great lengths to jeopardize the boys' financial futures.

I know you are very aware of this.Among other things, she drained the personal bank accounts that Eric had set up for his boys as college funds.She allowed the boys social security survivor benefits to be funneled to individuals who were not taking care of the boys.And she sued me in my role as Eric's trustee and personal representative, not once, not twice, but three separate times.The goal of her lawsuits is singular.She wants all of Earth.

assets for herself.Despite her wise and fanciful public portrayal, she knows that none of Eric's assets are going to me, my dad, or my sister.In fact, she knows exactly where Eric wanted everything to go, and that is to his voice.And yet, for four years, she has aggressively tried to take their inheritance from them.Even now, despite her erroneous debt, a murder conviction, and a string of pending felony financial charges, Corey's civil lawsuits live on.Those lawsuits have been emotionally grueling, all -consuming, and unimaginably expensive.

And tragically, every dollar on those suits is a dollar that Eric's boys will not get.Of course, Cory can't have other people or the public thinking that she's trying to take away her children's inheritance.So for the past four years, both in court and in the media, she has demonized and vilified me.She has hurled wild accusations in my direction, including that I hacked her bank accounts, forged her bank statements, paid off witnesses, unduly pressured law enforcement into investigating her, and quietly pulled the Summit County prosecutor strings.It is despicable.that for doing nothing more than trying to honor Eric's wishes, Cory has cast me as the evil doer here.

Just as bad, honoring Eric's wishes has landed my sister, and myself, and unbelievably, my two daughters in Cory's crosshairs.One of Eric's sons recently told me that Cory used to say, I will get them one day.Apparently she was talking about me, my sister, and my daughters.Her infamous walk the dog letter, a part the jury didn't like,confirms her desire to harm me.In it, she talks at length about her plans to get at Amy and me, including by targeting my daughters, both of whom are under the age of 10.

It takes a sick mind to target children.The mere thought that someone who has so little regard for human life or decency might one day walk free is horrifying.I worry about the safety of Eric's boys, my daughters, my sister, and myself.There is nothing Cory will not do and no one she will not hurt to achieve her own selfish ends.I am not the only one that is afraid.There are three little boys who, instead of fearing those who love and adore them as Cory would prefer, worry constantly, constantly that Cory might show up one day and take them away.

Eric's sons deserve so much better.They are not bargaining chips.They are not cash cows.They are not props for some twisted children's book about grief and loss.And yet, that is what they've been reduced to by Cory.To my unending sadness and horror, Eric himself understood all too well the danger she posed to his children and to his family.

When Eric told me he had changed his estate planning, and appointed me as his trustee and personal representative.I begged him to end the marriage and go his separate way.By that point, he had already consulted with a divorce attorney and was deeply afraid that he might not be awarded sole custody.of his children.He made the heartbreaking decision to stay because he could not accept the risk of what might happen to his sons if Cory had equal custody.He told me he would live his life through hell every single day of his life until his youngest was 18 because he believed Cory was the most evil person he had ever met.

He knew that his sons did not like her.He told me as much many times.He knew that they would prefer to be far away from her, but he also knew that divorce carried significant risks.And he said he could never allow his children to spend half of their time alone with her because he was certain they would be exposed to harm and things no child should ever experience.He made it clear that in his mind, if Corey were given equal and equal custody, his children would be in the care of someone he believed to be deeply dangerous.He feared the people they could be exposed to and the damage that could be done.

At the same time, he spoke with deep love and admiration for his boys.He told me that they were the most amazing boys in the world, and that none of this was their choice, and none of it was their fault, and that he would do everything in his power to protect them for as long as he possibly could.Corey loves to go on and on about how this case is a media sensation.She's right.News outlets from here to Europe have covered it.There have been countless newspaper articles, podcasts, and TV specials about it.

Every hearing is live streamed on numerous YouTube channels.Every filing is scrutinized by internet lawyers and true crime junkies.There is no questionthat this case is famous and that Corey is now famous.But what Corey never mentions in talking about her fame and notoriety are the reasons why this case is now famous.It is famous for how appalling and sickening it is.

It is famous because a mother meticulously planned to kill her husband, killed him while their children were sleeping in the next room, and then had the audacity to hold herself out as the author of a children's book about grief and loss.It is famous because she spent time googling luxury prisons for the rich in America.It is famous because from her jail cell, she scripted a bunch of phony testimony so that her brother could perpetrate a fraud on the court.It is famous because she victimized her own children and threatened to victimize Eric's nieces.The fame and attention are directly proportional to the evil that has gone on here.This is not a situation where we should where the idea of rehabilitation should be entertained.

In taking Eric's life for her own selfish gain, Cory did not only harm Eric, she permanently harmed three kids who were under the age of 10.She took away a dad, a son, a brother, an uncle, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin, and a friend.Eric's death has caused immeasurable pain to so many.Obviously, there's nothing the court can do about that.and you cannot bring him back.But what you can do is give Cory's victims at least some measure of closure.

To that end, I ask that the court impose a sentence that ensures Cory never has the opportunity to harm Eric's children or our family again.Please do not let my brother's life be worth nothing more than a 25 -year punishment.Please do not leave those boys to wonder whether Cory might track them or their children down in the future.Please do not create a possibility for Cory to endanger Eric's boys, my daughters, my family, or anyone else ever again.Please sentence Cory to a life in prison without the possibility of parole.Thank you.

Thank you.Hello, Your Honor.My name is Clint Benson.I'm Katie's husband and Eric's brother -in -law.Eric was an innocent man, a devoted father, and someone whose life revolved around his children and his family.Because of Corey's choices, he never had the opportunity to say goodbye to his children, to reassure them, to share the final moments every family deserves.

That loss cannot be measured.His children will spend the rest of their lives carrying the pain of a father taken from them far too soon.What makes this tragedy even more painful is the calculated nature of the crime.This was not a momentary mistake, a lapse in judgment, or a crime of passion.It involved planning, preparation, testing, and deliberate action.Eric's death was carried out in a way that caused fear, suffering, and helplessness.

Corey either watched or sat by as Eric succumbed to fentanyl poisoning instead of providing any kind of aid to him.She was fantasizing about a dream life funded by Eric's death.Eric was killed in his home by a traitor sleeping next to him in one of the most cowardlyimaginable.We are profoundly grateful to every investigator, prosecutor, detective, law enforcement officer, juror, judge, forensic expert, and public servant who worked tirelessly and honestly to uncover the truth.Their dedication ensured that Eric's voice was not lost and that justice could still prevail.

We are equally grateful for the incredible community surrounding us.This community has shown unwavering support and has been there for Eric's boys without judgment and through some of the most difficult times to manage.The boys are succeeding and thriving because of the people around them who continue to provide support and look out for their safety.Going through every aspect of this murder easily led to a dark place while fighting against an individual focused on only chaos and vengeance.However, the people surrounding us, including the sheriffs, officers, principals, teachers, school staff, coaches, counselors, neighbors, and church members, created an unbreakable force for what is good, just, and right.No sentence can bring Eric back.

No outcome will erase the suffering caused by these actions.But accountability matters, truth matters, and justice matters.Corey continues to shirk responsibility for her actions, for the pain she has caused, and for the resources she has squandered, both Eric's and the state's.Even after everything that has been revealed, Corey has demonstrated zero genuine accountability or remorse for the devastation she has left behind.Instead, she has repeatedly attempted to distort the truth, create false narratives, and portray herself as the victim.She has used the legal system as part of her schemes.

There has been lawsuit after lawsuit, motion after motion, delay after delay, all in an effort to blame, to shift blame away from the person responsible.The evidence, the truth, and the outcome of this case all tell a very different story.What is especially concerning is the continued hostility from Cory and her family, as well as their desire for vengeance directed towards our family, a family already devastated by an unimaginable loss.Statements they have made about going to war and getting the riches demonstrate an ongoing mindset rooted in blame, anger, and retaliation, rather than remorse or acceptance of responsibility.Corey will continue to try to convince the public that she was a good mother through media outlets that she was not to research or report on the countless motions and facts presented in this case or other cases, but instead simply regurgitate the false narratives of a sick and evil person.Corey and her family continue to plan media campaigns focused on lies, targeting anyone foolish enough to spend time listening to them.

Corey is not before this court because she was mistreated, because she's a victim, or because the Richens family manufactured a false narrative that she and the Darden family would like to portray.She is before this court because of the choices she has made, choices that resulted in Eric's death and permanent trauma to anyone who has loved him.Corey chose pride, seeking to project an image of success, Cory chose adultery and lust, prioritizing her secret lover over her husband and her children.Cory chose fraud and greed, hoping to profit from Eric's death.Cory chose murder, and she continues to choose vengeance against the victims of her actions.The time for Cory to make choices is at an end.

Now it is time for her victims to choose.Please let Eric's children have a chance to choose.choose lifelong peace, comfort, security, success, and happiness.I ask this court to impose a sentence of life without parole, a sentence that truly reflects the gravity of this crime, the irreversible harm caused to our family, and the calculated choices that led to Eric's death.Thank you.Today, I'm here to speak as a victim and to speak for Eric because he no longer has a voice.

I addressed this court in 2023, when we were living in a state of visceral shock.Now, three years later, we are here at sentencing on a date that carries a weight I can barely describe, today's Eric's 44th birthday.Birthdays are supposed to be proof of life, a date to celebrate another year of growth.Today is a cruel reminder of another year Eric will never see, and a reminder of the fatherhood that was stolen from his three sons.Before I talk about what this crime has done, I need you to know who Eric was, not as a headline, but as a person.Over the course of this trial, so many people described Eric in strikingly similar ways.

They called him outgoing, confident, funny, competitive, dependable,driven, and fiercely loyal.He was a leader, a hard worker, a rancher, a businessman, a coach, a best friend, a brother, a son.But more than anything, people described him as a phenomenal father.Eric had three sons, and he coached many of their sports teams.He was the kind of dad who showed up not just for his own children, but for everyone around them.

Sometimes I think about all the children who lost him too.the kids he coached, mentored, and believed in.I cannot imagine the confusion and heartbreak they felt when someone who had become such a steady and trusted part of their lives was suddenly gone.Eric was a real person, a deeply loved person, and the loss of him echoes through every life he touched.On my 16th birthday, I was sitting in my 10th grade English class when I got a text from Eric that said, come outside.I walked out, and there was Eric, standing with flowers and that mischievous grin.

We all knew.I asked what he was doing there, and he just said, let's go.We've got to get a little mud on your tires.I had just bought my first truck.I used Ford F -150.Eric took me up into the mountains, and we took that truck off -roading for the first time.

It was exhilarating and terrifying, but I felt safe because he was there.That was Eric.He made life bigger.He made people feel brave, and he protected the people he loved.That is the brother I lost, and that is the father his boys lost.In 2023, I told this court that I was 24 years old.

sequence of events of that night.Today, that torment has not faded.I still wonder when Eric realized he was in mortal danger.I wonder what Corey said to him in his last moments.I'm still haunted by the question, did his boys hear their father's final struggle?If Eric had died of an illness, we would have cared for him.

If it were an accident, there would have been kindness.But there is no comfort here.In his last moments after being intentionally poisoned, my brother was faced with the ultimate betrayal.Eric's sons were 9, 7, and 5 when their world was shattered.They are now 13, 11, and 9.These are the years when a boy learns how to be a man by watching his father.

What makes this crime uniquely heinous is that their grief will never pass.It will reinvent itself at every milestone.This crime didn't just happen once.It happens every single morning when those boys wake up and realize their father is still gone.They did not just lose their father, they lost the life they knew.Eric's death didn't end the harm.

It began a grinding process of re -traumatization.Early in this process, I remember being told this case would be a marathon, not a sprint.We did not understand how every hearing, filing, delay, and public narrative would reopen wounds all over again.As if losing Eric was not painful enough, our family was then forced to grieve under public scrutiny.After the publication of the grief book, our family became the subject of public narratives, attacks, and speculation.At one point, I received a message sent from a burner phone that said, you think you're funny?

Cory will get the last laugh.Your jealousy is as disgusting as your family.Law enforcement later confirmed through warrants that the message came from Cory.That moment stayed with me because it captured what these years have felt like, not just grief, but intimidation and distortion.Yes, our family hired a private investigator.But when someone you love dies suddenly and deep in your gut, you believe something is terribly wrong.

You do not stop searching for answers.The real question is not, why would you investigate?The real question is, what wouldn't you do?What wouldn't you do for your brother, for the truth?I also feel compelled to address the emotional toll of the trial itself.As a designated victim representative, and more importantly as Eric's sister, I have a right to be present in the courtroom, yet during the proceedings, I was essentially kept in the dark.

Due to the courtroom layout, I could not see the exhibits or the evidence.When we requested simple accommodation, we were told that the trial was being broadcast on court TV and I could excuse myself and watch from home with the rest of the world.Being told that my right to be here was interchangeable with a television broadcast was a profound violation.I did not want to watch Eric's life and death as content from my couch.I didn't want to go home after a grueling day and listen and watch it again.all over again.

I had a right to be here, to face the evidence directly.Still, to this day, I have not been able to rewatch the trial because it's so time consuming and painful to relive.I still have not seen all the evidence that was presented.Your Honor, I need to say this clearly.Someday, those boys will grow up and look back at the records of this trial.I need the truth to be the only thing they find.

The claims made against Eric's character were not just legal defenses, they were acts of secondary violence.Eric was a protector, not predator.These lies were a desperate attempt to justify the unjustifiable, and they have added a layer of cruelty to our grief that is nearly impossible to bear.I also need to correct the record on a few misrepresentations.First, the prenup.It was provided well before the wedding, not in a last minute way.

Second, The incident between Cory and me, I never touched her.Plead guilty to assaulting me.Yet she and her circle have continued to spread false narratives.This is a pattern of distortion that has kept our family trapped in conflict.There is something that has haunted me for years.And I found out Katie was the exact same today.

Eric to leave too.I'm to protect his boys.We'll often struggle to recognize intimate moments.violence when the victim is a man, but Eric's actions spoke for themselves.He documented conversations.He tried to protect himself.

He knew after Valentine's Day that she had tried to poison him, but he also believed that if he left, he could not fully protect his children.So he stayed because he was trying to keep them safe.This trauma has seeped into every corner of my life and also It has also deeply affected my own family and marriage.My husband, William, watched me be consumed by the pursuit of justice.For four years, we have lived in a constant state of stress, grief, and emotional exhaustion.I lost my job as a professor at Montana Tech University on the very day I was subpoenaed to appear in this court.

Eric was so proud of me earning my PhD, and teaching students was something I love, and that made me proud.It now seems like another thing that Corey's actions have taken away from me.Devastating loss in a police report because of the unrelenting stress of this investigation and the constant attacks on our family.I suffered a traumatic miscarriage of twins.We lost our children, the future we were building.Corey's actions didn't just end one life.

They reached out and stifled the lives of my unborn children as well.The loss lives inside this tragedy too.Eric's murder did not just take someone from my life.It plunged me into a darkness.It stole the light I once carried.It erased the future I had planned.

Every day, I wake up and step into this same crushing emptiness, where time itself feels frozen and meaningless.The laughter of my future children, the warmth of my family, the simple joy of waking to a new morning, all of it has been devoured by this crime.This grief is limitless.resembling the ocean.Sometimes it softly touches the shore, other times it pounds against it with fierce force.Occasionally it surges like a massive tsunami, overwhelming everything.

These changes can occur suddenly and like the ocean, it cannot be controlled.I didn't just lose my brother, my sister -in -law, I lost someone I considered my friend.We had good times together.The loss is so complicated now, your honor, because it forces you to grieve someone who is still alive.while facing the horror of what they have done.It is grief that doesn't resolve.

It just sits there heavy every day.This crime has fractured our family in ways outsiders cannot understand.One of the most painful realities is that my husband and I do not get to see our nephews.This tragedy has created a wall of trauma between us and that feels impossible to climb.Because of this crime, we are no longer present in both lives the way Eric would have wanted.In 2023, I told this court I never knew evil like this existed.

Everything I have witnessed since has confirmed that.Cora did not just kill Eric.She attempted to kill the spirit of everyone who loved him.She lied to his children.She lied to the world and has shown no remorse while dancing on his grave for profit.Your Honor, a parole eligible sentence is not a conclusion.

It is a reoccurring nightmare.It guarantees that every few years, Eric's sons will be notified that their father's murderer is seeking freedom.It forces them to relive the trauma repeatedly for decades.Eric died trying to be his children's shield.He can no longer protect them, so now the responsibility falls to this court.I ask you to provide these boys with the finality and safety they deserve.

I ask you to ensure that the noise of Corey Richens never enters their lives again.For the years of suffering we have endured, for the children who will grow up without their father, and for the life she stole from Eric and the peace she stole from us, I respectfully ask that you sentence Cory Richens to life without the possibility of parole.Happy birthday, Rico.Thank you.My name is Jessica Black.I'm a licensed clinical mental health therapist and a registered therapist.

Myself and my colleagues are here today to read the victim impact statements for three children.We are here as advocates.on their behalf.After a developmentally appropriate process, the boys were able to decide individually how they wanted to share their statements, and this is what they chose.Our roles are to read their words exactly as they wrote.The boys want the court and the world to hear their side.

This is from WR.I woke up to sirens, and there were a lot of people at my house, and I was definitely scared.I felt confused.I was in the bedroom with my brothers, and I didn't know what was happening.At first, I was really scared because I didn't know what was happening, and I had no control, and I felt helpless.I felt really overwhelmed.

After my dad died, Cory would put us in the basement while she was with the neighbor.I felt scared because I thought something really bad was happening again.She would take me to places that smelled really bad.Everything she did made me feel uncomfortable.When someone talks about Cory, it makes me feel hateful and ashamed.She took away my dad.

It's made me have a hard time trusting people.I was scared that Cory's family would come to my school and take me. I had to go to counseling with DCFS in Heber, and I did not like it.DCFS made me talk to Cory, and I couldn't do things that I wanted to do.I felt not important to anyone.I feel a lot better about myself now than I did with Cory.I can't ever see my dad again.

I want her to go to prison forever.If she got out, I would be so scared, really mad, and I wouldn't want to go with her anywhere.I'm worried that she would take me away from Katie Enkland.Once she is gone, I will feel happy and I will feel safer and relaxed.and trust people more.Thank you.

Your Honor, I am Christina Green.I am a licensed clinical social worker, not a registered paid therapist, and I will be reading for eight hours.You took away my dad for no reason other than greed, and you only cared about yourself and your stupid boyfriends.You were not caring and watching over me and my brothers.I had to be a parent to W. C and I would walk him to the bus stop, feed him, and watch him.You were not concerned about our health.

When we got hurt, you didn't even care.When C got run over by a side -by -side, you still made him go to the soccer game that day without taking him to the doctors first.You would lock C in his room, and I would have to go to the kitchen and bring him food.You shamed us when we didn't want to eat uncooked lasagna you made.We threw it away because we couldn't eat it.Then you made us watch videos of children starving in war areas.

You wanted to scare us into eating something that wasn't cooked.You wouldn't let our dog outside, and then the dog would pee inside.You created this problem, then you would smack my dog on the head as hard as you could.You wouldn't let me put my kitten in the garage for safety at night, and we found it eaten by raccoons the next day.You wouldn't let us turn on the on and use the heater lamp for the chickens and bunnies and they froze to death.You would always argue with my dad and lock the door.

You are not playing the role as a realmother does.You were doing the opposite.Now my dad can't be my coach anymore, can't be at any of my games, he won't be at my birthdays, he can't teach me how to drive, he won't be at my graduation, and he can't take me camping or fishing.You made me paranoid about sleeping on my dad's side of the bed by saying I might die or get harmed when I was just trying to be close to my dad after you killed him.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.You have never said sorry for anything that you have done to me and my brothers.I don't want you to hurt anyone again.I know that you will need to stay in jail to fully take accountability for what you did to me, C, W, and my dad.With you in jail, I will be able to continue to feel safe and live a happy and successful life without fear of you hurting me or anyone I love.Thank you, Your Honor.

Sarah, I'm a licensed clinical social worker and registered plague therapist, and I'm going to read the victim impact statement for CR.My name and age now, my name and age I was at the time of the crime.CR, age 12, now 13.I was nine when my dad was murdered.What I would like to see happen if the perpetrator is convicted of the crime, I would like to see Corey get a life sentence.My thoughts regarding an appropriate sentence for the person who is accused of this crime and if they are found guilty.

I think Corey should get a life sentence because what she did is very sick.Because it had no reason to happen and it impacted a bunch of people.including me.These are some reasons why I think she should have a life sentence.The information I feel is important for the judge to be aware of in sentencing.I think the judge should know that my dad was a good person and very thoughtful and kind and helped whoever needed help.

He was always taking the extra mile to help people.My physical injuries as a result of this crime are as follows.I was sleeping, and then I went to get a drink of water, then went back to bed.And when I woke up shaking, and Bailey called the ambulance, and they came, and I couldn't talk for a while, I think Cory had something to do with it, because she didn't call the ambulance, she called Bailey, and Bailey called the ambulance.At the ER, Cory resisted to have my blood drawn, and kids who usually have this kind of seizure is when they are a few months old to a year old.I learned later that Cory bought more fentanyl, and had it in the house when this happened.

I think this is what happened.She did what she did to my dad in the living room.My experienced emotional injury because of this crime is described as follows.Sad.I feel mad that I have to feel sad.I went from being scared for my life to feeling really good.

I was scared for my life because I didn't eat that much.Cory was always drunk or gone.I was always locked in my room.I can't remember, but I am pretty sure the lock was on the outside.Cory threatened she would kill my lizard because we didn't want to watch some weird show with her.All of our chickens died because there was no food or water.

My rabbit died because we didn't have food or water.The goats almost starved to death because she bought moldy hay and she didn't water them.Nothing ever got fed or watered.It didn't feel good to worry about my animals.I felt like I had to take care of my siblings.Ash mostly took care of me though because I was locked in my room.

Ash would bring me food.Cory would lock me up if I told her she was drunk.This happened pretty much daily.I feel angry that she locked me in my room.I am angry almost all my animals died.I am angry she threatened to kill them.

I am angry she killed my dad.I started to feel really good when I moved into a safe place.It was safe because the people around me were safe, Katie and Clint.I felt safe at Jake and Shalina.because I wasn't with Cory anymore.Counseling.

I feel annoyed that I have to go to counseling and tell the story about what happened 55 million times.I feel better now because I know it's to help me. I would like to not have to go to counseling.I would like to have to not worry about anything after this trial is over.I want the judge to know I hope Cory gets convicted to a life sentence.Cory is always drunk.I want the judge to know my dad was a good person and I miss my dad.

I miss my dad, but I do not miss how my life used to be.I don't miss Cory, I will tell you that.Yes, we do object to some of those being on the public docket.And we can, if you want to take a break, we can go through that with the prosecution.I actually sent him an email asking if they would be filed public when his response was no.So I was unaware that he was going to be filed public.

We can work that out.States A through I are admitted.I need a break.We'll be in recess until 1110, if during that break you and Ms. Nestor would come to some consensus about what the defense wants to have listed as private and or protected, depending on the content.You're on a state of resolution.OK.

Understood.That's the order of the court.We'll be in recess until 1110.1110, follow the directions of the court security director and the bailiffs in terms of how to leave and re -enter the courtroom.Thank you.Thank you.

231 -500 -139.Mr. Bloodworth, just to confirm, anything further from the state?No, your honor.Okay.Ms. Lewis, Ms. Nestor, please tell me what's contemplated.Your honor, I have some opening remarks.

Then we have some letters that some of which we've been asked to read.Others are here to read themselves.Due to the Excessive publicity.Several of the people have asked that only you and the prosecutor know their names, and that we not say their names.And so I'm going to provide you with each letter as we go that has their actual names on it.All of them are going to confirm with you privately that they've written these letters as officers of the court.

We assure you they have, but they did not want to appear on camera.And then, Mr. After we do a set of the letters, Mr. Ramos has some very brief remarks, and then we're going to call We're going to put on three more.Then Ms. Lewis will close out remarks and then Ms. Richlands will do her allocation at the very end.Understood.If that's sufficient.Please.

Thank you.May it please the court.Excuse me.We began this journey when Cori Richman stood before this court, stood before your honor, and entered a plea of not guilty.And now, after being convicted by a jury, she stands before you again.And on this day, she will tell you again that she did not do what she has been convicted of doing.

And that is her right under the law.And we, her advocates, we are tasked with a sacred duty.a duty to protect and preserve her constitutional rights at all costs in the face of criticism, scorn, and ridicule from the public, the media, and anybody else connected with this case.We have been committed to our duty throughout this trial, and we remain so today.It is our privilege and honor to stand beside Corey.We believe in her innocence completely.

We'll continue to stand by her as she takes her appeal to the next level, to a higher court.But that battle remains for another day.Today, she stands before you, convicted by a jury of five felony counts.It is an honor that this court is also tasked with a sacred duty, a duty under the constitutional laws of our state to decide the appropriate sentence in light of miserable convictions.The enormity of that responsibility cannot be denied.Everything we will present to your honor today We submit it for your consideration with an abiding faith in the Court's commitment to its sacred duty.

and in the prayerful hope that mercy will prevail over calls for retribution.As the state has conceded in their briefing, in order to decide an appropriate sentence, it is right and just for this court to look not only at the conduct for which Corey Richness has been convicted, but also on her entire life.The good things she has done in the humiliating mercy of this court Things such as the personal traits and characteristics that suggest she is not the monster that the prosecution portrays, but a human being, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a person that has made mistakes, but a person who is loved deeply.A person who's completed acts of kindness and love and care toward others, a person who's contributed to her community, a person who even in the darkest time of her life reached out to help others.who were incarcerated alongside her.A person who unselfishly tried to ease the pain her family and friends experienced as a result of this case.

Now we have asked people who know Corey the best to show you the person they know and love.You will hear from family and friends who saw her the most.You will hear from people who worked with her.You will hear from people who spent time with her since she's been incarcerated and have seen how committed she is to rehabilitation while she's in jail.Even more telling, you will hear how she's helped others, even when facing unbearable situations in our own life.All of these individuals will reassure this court that she can be productive and make positive contributions in a carceral setting.

You've heard from the state their cry for the harshest punishments available.our laws, yet you also presided over this trial.You saw the evidence and the absence of facts that would justify such penalties.I am sure this court is aware of what a sentence of life without parole actually means in a prison setting.These individuals are locked down in their cells 23 hours a day.They are not provided with the opportunity to participate in programming, seek education, work at jobs in the prison.

For all intents and purposes, they are treated as death row inmates.They are denied in -person visitation.They are stripped of any sense of community or humanity.They have no hope of any future reunification with the people they love.Out of the thousands and thousands of cases that go through our criminal justice system, Less than 100 individuals have been determined to be worthy of a sentence of life without parole.And that is because judges throughout this state understand that such a sentence presumes that an individual is wholly incapable of redemption or rehabilitation and should be punished in the worst way imaginable until they die alone in a cage.

And Ms. Lewis will talk more about that later.But in the meantime, you're also going to hear from three people who've never met Corey Richens.They know nothing about her case, but they know about what life without parole means.You are going to hear from a mother whose son was murdered and how many years ago she was in the position that the Richens family is in now.You will hear about her journey to forgiveness and how after many years she came to regret seeking the penalty of life without parole.for her son's killer.

You will hear from a woman who understands how Corey's boys feel.Her father killed her mother and was sentenced to prison.You will hear how she learned to forgive her father and how she's enriched her life through finding her way into a relationship with him again.And you'll hear from a former prosecutor, someone who sat right where Mr. Budworth sits now, and how he personally witnessed the rehabilitation and tragic end of an individual he put behind bars for life.All of these perspectives are important because they remind us and the court that the recognition of the precious gift of life takes many forms and can change over time.They remind us that the decisions made by this court today can reflect our own humanity, and inspire us all to have hope and believe in forgiveness.

Finally, Your Honor, you're going to hear from Ms. Richards herself.Her allocution is unusually long.She has worked very hard on it.We ask the court to allow her to take about 30 minutes or so to read her words aloud.She is going to share with you what matters most to her in this world, her love for her boys.It is all she has left.

Everything else she has ever held dear in her life has been stripped from her.It is her hope that in openly and honestly sharing her love and hopes and dreams for her boys with you, that you will see what it is inside of her that is worth saving, that is worthy of mercy, and that is filled with hope, humanity, and love.So with the court's indulgence, we'd like to read aloud some letters that have been provided to us.As I discussed, some have asked us to read it and only share the names with you and the prosecution.Some are here today.them themselves.

And we are grateful to the court's indulgence to listen.And we're going to start with a letter from Corey's mother.And Ms. Lewis is going to read that letter.And I have a copy of it that I'm going to provide so the court can read along, if you like.And I also have copies for the prosecution as we go.And we will add this to the information that's part of the record.

Thank you, Your Honor.Not public.Understood.Yes.Thank you.Thank you, Your Honor.

Good morning, Your Honor.Corey's mother, Lisa Darden, is here in the courtroom.I feel given the privilege to read her words.She was concerned about her ability to read them herself.Your Honor, Cory is my daughter.I write to you today carrying grief that words struggle to hold.

First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the loss of Eric.He was my son -in -law, my friend, and a truly wonderful father.Eric had a kind heart and a generous spirit.He was deeply loved, and he will never be forgotten by me or by the many people whose lives he touched.Eric wants to save my life and I have carried that gratitude with me every day since.His legacy lives on most clearly through the three beautiful boys he left behind.

Your Honor, I speak today as a mother and as a grandmother.The children are my greatest concerns.These three boys have endured unimaginable loss and upheaval in their young lives.They lost their father, then their mother, then the sense of safety and continuity every child deserves.Their world has changed again and again through no choice of their own.Whatever sentence is imposed will shape their lives forever.

Whatever sentence is imposed.that was their choice.I will continue to watch the boys grow, whether at school, school events, or sporting activities, and throughout their lives.I will keep them in my prayers, hoping they grow into emotionally stable and resilient young men.Corey is more than the worst day of her life.She is a mother who has devoted herself to her children since the day they were born.

Before all of this, she was deeply involved in their schooling, their sports, their faith, and their community.She coached teams, volunteered weekly at school, led youth programs, and taught her boys compassion through service, from food banks to flood relief to helping firefighters and families in need.Her life centered on her family and on helping others.In many ways, everyone impacted by this case has suffered loss.However, the greatest burden has fallen on three innocent children.These boys have experienced repeated disruption and trauma at an age when stability is essential.

Before these events, they lived in a loving home with two devoted parents.They were surrounded by family, supported emotionally and financially, and deeply connected to both their mother and father.Their lives revolved around school, sports, family traditions, and feeling safe and loved.That sense of security was taken from them in stages.First, they lost their father suddenly and without preparation.They were informed by officials rather than being guided gently by a parent, a moment that forever changed their childhood.

Their mother then spent more than a year helping them navigate grief, modeling compassion and emotional resilience, and working closely with them to understand loss in age -appropriate ways.She even found creative ways to help them cope emotionally during this painful period.Then, they lost daily access to their mother.Once again, they were told life -altering news by strangers rather than family.The boys were moved between placements, disrupting routines and emotional progress, despite beginning to feel settled and unsupported.Throughout this time,

they maintained a meaningful and positive relationship with their mother through letters, phone calls, visits, and counseling.Later, they were moved again, against their expressed wishes, away from family caregivers and trusted relationships.Each transition compounded their confusion, anxiety, and grief.Children need continuity to heal, yet these boys have experienced repeated separations from the people they rely on most.As a grandmother who helped raise these children, I have also lost daily contact with them.They were a central part of my life, just as I was part of theirs.

The separation from their maternal family has been devastating, not only to me, but to the boys themselves, who deserve access to all safe and loving family connections.Your Honor, these children have already endured more than most adults will in a lifetime.Being placed in the middle of adult proceedings and repeatedly confronted with painful realities risks further emotional harm.They love their mother.They need reassurance, not fear.Healing, not more loss.

I ask the court to carefully consider the cumulative impact on these children and the importance of preserving their emotional well -being and future stability when determining your appropriate sentence.Your Honor, I ask the court to take a moment to consider Corey Richens as a whole person, beyond headlines or assumptions, and to understand the life she built before this case.Corey has been driven, disciplined, and committed to growth from a young age.She graduated from high school in 2007, completing her studies a year early.She continued her education and earned her associate's degree in 2010.In 2012, she obtained her bachelor's degree, the same year she became a mother for the first time.

In 2013, Corrie married Eric, and together they began building a family.Their second son was born in 2014.Corrie continued pursuing education while raising her children, earning her master's degree in 2017.followed by the birth of their third son shortly thereafter.Professionally, Corey has consistently worked to better herself and provide for her family.She obtained her real estate license in 2019 and later earned her general contractor's license in 2021, achievements that reflected her work ethic, independence, and determination.

In 2022, Cori experienced a devastating loss with the sudden death of her husband.Despite profound grief, she sought constructive ways to cope and help others, publishing a children's book in 2023 focused on helping children process loss.After her arrest in 2023, Cori did not retreat from self -improvement.While incarcerated, she earned her paralegal certificate in 2025.In 2026, she completed her MBA, pursuing education under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.She continues to seek opportunities for further education, demonstrating perseverance and a commitment to grow.

Your Honor, this timeline reflects a pattern of responsibility, resilience, and continued effort to better herself, even in the most challenging moments of her life.I would like to illustrate Cori's character through her actions and the way she lived her life, particularly as a wife, mother, and member of her community.Cori was deeply devoted to her family.She was a committed wife to Eric and a hands -on present mother to their three sons.Their marriage was built on partnership and mutual support.Cory consistently supported Eric in his career, hobbies, and interests, including his involvement in sports and coaching.

She encouraged his passions and stood by him throughout their life together.In return, Eric expressed his commitment to caring for his wife and children, and their shared priorities were apparent in the way they lived and parented.As parents, Cori and Eric focused on raising kind, engaged, and active children.Cori was closely involved in her son's education, sports, and activities.She volunteered weekly at their school, coached youth soccer and basketball, served as a scout leader, and was present at practices, games, and events.Her time, energy, and focus were always directed toward her children's well -being and development.

Beyond her immediate family, Corrie consistently showed compassion for others.She was active in community service and believed strongly in teaching her children empathy through example.Together they volunteered at food banks, participated in flood relief by filling sandbags for elderly residents, baked cookies for firefighters during fire season, and assembled care packages for families and individuals in need.She also helped ensure that children in the community had proper winter clothes by donating nearly 100 pairs of snow boots to a local elementary school.During the holidays, Corrie made extraordinary efforts to help others, purchasing, wrapping, and delivering hundreds of gifts to families who are struggling.She also demonstrated thoughtfulness in her extended work family by assembling personalized gift boxes and organizing holiday gatherings to bring people together.

In 2023, following her husband's death, Corrie published a children's book designed to help grieving children process loss.She donated hundreds of copies to children who had lost a parent and visited schools to read to students dealing with grief.Although the book achieved some commercial success, her intention was not profit.It was to help children feel less alone during one of the most difficult experiences a child can face.Corrie has always viewed her greatest accomplishment as her family, her husband, her children, and the home they built together.Her loyalty to her family is unwavering.

As an aunt, she has been a consistent and loving presence in her nieces' and nephews' lives.providing child care support, attending milestones and school events, and assisting her siblings whenever they needed her.She has been the person who organizes family gatherings.holidays, and shared traditions, keeping the family connected.Faith has also played an important role in Corey's life.She and her children regularly attended church and participated in faith -based community activities, reinforcing values of service, compassion, and responsibility.

Your Honor, these are not isolated gestures.They reflect a longstanding pattern of generosity, responsibility, and care for others.Corey's life before this case was defined by service to her family and community, and by her commitment to raising her children to be compassionate and engaged members of society.From a young age, Corey demonstrated responsibility and a strong work ethic.While still in high school, she worked nights, weekends, and holidays to help support her aunt's business, using her earnings to pay her own way through college.That sense of responsibility never diminished.

She continued to support extended family members whenever they needed help.Only three weeks after losing her husband, Corrie faced another profound loss with the death of her uncle.Even while grieving deeply herself, she stepped forward to help her aunt by taking on the responsibility of planning the funeral.This pattern, putting others' needs ahead of her own pain, has been consistent throughout her life.Corrie has always believed that no one should have to navigate grief or hardship alone.Corrie and I share an exceptionally close relationship as mother and daughter.

She has stood beside me during some of the most difficult moments of my life.including surgeries and radiation treatments, providing care, support, and comfort without hesitation.Our relationship is built on mutual reliance, trust, and love.I, in turn, have played an active role in her family's life, helping care for Eric, the boys, and Cory, and being deeply involved in their daily lives.Cory also shares a strong bond with her brother.Though close in age, and like many siblings growing up, it was the loss of their father shortly after high school that solidified their bond.

of the importance of family.Since then, their relationship has only grown stronger.They have supported each other through life's milestones, challenges, and joys.As a mother, Cori has always made sure her children felt surrounded by family.She intentionally included her brother in holidays, family gatherings, and everyday moments, reinforcing the value of connection and belonging.She welcomed her brother's wife into the family from the very beginning, making a deliberate effort to ensure she felt included and supported.

She has constantly offered help with family milestones, celebrations, and responsibilities, always striving to ease stress for others.Corrie takes pride in maintaining a close -knit family.She believes that shared time, whether during holidays, sporting events, small gatherings, or simply simple evenings together is essential.Creating those moments of connection has always mattered deeply to her, and she has worked intentionally to keep her family united.Corrie played an important and deeply integrated role within the Richens family, particularly during times of hardship.When Eric's mother passed away in Hawaii, Corrie provided steady emotional support to the entire family and assisted in organizing funeral arrangements, stepping in wherever help was needed during a very painful period.

Her commitment to Eric's family was genuine and enduring.At one point, Eric's mother expressed that Corrie was not simply her daughter -in -law, but her daughter, a reflection of the closeness and trust Corrie had earned within the family.Corrie and Eric prioritized time with extended family, creating meaningful memories together, including regular visits to St. George, Utah to spend time with Eric's grandmother.When one of our sisters faced unemployment, Cori helped her secure work at the hospital where she herself was employed.She also routinely provided child care for her sister and her last children, allowing them time together as a couple.Her involvement went beyond logistical help.

She always participated.in family milestones, including serving in a bridal party and assisting with wedding planning for another of Eric's sisters.During a particularly difficult period in that sister's life, Corrie accompanied her to a self -help retreat, offering both emotional support and companionship.Within the Richards family, Corrie often served as a source of calm and connection.She consistently worked to ease tensions, provide comfort, and maintain relationships during challenging moments.Her efforts contribute significantly to the overall well -being of the family.

Corrie's compassion extended well beyond her immediate and extended family.She opened her home to the parents of a friend whose house had been damaged, offering them a safe place during a difficult time.When another friend's parents lacked firewood, their sole source of heat during the winter, Corrie arranged for a truckload of wood to ensure they stayed warm.She maintained close, supportive friendships, particularly participated fully in friends' major life events, and was actively involved in the lives of their children.As a neighbor, Corrie was equally attentive and caring.Her home was offering a gathering place for neighborhood children, and she routinely prepared meals for parents working late, or offered help to neighbors facing illness, including one undergoing chemotherapy.

Her generosity was never performative.It was quiet, consistent, and motivated by genuine concern for others.Corrie is not a perfect person, but she is an authentic one.Her life has been marked by steady acts of kindness, loyalty, and service toward her family, her friends, and her community.She has always found purpose in easing the burden of others and helping people through difficult moments.Following Cora's separation from her children, they were placed in a living situation that differed from what they expressed as their preference, despite having strong and meaningful bonds with extended family who had long played an active role in helping raise them.

As young children, they had little control over these decisions.which added to their sense of uncertainty and loss.Corey's sons are now facing significant emotional challenges in their day -to -day lives.They are processing grief, separation, and repeated changes, all at an age when stability is critical.Like their mother, Corey's eldest son is especially sensitive and expressive, and he has struggled deeply with these transitions.All three boys are currently receiving counseling, which has been essential in helping them cope.

Corrie has consistently supported therapeutic intervention and has emphasized the importance of counseling, not only for each child individually, but for the family as a whole.In particular, she has advocated for additional individual support for her eldest child, recognizing his specific emotional needs.The circumstances surrounding their separation and the rules governing communications have made it difficult for Corrie and her children to openly share their feelings with one another.This limitation has taken an emotional toll on both the boys and their mother.Important thoughts, reassurances, and emotions often remain unspoken, creating additional stress and sadness.As a mother, Corrie experiences deep, deep anguish over her inability to comfort her children as she once did.

She worries constantly about their emotional well -being and struggles with the pain of knowing they are hurting while being unable to fully support them.Her concern for her sons remains constant and unwavering.Corrie has endured profound emotional and personal suffering since the loss of her husband.She is grieving the absence of the man she loved and built a life with, while navigating separation from her children and family under intense public scrutiny.The weight of these losses is immense, and it has affected not only Cori, but her entire family, her mother, her children, and those who love her.Despite being incarcerated, Cori has continued to demonstrate resilience and personal responsibility.

Within the confines of jail, she has dedicated herself to education and self -improvement.Using her time to study law,work toward meaningful goals.These efforts reflect her character and her desire to grow, contribute, and remain a constructive presence, even under extremely difficult circumstances.Like many marriages, Corey and Eric face challenges.When difficulties arose, they chose to address them responsibly by seeking marriage counseling, rather than turning away from one another.

Those efforts strengthen their relationship.By all accounts, from those closest to them, they were in a period of renewed connection and commitment, focused on their family and their future together.Your Honor, I stand before you as Corey's mother.I love my daughter.I have known her for her entire life, not just through this case.I cannot speak to every aspect of what the court has considered, but I can speak to who she is as a human being, as a mother, and as a member of her family.

I do not believe that Corey did this, nor do I believe Corey could possibly be capable of this crime.I can't validate what she did financially one way or another, and that's something Cory will have to live with.I respectfully ask the court to consider a sentence that holds Cory accountable for the jury's verdict, while still allowing for the possibility of mercy and hope.A sentence without the opportunity for parole would permanently separate her from her children and leave no room for redemption.Cory's life has meaning, especially to her three sons and her family, and I respectfully ask that the sentence reflect not only accountability, but also the potential for rehabilitation and profound long -term impact on innocent children.Your Honor, I ask from a mother's heart that Corey be given a sentence that allows the possibility of a future, one in which she can continue to grow and one day be a positive presence in life and her children's lives again.

I firmly believe the jury reached an incorrect conclusion and that this outcome represents a profound injustice driven by personal bias.I do not believe Cori is capable of committing murder.No one understands her loves her children as deeply as their mother does.Thank you for listening, your honor.I love you, Cori, Carter, Ashton, and Weston.Her story does not end with this sentence.

It is the strength of her comeback that will define it.Your Honor, at this time we would ask Renee Odom.She is going to read her own letter.We ask that she approach the podium, and I will provide a report and her prosecution.Of course.Renee, good morning.

Good morning.One moment, please.It's Renee Odom, and I am here today as the sister of Corey Richards.I want to begin by saying nothing I share today is meant to excuse or lessen the seriousness of what has brought us here.Eric's life was taken, and that loss is permanent.I want to acknowledge Eric.

by name and say that I loved him.He was kind to me.He was a part of my life, a part of my children's life, and a part of my family.He matters deeply, and he is missed.This tragedy has devastated our family, and its deepest impact continues to fall on Cory's three boys.For more than three years now, they have been unable to see or speak with their mother.

They have lost their father, and at the same time, they have lost access to their mom.Even in separation, Cory has never stopped being their mother.She writes to her boys every single week.She reaches out every birthday, every holiday, holding on to that connection with everything she has and reminding them that they are loved.Korty is my baby sister and she has been an integral part of my life and the lives of my children.She has shown up for our family in ways that are impossible to count.

I was there at her graduation ceremony.high school.I was there for the wedding of Corey and Eric, moments filled with love, hope, and dreams for the future.She was there for my wedding and the birth of my son.She was there for me when I graduated college.She stood beside me at the baptism of both of my daughters.

She poured her heart into giving my oldest daughter a beautiful sweet 16.These were not obligations to her.This is who she is.Corey has always been the glue that held our family together.She hosts every Christmas, she planned every family vacation, and made sure that no one ever felt forgotten or left behind.She believes deeply in helping others, and she has lived with this belief throughout her life.

Even from behind bars, Corey has continued to help people, offering support and encouragement and kindness any way she can.That desire to be of service has never left her.Cory's a great sister, an awesome aunt, an amazing daughter, and she will always be a devoted mother.She's also the smartest person I know.Cory has earned two master's degrees and is applying to a PhD program.Growth and learning and becoming better for herself and others have always mattered to her.

Most of all, she loved her husband and her children with everything that she was.I continue to struggle to reconcile this tragedy with the loving sister and the mother I've always known.I understand and respect the court's responsibility to impose a just and lawful sentence.I am not here to challenge the verdict or to minimize the harm that has occurred.I only ask that the court see the full human picture, the pain, the accountability, the lifelong consequences that are already being carried.Please leave room for hope of a life with her voice.

The impact of this tragedy will remain with Corey and her children for the rest of their lives.Our family feels deeply for them.absence of her presence and that of her boys, her guidance and her love.I love you, Cory, and I will always stand by you.Thank you, Your Honor, for letting me speak.Thank you for hearing my words.

Your Honor, at this time, I'm going to read a letter from Brie Darden.Your Honor, at this time, we'd like to read a brief letter from Marie Darden.That is Cory's sister -in -law, who also worked with her at her real estate business.I know your Honor heard some testimony about that.She has a newborn baby, so she can't be here.Your Honor, I was introduced to the Richens family around eight years ago, and was able to have been around Cory, Eric, and the boys since the youngest was one.

I spent many days, weekends, holidays, birthdays, barbecues, etc. with them all, and was able to learn so much about the family dynamic and the love they have for one another.No, their family wasn't perfect, no one's is, but those boys were loved beyond belief by both parents.Cory and Eric did everything for the boys, to protect them, to teach them, to encourage them, to show them love, and mostly to show them two loving parents.My heart goes out to the three boys as they do not deserve to be going through all this as well as they do not deserve to be alienated from one side of their family.I miss them dearly every day.To know Cory is to know the love she has in her heart.

Cory is one of the most selfless and caring people I know.She lived for those boys and lived to be the best wife she could be.Yes, she made mistakes in the past,her marriage, as we know.So did Eric.But at the end of the day, they chose each other and their family.

As a loving mother, exceptional caretaker, and benevolent humanitarian, Corrie was truly a devoted volunteer.She never stood still when she knew she could help another, embodying the definition of true character.From the moment this sudden, unexplainable tragedy occurred, there has been a distaste for Corey for personal reasons rather than factual reasons.From allegations made by individuals she regarded as family, to authorities not conducting a systemically correct investigation and then not being given a suitable, unbiased finale, the conclusion of this case seemed inevitable.Although I'm not here to argue the verdict, I am here to help provide perspective on views you are unable to hear about.Cory is a mother, a sister, a daughter, an aunt, widow, and at the end of the day, an imperfect person striving for grace.

She is someone who the community trusted, neighbors enjoyed, and her boys counted on as a supporter.I respectfully ask that the court consider the totality of her character and her full life history when making a determination.The next individual that spoke is Cory's father.This is Lisa's sister.Her name is Doreen Corey.Your honor, thank you for allowing me to speak today.

I have spent many sleepless nights trying to find the right words for this moment because it is heartbreaking to stand here and speak about someone I care deeply about in a courtroom like this.I believe in you, Corey, and I'm very proud to be your aunt.I stand before the court not to minimize the seriousness of this case, but to speak about the person I care about.of these proceedings.The woman I know is not the monster these proceedings may have made her appear to be.When I think about her, I do not think about charges, headlines, or verdicts.

I think about the mother I watched love her children with every part of herself.I think about the woman who worked hard to build a better life through education, determination, and sacrifice.I think about someone who wanted more not only for herself, but for her children and the people she loved.Her children were never just part of her life.They were her entire world.I watched her celebrate their accomplishments, comfort them in difficult times, and carry the weight of motherhood every single day.

She loved fiercely, deeply, and unconditionally.Eric and those boys were her life.Both Eric and Kory were very loving and attentive parents.They were solid, they loved hard, and they played hard.I also watched her work tirelessly to educate herself and create stability for her family.She pushed herself because she believed in building a meaningful future.

She was proud of what she accomplished, but even more proud of being a mother.This conviction does not erase the years of humanity, goodness, and compassion that existed before this moment.I know there are people who may only see the charge or the verdict, but I ask the court to remember, a person is more than the worst moment of their life, or in this case, more than a verdict that many of us still struggle to understand and accept.The woman I know is compassionate, intelligent, nurturing, and deeply human.I do not believe she's cruel or beyond redemption.I believe there's still goodness in her, and I know there are many others who believe that too.

Whatever sentence is imposed today will not only affect her, it will echo through the lives of her children, her family, and everyone who loves her for years to come.Her children still need their mother's guidance, love, voice, and presence in whatever way they can still have it.I understand the weight of the court's responsibility, and I speak with respect for these proceedings.I only ask that when sentencing is considered, the court remembers the whole person standing before you today.Not only this moment, but the years she spent loving, learning, sacrificing, and being devoted mother.I love you, Cory, and I love this precious voice.

I ask for mercy.I ask for compassion.And I ask that the court see the humanity in her so that many of us, that so many of us have seen for years.All right, the next one is an individual that did not want their name read in the public.So I'm going to provide it to the court and the prosecution only.This is a close friend of the family.

To the Honorable Judge Morozik.I'm writing to respectfully share my personal relationship and observations with the Richens family and three young boys, and to ask that you consider sentencing Corey to 25 years to life, rather than life without the possibility of parole.From 2017 to 2019, I had the privilege of working as a babysitter for Corey and Eric's three children.I was able to view this family at a time when things in life were good for them.The youngest, Weston, was still in diapers and we worked on potty training together.What struck me most during that time was the stable, loving, and orderly home the three boys had to grow up in.

Cora was a young mother, close in age to two of my own children, and she'd established a true house of order.The home was beautifully decorated.I particularly remember the bright fall decor.The walls were lined with photos of the boys at different ages, and they had a wonderful playroom over the garage.The family worked together, played hard together, and clearly loved one another.I recognize the effort and passion

in caring for her family.When she was out of town one week, she left detailed meal plans for me to use the crockpot so Eric could come home each night to dinner with the boys.Those meals were so good that I replicated them for my own family.I was so impressed by her age progression photo display in the hallway that I had canvases made of my own grandchildren in a similar fashion.I even copied some of her simple but festive fall decorations and bought similar cowboy kid toys for my grandchildren after seeing how much her boys enjoyed them.Cory's positive influence extended beyond her own family.

I brought many of her ideas home with me. I do not wish to minimize the tragedy of this case.I watched the funeral online and was heartbroken, especially hearing young Carter say he would now be the man of the house.I believe Cory deeply cares for her children, and I have to believe they love her as well.Three boys' lives will be forever affected by the court's decision.I believe in the possibility of rehabilitation and the value of preserving hope.I respectfully ask that you not eliminate the chance that one day these three sons would be able to make their own choice as to whether or not to have a relationship with their mother.

Cory is not a threat to society.Please give her the opportunity to serve her sentence with the possibility of someday returning to her family.Thank you for your time and considering my perspective.The next individual that's going to be addressing the court is going to do it himself.And that is Mr. Greg Hall, and he's here to read his statement to the court.Sir, please proceed.

Good morning, Your Honor.Before I say anything else, I want to express my deepest sympathy and most sincere condolences to the Richens and Dardens families.Nothing I say today is meant to diminish the weight of what has brought us into this courtroom today.Ms. Gregg Hall, I have known Cori for over seven years, both personally and professionally.I have stayed in daily contact by phone and in -person visits throughout her entire incarceration here in Summit County.I am here today to share with you what I have witnessed.

firsthand about the person I know.In the years before Cora was incarcerated, she made a habit of looking for people who were struggling.She not only volunteered for many years at children's schools and donated, but she heard about the 100 pairs of snow boots, and she also did follow -up to make sure that those children had clothes.She has volunteered at the soup kitchen for years and brought her boys along with her because she wanted them to teach them about service and kindness to others.Cora found out a neighbor had been diagnosed with cancer.should not have a sleeping range for massage therapists to visit her.

When my own wife...in an auto accident, a care package showed up at our home.If a family was having a difficult time purchasing a home, she would offer to take little or no commission in order to help them.It's known that none of these things were ever done for recognition.They were done because all she ever wanted to do was good.Your Honor, what I would like the court to understand the most is that the goodness and kindness toward other people that defined Corey before her arrest has not gone away.

since being incarcerated.When new inmates arrive frightened and disorientated, Courtney is the first to step in.She helps them get their footing in an environment that is unfamiliar and frightening to them.She's also tutored other inmates working to further their education.She's helped women who cannot read or write navigate through the system and draft letters to their family on the outside.When women in her unit receive bad news from home, she is the first to sit with them and comfort them.

She's used her time inside to study, and she takes her studies very seriously.She has earned multiple degrees, including a master's degree since being incarcerated, because she wants to be of use to other incarcerated women who struggle with literacy, with their legal paperwork, and with the simple...reality of being inside.She enjoys studying religion and ethics and the practical application they have in our lives.She attends weekly church services and has helped to create new programs within the jail that other inmates now rely on.She studies late into the night every night.

She prays for her boys and for her family every day.She also prays for others in need.She writes to her sons.The weird letters are returned to her unopened.She does not stop trying to contact them, to express her love for them.Your Honor, the Corey that I talk with each day is still filled with kindness, with goodness.

Even to this day, as we speak to one another, she continues to ask and care about how people on the outside are doing.Like her family, people we mutually know, before ever talking about herself.I'm not here to argue with the verdict of this court.I am here to tell you that the person I have known for over seven years is still there, still trying, still useful to people around her in the small ways available to her to continue to be of service and provide acts of kindness.I only ask that the court please take this into consideration today.Thank you, Your Honor.

Here are the next two letters are from individuals who are investors with Ms. Richens in her real estate business.Both of these individuals.did experience losses of money.So although they may not be victims in this case, they, I guess, are technically victims in the case that is pending.So I think their perspective is important.The first one, for some reason, I only have one copy.

I'm going to give just a moment for Mr. Bloodworth to read it, then I'll read it, then I'll hand it to the court.Thank you.Judge Morozik.I'm writing to you regarding whatever sentence you need to impose on Corey Richards.I implore you to impose the lowest sentence possible, including the possibility for Pearl.Due to the defense resting in this case, you and the jury only heard everything negative that could possibly be said about her from the prosecution, their witnesses, and the media.

There was always another side of her that was not presented.As one of the investors in some of Cory Richard's properties, she never asked that we invest.We always asked her after seeing the quality of the work done.She had a real estate license and got a general contractor's license.Yes, we made money on some of the properties, and yes, we lost money on the legacy property due to her arrest.She made sure we were aware that we could lose our investments.

During the time we did spend with her, we found her to be honest, caring, super smart, and constantly talking about her love of Eric and her children.She adores those boys and was involved with them.aspects of their lives and very proud of all of them.I understand she has used the time in jail to obtain a second master's degree.I honestly believe that even spending time in prison that she could still be a valuable and contributing member of society and hopefully one day have a relationship with her boys.I do totally understand how difficult it is to have someone's life in your hands, as I felt that weight as an Air Force flight nurse in Iraq, many times, caring for our wounded warriors.

We all need to have hope.Please do not take that from her, as she has already lost so much.And I'm not going to reveal the name.The second one is also an investor here that did lose a significant amount of money.So some type of victim status here.Honorable Richard Mazik.

Thank you, Your Honor, for the opportunity to address the court at this sentencing hearing.May I first say that I was so impressed with your professionalism and demeanor during the trial.It appeared to me that you were very thoughtful in trying to judge fairly during the court proceedings.I would like to speak on my real estate experience with Kori over the three years that I invested in 10 or more fix and flip home transactions.My wife, my son, and I were so impressed with Kori and the great job she did in finding and remodeling the homes that we invested in.She worked hard at making those properties look beautiful after they were remodeled and we all made money from them.

We could not have been more proud of Kori and happy for her and her family.Knowing from her brother Ronnie that she'd lost her father at a younger age, I told her once in a text message that I was unavailable.adopting her as my daughter.She was a great mom for her boys, and she and Eric were so involved in their lives.What has happened since has been a tragedy for all the families involved.I never met Eric, but knew that he and his workers helped with some of the stonework on the remodels.

Cory and Eric helped stage a house that my son and I remodeled that Cory found for us in Ogden.She listed it and had it sold in three days.Those were good times when the market was great for doing fix and flips, and we all benefited from it.Unfortunately, about the time of Eric's passing, the market changed, and interest rates skyrocketed.Those who had house remodeled properties suddenly found the buyer's market dried up, and houses were not selling.We lost money, as well as many of our friends in the real estate business.

In watching some of the proceeding on court TV, I personally did not think that the state proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Corey was guilty and responsible for Eric's death.I was surprised at the jury's verdict because it left doubt in my mind based on the testimonies given.Corey has lost everything, her husband, her three young boys, friends, family, and our home.May I appeal to the court that her sentencing may grant her the possibility of parole at some future time.Thank you for your kind consideration.And also this name we are not reading out loud.

We also have several very short statements from people who have worked.With Ms. Richens in the jail, these are volunteers that give their time, no money, that come to the jail to help people that are incarcerated to try to better themselves and better their lives.This first one is from the art class facilitator, Ms. Katie Fish.Dear Judge Morozik, I'm writing to you today on behalf of Ms. Corrie Richens.I have known Corrie over the last two years within the contextof the educational programs for the Summit County Justice Center.

I facilitated our class as a representative of Mountain Life Church.In that art class, Corrie's carried herself with ease and warm regard to the other inmates and those of us present as facilitators.While she's shown care for the other inmates, she has also been very respectful to those of us facilitating.Even when she had been carrying challenging emotions, she's conducted herself with respect and grace.I understand that my interactions have been limited and have been laced with an expectation of certain polite behavior.But it is also not just a given that inmates will uphold that same respect and decorum.

She has chosen to present with ease, care, and grace.From the brief conversations we've had about her life, I do believe she is a different person from who she was before being there.I hope and pray that her heart continues to be led toward faith and transformation.Thank you for your time.The next individual is another volunteer who teaches the class of biblical truth at the jail.This individual is named Eric Aper.

Dear Honorable Richard Mrazek, My name is Eric Marty Aper.Through Mountain Life Church in Park City, I've been a volunteer at the Summit County Jail for eight years, helping to teach biblical truth to those incarcerated there and leading church services on Sunday afternoons.Corrie Richmond has been a regular attendee of these services since May of 2023, the start of her incarceration, and has shown an amazingly consistent and upbeat positive attitude.Corrie contributes in the church service discussions.She frequently comes alongside other inmates and encourages them to attend church as well.Not only does she encourage church attendance, she also carries the applicable issues of

discussed back to the pod where she resides, looking to find the peace and love of Jesus Christ in difficult situations where the inmates live.I have witnessed her kindness in talking with and encouraging fellow inmates that they can succeed in drug treatment programs, complete education programs, and work to overcome frustrations that come with poor decisions that end up with incarceration.Please call me with any questions or let me know what I can do to help with regards to Corey Bridges.And then the last one is also, I believe, a pastor that leads church services.I don't think I have that one, so maybe, thank you.This next one then is from Craig Moline, who's one of the pastors as well.

The Honorable Richard Morozik.Your Honor, I'm one of four people privileged to rotate in on Sunday afternoons from Mt. Lyon Church to lead church services with inmates at Summit County Jail.On any typical Sunday, we will pray with inmates, sing a couple of psalms, no matter how bad it may sound, read a psalm and discuss it, and then teach on a subject from Scripture.For three years now, Cori Richness has been in attendance to those services.We've seen her be hospitable to other inmates, inviting them to services.She's participated in discussions, and we've seen her as a help to other inmates.

At the beginning, we gave her a study Bible that helps give life application hints along with an explanation of the text.I smiled recently when I saw her Bible sitting in front of her and I observed, it doesn't look new anymore.It looks like a well -read book.In our teaching and discussions, we've talked about being intentional.about posturing our hearts before Sovereign God, and coming to Him with humility with our prayers.We talk about what it means to have a personal and intimate relationship with God through Jesus.

She has acknowledged her faith in Jesus and acknowledged she has felt His peace in rough times, what is often expressed in the Psalms.She's commented, when life around you falls apart, we still have a God to lean into, and he reaches down and cares for us and gives us comfort and hope.The Corrie I know will thrive where she is.She will trust in her God for peace, and she will pray.She will continue to pray for her loved ones, and she will be a positive influence to those around her.Respectfully submitted.

And then one last letter from the jail.This is also a volunteer, an individual named Heidi Tunney.Dear Judge Mrazik, I'm writing to you on behalf of Corrie Richens.I've been working with Corrie over the past two plus years as a volunteer at the Summit County Correctional Facility.I taught her in the addiction recovery program.I attended church with her on occasion.

I worked with her in a yoga program that I started at the facility for the incarcerated men and women too.I found Corrie to be very easy to work with and very enjoyable to be around.She was very thoughtful in her conversations in class.She always showed the utmost gratitude for anything that was done on her behalf.I also noticed that she was a leader among the other incarcerated women.She tended to be a peacemaker and stayed above the fray and away from the pettiness and challenges that sometimes arise among incarcerated women.

The women in general respected her and looked to her as a leader.Cori actually was one of the women that asked me to get a yoga program started for the incarcerated women.She saw a need there and she acted on it.I started and have taught that class from day one.years now.Cori was the most dedicated student.

She only missed a couple of times the entire time I taught, and the times she did miss were when she was meeting with attorneys or had court appearances.She has continued to attend even after she was found guilty at her trial.I wish nothing but the best for Cori.She has a very long road ahead of her.I hope and pray she will continue to use the programs provided to those that are incarcerated to better herself and lead the other women around her.The last letter we have in this section is going to be read by Cory's brother, Ronnie, who's here to read it himself.

And then we're going to have Mr. Ramos make a few very brief comments.Then we'll conclude with our final three.And then we'll close out with Ms. Lewis and Ms. Riches, unless the court needs a break.You doing all right?No, it might make sense to take a break before.Great, great suggestion.

Alright, this is, if Ronnie can come on up.I'd like to address the court with actually a person.I'm Rick DeGore.I love you.I miss your random banter.I miss your calls.

I miss your constantly over -the -top positive attitude every time you speak.I miss our game nights.I miss our stupid finger gun dance after we won a game.I miss our holidays.I miss you sending the boys to wake me up on Christmas morning way too early after we stayed up way too late preparing Christmas for them so that it would be absolutely perfect.I miss our Sundays together.

I miss arguing with the boys about who's better, Messi or Ronaldo, Brady or Rodgers.I miss our backyard games.I miss me and the boys running all over you at sports in the backyard and Eric getting mad because you weren't competitive enough.And you were really just out there to have fun and laugh.I miss you constantly luring me into your newest ideas and getting me excited about them.I miss vacationing.

I miss family volleyball.I miss playing Madden and FIFA with Eric and the boys.I miss your stupid goats.I miss the soccer games and the celebrations we created for the boys after they scored a goal.I miss Carter's smile and his obsession with goat videos.Ashton's freckles and his competitiveness.

And Weston's baby blues and tender -heartedness.I miss hearing them say Wani.playing catch in your living room.I miss your family.I miss our family.I miss the life that was stolen from us for reasons that we can't yet fully understand.

We don't, with 100 % certainty, know what happened, Eric.No one does.But we do know with 100 % certainty that it wasn't caused by you.We know that.We just know it.The prosecution knows it, and everyone watching this trial knows it.

They cannot prove their theory.I'm just the opposite, and yet here we are.For some reason, unbeknownst to us, really bad things happen to really good people, and you were just really too good of a person, I guess.guess.I promised dad a long time ago that I'd always look after you, mom, and I intend on keeping that promise.We'll get through this together.

The injustice that's occurred here in this courtroom, it'll be righted in time.Your innocence will shine through brightly to be contained once you've actually had a fair shot at defending yourself.When the day comes, just know, I just know somehow, that you're going to change a lot of lives that really need your help.Until then, little sister, just know that I'm right by your side and I'll always be right back here for you.I love you.I speak to you just plainly and honestly.

I disagree with the jury's verdict.We stand by the way that justice was rendered in this case.I don't believe that this outcome fully reflects the truth or the humanity involved.But our Constitution demands something difficult of all of us, especially officers of the court.It demands restraint.It demands respect for the process, even when the outcome wounds us.

And so, while I disagree with the verdict, I respect the jury's decision.And while I disagree with many of this court's rulings, I respect the lawful authority of this court, of your honor.This is because the rule of law only survives if we continue to honor it, even in moments of disappointment and pain.But as a Catholic, there's one authority higher than any courtroom, verdict, or government power that is God.I say that as a reminder of humanity and of human limitation.Our system of justice is imperfect.

because every human is imperfect.I think that humility matters here today.It matters because the sentence of life without parole risks becoming something greater than punishment.It risks becoming the declaration that redemption no longer matters.The late Pope Francis said that life without parole is just a death penalty in disguise because it extinguishes something fundamental to human dignity.That is hope, hope to all involved, victims, condemned, alike.

Refusing to impose a sentence of life without parole today doesn't mean Cori is going to walk free.It doesn't mean that she will someday leave custody.She may very well spend the rest of her natural life in prison.It also does not mean that her victims who have spoken today, her kids, doesn't mean that they have to forgive her.They may never change their minds.They may never forgive their mother.

And also, no court has the authority to amend that they do.But refusing to impose a sentence of life without parole does mean that we do not close the door completely.It means we do not presume to know with absolute certainty what a human life, victim or condemned, may become decades from now.It means that we do not extinguish hope entirely.Time changes people.Pain changes people.

Grief changes people.Even victims and victims' families, over years and decades, sometimes arrive at places their present suffering could never foresee.Some discover forgiveness.Some discover peace.Some simply discover that healing and permanent condemnation are not always the same thing.And others don't.

A sentence of life without parole assumes none of that human change matters.Not the change in the person condemned, not the change in those harmed.A life without parole sentence freezes every human being, victim and condemned, inside the worst moment of their life, and declares that moment permanent.Our Constitution demands more restraint than that, because a real measure of justice is not what we do when mercy is easy.It is whether we preserve humanity when mercy is hardest.No sentence handed down today will undo suffering.

A different verdict wouldn't have reversed tragedy, but there is a performancemoral difference between saying you must be punished and saying you are beyond redemption forever.One is justice restrained by humility.The other risks becoming judgment without end.And no human institution possesses moral certainty to make that judgment absolutely.That lies with God in the world.

Thank you.Thank you, Mr. Rowland.Your Honor, I told you in the opening statements that we were going to do something a little bit different when we called upon some perspectives of people that don't even know Corey, but that have been through this horrific journey through no choice of their own.One is from a mother whose son was murdered.Again, we're going to just share her name with only the court and the prosecution.I'm going to roll Judge Richard Morozik.

I'm going to skip the names, including the name of her son.My son was murdered almost 30 years ago in a random act of violence.He was only 18 years old.The man who killed him was just a few months older.I know the kind of grief that changes your life.I have felt the despair, darkness, and rage that comes from that loss.

I know what it's like to try to rebuild your life with a heart that will never be whole again.And I know what it feels like to believe that the only thing that will ease that pain is inflicting pain on the person responsible for never getting another day with the one you love.I grieve with the family of Eric Richens.I am happy.for them, especially his children.And I want to be clear that nothing I'm sharing today about the criminal justice system and its many failings should be taken as any sort of criticism of them and how they feel or act in their grief.

But I feel compelled to share my perspective with the court because I wish I had known what might be on the other side of experiencing the grief of losing my son and trying to navigate the criminal justice process at the same time.And I don't envy the decisions you have to make.I only want to tell you a little of what one brokenhearted mother has learned.And that is that the criminal justice system needs more humanity.It needs more mercy.And I know this because of the man who murdered my son.

Sending someone to prison without the possibility of parole should be reserved for the very rare, absolutely most heinous cases.Sending someone to prison without the possibility of parole is to decide they are irredeemable, that they are not capable of change, and will never be worthy of our trust again.It is a fate so bleak, I am not sure how anyone survives it, let alone do what my son's killer did.He went into the worst place imaginable and found a way to be a better human being.He spent the first 18 years of his adult life in maximum security.Those who are sentenced to life without the possibility of parole have few opportunities to participate in programs or work because resources are limited.

And why would they waste them on someone who's never getting out of prison?The criminal justice system has gotten better and better at punishment.Mercy has almost been extinguished.We're supposed to find a balance.We're supposed to remember that these are human beings and these decisions will ripple through generations, even strangers.I am afraid of the increasing number of people sentenced to life without even the possibility of parole.

we've decided it's easier to throw people away than to try and help them change or even allow them to try and make amends for their mistakes.Far too often we let our fear and our pain put the focus on punishment with no consideration for mercy.I did that.I wanted the man who killed my son to die.I wanted him to suffer.I didn't care what happened to him as long as he never got out of prison.

But as much as I know about pain and loss, I know more about hope and forgiveness.And that's thanks in part to the man who killed my son.He was sent to one of the worst places in the world and became one of the best people I know.Nearly 20 years after my son's death, I received a letter he wrote expressing his sorrow and his remorse.His apology helped me deal, heal, I'm sorry, his apology helped me heal.deepened my forgiveness, and created a bond that continues to bless the lives of many people.

I know that every case is different, but I also know the power of hope.I believe in second chances.I believe a life sentence imposes punishment without destroying hope.My personal hope for Corey is that she does what that individual did, that she finds a way to become a better person no matter what.I thank you for taking the time to read this letter.I know it's a heavy burden to make this decision.

express love and support to those involved, and pray we'll all be better to each other.And then I also would have one more, and then we have someone who's gonna testify on Webex.Speak on Webex.Speak on Webex, not testify.Sorry, speak on Webex.This is very short, Your Honor.

It is from a former prosecutor that imposed these types of punishments.Also, I'm keeping his name private.As a matter of fact, I'm gonna skip the very firstsentence because it would reveal who he is.So I'll just let the court read the first sentence quietly.I was in charge of the prosecution of a young man who committed two serious homicides at the Long Haven restaurant.

He was prosecuted and found guilty.He was sentenced to two consecutive fact of life terms.20 years later, while no longer a prosecutor, I happened to be at the Utah State Prison on government business.I was given a tour of the Prison Industries Unit, and I saw an individual sitting at a large desk in front of a bank of computers.I asked about him, and was told that he was the individual who had committed the crimes at Lock Haven.I was told he was a model inmate, spoke five languages, had two master's degrees from Utah State, and was used as a go -between when there was unrest among inmates.

He was respected by his fellow inmates.He was indispensable at the industries and had set up the entire computer system to run the unit.Coincidentally, the very next day I was speaking with the son -in -law of the father of one of the victims.He related to me how there had been a complete reconciliation between their family and the killer of their son.They had long ago forgiven him and wondered if I could help getting him paroled.I still had connections in the criminal justice system and I told them I would try.

I subsequently met with him at the prison, and I was equally impressed with how he had turned his life around.We were able to get him an expedited parole hearing.Tragically, he died from suicide a few months later when he was falsely accused of inappropriate access of the state computer system and removed from his position into a secure unit of the prison.This case was a textbook lesson of how rehabilitation can work.He was not the same hockey, druggy, that we sent to prison 20 years ago.I saw absolutely no reason why he needed to spend more years in custody.

Even his fellow inmates told me they were convinced he had done everything to reform himself and become a valuable member of society.I agree.Keeping someone incarcerated when they've proven themselves is just plain wrong.Prison sentences without possibility of parole create the same issue.I believe it should be reserved for the most violent and dangerous of individuals.Thank you for taking the time to read this.

And then Ms. Lewis will introduce the final speaker, and then she'll have her comments, and then we'll take that break.what the three children of Corrie are going through.When Emery was 12, I believe, she concurrently had her mother.Her father violently killed her mother while she and her brother were in the next room.He was convicted.The state was seeking death, but ultimately, he, at that time, when the jury could decide unanimously on death, he was sentenced to life.

with the possibility of parole.And I'm going to let Emery take it from there and see what she wants to say.Emery, please proceed.Thank you, Judge.Good afternoon.I was asked here today to speak about a personal experience.

My name is Emery Blanchard.I grew up in Park City.And in 1995, when I was 13, my father murdered my mother, Patty.It was a brutal and premeditated murder, and I was in the house when it happened and witnessed it.It was a death penalty case, but my father was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.At the time, I wanted him to go to prison for a long time, and I didn't want to see him again.

I was afraid for my life and safety as well.My mother's parents and uncle raised me.We would refuse phone calls from the prison, but my family collected every letter he sent and saved them in boxes just in case I ever wanted to read them.In a short four years, when I was about to turn 18, I decided I wanted to see my dad.I had questions regarding the murder that I needed answered for my own mental health.My amazing grandmother offered to take me to the prison while I was a minor if I wanted to see my dad.

I wanted to spare her from having to face the man who killed her daughter, so I waited until I was 18 and could go to the prison on my own.I didn't know if I would be fearful of my father, or perhaps even so angry that I might attack him.None of that happened.The moment I saw him for the first time in over four years, he simply hung his head and said to me, I'm sorry.We both burst into tears and held each other.I felt safe and as whole as possible again in his embrace.

Yes, this was the man who killed my wonderful mother, but at that moment I realized he was still my dad.I still needed him.The next decades were good at times and very hard at times.Many years I visited my dad often in prison.Some years were exceptionally hard for me and I chose not to see him at all.I experienced a full range of emotions and all of them were valid.

I knew for my own health and peace I had to learn to let go and forgive.No easy task, but this is when I truly mastered empathy and compassion.My father served 25 years until his first parole hearing.I was for parole, but nevertheless, he was denied and given another five years.At his age, I knew it was a death sentence, and it was.Just last year, after 30 years of incarceration, he died four days shy of his 81st birthday.

My second worst nightmare came true, the first being my mom being murdered.I was not able to see him while he was dying.There was no compassionate release.Some may say he deserved that, and maybe he did.I can tell you that no amount of time served ever made this situation right.20 years, 30 years, and even death.

None of it can bring back my mom or repair the immeasurable damage that he caused me and my family.Once 20 years had passed, my grandmother even said to me, it's been long enough.You want your dad.I wanted my mom, but I did still have a living parent, and I needed him.I don't tell you this story to tell you how to feel, or that I understand how you feel.I'm offering that hearts and feelings can change over the years.

To honor my mother, I'm a victim advocate who supports people in domestic violence situations, and I now help people with PTSD.heal at my ranch in southern Utah using nature, horses, and farm animals as teachers.I teach compassion for humans and animals alike, and I found a way to turn my pain into purpose.But I will tell you honestly that life is still hard, and losing both of my parents at that young age harmed me greatly and left me with a very sad and lonely heart.No amount of prison time made me feel better, and in the later years, my father's incarceration wore on me severely.What I will leave you with is this.

Hold tightly to the good memories of your father, and in time, perhaps your mother too.Cling to your family and siblings for love and support.Please let love reside in your hearts and not hate.I pray for your family and for your peace and healing.Thank you for allowing me to speak today.Emery, thank you very much.

Thank you, Emery.There is so much more to sentencing a person than punishment.That is why in sentencing someone, the court must consider the totality of the circumstances, the whole person, and who that person is beyond their worst habit.In their sentencing memo, the state cited to State v. Holland, which was a death penalty case.State quoted the court as follows, the psychological reality is that aggravating circumstances in first degree murder cases will virtually always outweigh mitigating circumstances.However, what the state looked at is what the court said next, which was that the 8th Amendment doesn't allow the death penalty in every case.

And courts must take a long, hard look at the totality of the circumstances, the values of society, and the value of all human life.And though this is not a death penalty case, the same would apply to a sentence of life without possible parole.Ms. Nestor spoke a little bit about what a life without parole sentence looks like.Lockdown for 23 hours a day.If we treated our dogs like this, they would be taken away.This is how the state wants Cory Richards to be treated.

A sentence of life without parole is safe for only the most heinous of crimes.The state wants to place Cory in that category.They say she is in that category.But this simply is not the type of crime that we typically see get a sentence of life without parole.Currently, there are approximately only 72 people in Utah serving this sentence.These include people such as Edward Delly, the co -defendant of Vaughn Taylor, who is currently on death row.

They killed two women, kidnapped two young girls, and attempted to kill those girls' father by lighting their cabin on fire.I believe that was in Summit County.It includes Daniel Ray Troyer, a serial killer and rapist of women in their 80s.He was convicted of killing two women, admitted to a third, and likely killed a fourth.I'm sure you're aware of him.It includes Matthew John Breck, who kidnapped a 10 -year -old girl, stabbed her multiple times, severed her spinal cord, and left her dead on her front porch.

It includes numerous individuals who murdered children, some who murdered police officers.There are only a handful of people serving life.without the possibility of parole for killing a spouse.And in all but one of these that I could find, they killed more than just their spouse.They are individuals who killed their spouse and a child, or killed their spouse and someone else in the process.The only one I'm aware of who killed a spouse and no other individual is Craig Crawford, who set fire to the home of his estranged husband, leaving him to die in the fire.

And then there are individuals serving sentences of 15 to life, who committed arguably more heinous acts than what Corey Richards has been convicted of.Eric Sampson abused his wife for 28 years, ultimately killing her in their St. George home, leaving her dead in their bed.He continues to maintain his innocence, and he's serving 15 to life.John Weston Erickson stabbed his wife to death in front of their two young children, also injuring his seven -year -old daughter, who attempted to wrestle the knife out of his hand, serving 15 to life.Joseph Castillo, his wife, stabbed his wife to death in their garage while his teenage son tried to stop the attack.These men are all serving 15 to life sentences.

There are many more examples.Murder is the worst of all crimes, but to say that this particular case is the worst of the worst is simply not true.The state chose the evidence they put forth to obtain their conviction, yet they are not satisfied with what was presented in this court and to the jury.And instead, they waited until two days before the sentencing hearing and publicly filed what can only be described as a character assassination.filled with unsubstantiated claims from unknown and unsworn sources.She will never be cross examined about these claims.

The timing of this filing was no coincidence and left no time for our team to arrange rebuttal witnesses for evidence.Furthermore, it appears that the sentencing memo was not a so subtle attempt to get into the public eye evidence they elected to hold back from their case -in -chief, and that were precluded from presenting when Ms. Roachman exercised her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and submitted the case to the jury without putting on any evidence.To allow the state to use the sentencing hearing as a public platform to make new unsworn allegations, untested by cross -examination or sufficient investigation, would violate Ms. Richen's right to due process and would be contrary to the Utah Supreme Court's finding in State v. Lilesic, which stated that stating that the due process clause of Article 1, Section 7 of the Utah Constitution requires that a sentencing judge act on reasonably reliable and relevant information and exercising discretion in fixing a sentence.The state's memo should be stricter in its entirety and not considered by this court.Not only are the claims made by the state in their sentencing memo unreliable and irrelevant, much of what they argue is either misleading or outright false.I'm not going to go into everything that we take issue with, but I do want to point out a couple of examples.

They state that DCFS supported a finding of emotional and physical abuse by Corrie against her oldest son.What actually happened is that DCFS made an initial finding based solely on reports.This is similar to a probable cause finding that then sends the matter to the juvenile court.The court, however, did not find that Corrie had abused or neglected her children.They found dependent, but no fault.In other words, that the children needed intervention, but due to no fault of Corrie Richards, due only to the fact that she had been arrested.

They did not even find that she had acted negligently.towards her children.The state put forth at length what they believe Corey's middle son, AR, would have testified to had they been able to call in a rebuttal.Although it is true that Ashton said these things three years after the death of his father and after conversations with Eric's family members, this is very different than what he said to law enforcement immediately upon Corey's arrest a year after Eric's death.At that time, his statements were completely consistent with Corey's.that she, Corrie, had gone to sleep in his room the night his father died.

The state argues that Corrie's boys are afraid in part because she still maintains life insurance policies on them.Corrie was of the belief that these policies were no longer in existence, since she had not made any payments on them in over three years.And in fact, a letter was sent, or an email was sent from Brian Farquharton, who testified, to Ronnie Darden, as Ronnie is the owner on these policies, that the This was over a year ago, that the life insurance policies are lapsing, and wanted to let them know if they chose to do anything about that, which they did not do anything about that.So we only discovered yesterday, Cory only discovered yesterday that at least two of these policies are still active, as the payments have been automatically taken out of dividends.So in other words, the policies have been paying for themselves.These are policies that Eric and Cory took out together in 2017.

However, now that Cory knows that these are still active, she will cancel them.Hopefully, in all sincerity, this will be one less thing for those boys to worry about.Corrie never asked her family to report criminal activity or ask for criminal prosecutions against any of the Richards family or against Cody Wright.She never asked family members to file bar complaints.And until yesterday, neither Corrie nor anyone from her team had ever heard anything about any of this.profile being set up online in the name of a leak detective.

She did none of these things and if they were done by others it was not her request.We are asking the court to discount any and all allegations in the Sunsea Memo that have not been previously raised in court and are to be stricken from the record.The court does have before it reasonable and reliable testimony from individuals who know Corey or who have unique perspectives on the sentence of life without parole that may assist this court in discerning the appropriate and proportionate punishment in this case.The testimony of these individuals revealed that Corey is so much more than what she has been portrayed as in this case.Everyone who was around her said she was a wonderful mother, just like Eric was a wonderful father.The state argues that she shows no remorse.

Cory has remorse, and she has regrets about many things.And you're going to hear some of those when she speaks.However, she cannot show remorse over something she did not do.She maintains her innocence and has every right to do so.Having said that, however, she stands before this court today convicted of the crimes charged, and she fully understands that.So sentence her on what she was convicted of, not what the prosecution says about her character.

As much as they think they know her, they do not.They do not know Cory Richards.Like Alex said, you're saddened.by this case.We were saddened by the verdict.I respect the court system so much.

I come from a family of judges and attorneys.I was raised with the utmost respect for our justice system.I disagree with the verdict, but I respect it.I have to say though, in all the years of practicing what you're now doing,a few, this is the first time I've had a client convicted that I believe to be innocent.It was much more painful than I anticipated, would have anticipated.

Over the last two years, our team has gotten to know Corey.Corey is one of those clients, very few clients, and I've represented thousands of people.Most of them, you don't remember.Many of them, you don't like.Many of them, some of them, you feel are dangerous.But Corey is different.

Corey, every time she calls, asks how we are.There have been times when I've shared bits of my life with Corey, particularly having children that lost their father before age 10.We've talked a lot about that and what that does to children in the best of circumstances.I can't imagine, I can't imagine had my boys not had me.The pain and suffering and the long -term effect that it's had on them will never, ever end.But when I share something with Corey, when I share that someone is ill or that someone's having a problem, sometimes I don't even remember I've said it.

And when she calls me, she always asks, how did that turn out?Is your family member OK?Before we talk about her every day.The state is not only asking for life without the possibility of parole, they're asking for consecutive sentences.The sentences in this matter should run concurrent to one another.Pursuant to the line of cases, Strunk, Ghali, and Smith, the sentencing statute favors concurrent sentences.

And looking at this case, I think it'simposing consecutive sentence would constitute an abuse of discretion.In State v. Gray, the Utah Court of Appeals cited Golley and Strunk, holding that the Board of Prisons' ability to ground parole is an integrated component of the rehabilitative needs factor that must be balanced with other required factors.Even though the statutory language has been modified since Strunk, Golley, and Smith, the language still applies.And the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals still looks to that language.The board should still be allowed to function and make the decision in regarding the rehabilitative needs of the surgeons.

Running sentences consecutive to a sentence of life without parole is senseless.And if this court imposes a sentence of 25 to life on the aggravated murder, but runs the other charges consecutive, the effect will be the same.She will likely never get the opportunity for parole.I don't think that's true.Have you run the initial guideline?It's a genuine question.

Yes.I think it only adds.The guideline on the attempted murder is 192 months.It only adds 41 months.Is that correct?Before she's eligible for parole.

Right.Well, I'm going to come back to that.Yeah.If you're running the guideline differently, I'd like to know.I mean, no.I'm not running the guidelines differently.

But the sentence is, you know, Well, I'm going to talk about this.I understand your larger point, and I apologize for not speaking to you.But if you do have a different running of the guidelines, those forms are not obvious.I'd appreciate it.Well, I would say a sentence of 25 to life, and then if she serves additional time, does not guarantee parole.And I'm going to talk more about that.

OK.And it's almost unheard of for someone to be paroled at their first parole hearing on these serious offenses.And looking at the totality, there are medicators.Cori has no criminal history, had no criminal history, at the time of Eric's death.She was involved in positive ways in her community.She volunteered regularly.

She headed up a sub for Santa every year.She was a friend, a daughter, and a mother, and excelled in each role.She educated herself.She was involved in every aspect of her son's lives.There is no reason to hold her in prison for life.We ask this court to impose a sentence of 25 years to life.

When you put aside all of the media, all of the interests, and you look at the crime she is convicted of, this is an appropriate sentence.A sentence of 25 to life is not a sentence that guarantees the release of court origins.It is not saying that she even should be released.What it is saying is that the decision whether she should be released is a decision for someone else to make on another day.A day that will be, at a minimum, 25 to 30 years in the future.A future that could look very different than today.

Although today is not a day for forgiveness, that day may come.A sentence that allows for parole is a sentence that gives a pathway to forgiveness.You heard from Emery Blanchard, the only person in this room that understands what the Richens boys have been through.You heard how the day came when she missed her father.She wanted her father in her life.I know that she came to a place that she hoped to spend one more day outside of the prison walls with her father.

And that day didn't come.He was now paroled, and he died in prison.I don't minimize what Cory's boys are saying today.I understand it's contradictory to what other people are saying regarding Cory as a mother.I don't know why they're saying these things, but what they think and feel today, they are allowed to think and feel those things.They should be.

Their feelings are valid, and it's OK.And I think Cory will say this too, but she wants her boys to know it's OK.People change.All of us change.The quarry will change.Those little boys will change.

A sentence of 25 to life will not be easy time.It will be hard time.The first part of that sentence generally served in maximum security for the first three to four years.But if the day comes when her children want to see her face to face, a 25 to life sentence will make that easier for them.If they, like Emery, decide someday they want a relationship with her, even one behind the walls of the prison, a 25 to life will make that possible.And a sentence with the possibility of parole, like I said, does not mean she will be paroled.

very possible she will spend her life in prison.And quite frankly, if her case does not come back on appeal and she is in prison and she maintains her innocence, it's highly unlikely.The Board of Pardons is uniquely qualified to make that decision.That is their job.And it is a particularly important job in the most serious of convictions.They will be the ones looking at a woman who will then be in her 60s or possibly 70s.

They will decide if she has been rehabilitated and if she is a danger to the community.These are not decisions that can be made today.We don't stand here today asking you to give her a second chance.We ask you to let those best qualified make that decision when the time comes.When Cory's and Eric's boys are grown.When they can tell the board if they feel the same way that they do today.

You heard a letter read today from a woman who once stood in the shoes of the Richards family.As sentencing, she wanted life without parole for her son's killer.Now she does not.She has changed.Her views of prison have changed and her feelings towards the man that took her son's life has been changed.But a life without the possibility of plural, the sentence, cannot be changed.

If Corey and Eric's voice someday changed their mind, and it is too late to say something different than what they've said today, this day will become one more day that haunts them.If in 30 years they still do feel as they do today, they will have the opportunity to express those feelings.But don't allow their statements at age 9, 12, and 13 become another tragedy, another trauma, that they may end up suffering as adults.A sentence that doesn't allow even the possibility of parole is a sentence that tells the world there is no hope, there is no growth, there is no change, there is no room for forgiveness, there is no room for love.That we are all our worst act, and we'll never be anything more, and that is not the human experience.In a world where humanity is waning with humanity, in a world where hatred is encouraged, act with kindness.

In a world where forgiveness is seen as a weakness, act with compassion.A sentence of 25 to life with the other charges trying to incur it reflects theseriousness of the suspense, takes into consideration the totality of the circumstances.Further, it follows the recommendation of the pre -sentence report, and it is the appropriate sentence.1255, we're going to take a break until 25 to make sure Ms. Richards gets an opportunity to use the restroom and eat something.Mr. Butler, if you look like you have something to say.

I can have this firm in hand, because I would like to make it clear, in case there was any ambiguity, that the court has considered and is denying defendants' request to strike portions of the state's sentencing memorandum.Yes, thank you.The court will be in recess until 12, oh, I'm sorry, 125.Let's make sure that Ms. Richens gets something to eat.We're back on the record, 231 -500 -139.Ms. Lewis, Ms. Nestor, anything further before we hear from Ms. Richens?

No, Your Honor.Okay, I understand that Ms. Richens would like to stand at the podium?Yes, Your Honor.And you folks would like to join her?Yes, Your Honor.No problem.

Okay, I'll open the door.Baby boys, I know that today you don't want to speak to me,have a relationship with me, or you may think you hate me.And that's okay.I will never be angry at you for your feelings.When the day comes that you're ready, I will be here for you, waiting for you and loving you.

But I need you boys to know and understand that I have been desperately trying to get in contact with you any way that I can for years.That all of my communication has been completely cut off from you since early 2024.And now I will use any opportunity I can to get a message to you, even if that means sharing it publicly to the world, fully restrained, in my jail clothes, in one of the most horrible situations possible.I don't care, and I'm not embarrassed or ashamed by any of it.All I care about is you boys.I will do whatever it takes for you to hear the truth from me and to come home to you.

For the time being, I don't know when that is or when my next opportunity will be.So for now, bear with me. as I have tried to consolidate everything I've wanted to share with you for the last few years, with everything I want you to know until I'm able to speak to you again, and one long message.And although you may not be ready to hear it today, that's OK.My hope is one day you will be.May 6 of 2024, temporary custody was transferred from the state of Utah Child Services to your Aunt Katie and Uncle Clint.My last video call with you boys is several weeks prior to that, around April 24, 2024.

when you were still in the state's custody.Once temporary custody was transferred to Katie and Quinn, against my wishes.they cut off all of my communication between you boys and I.It was years before I would ever have a trial.I warned social services that if they gave custody of you to the Ridgens family, it would be the last time I would be able to see or speak to you boys again.And your opinion of me, in this case, and wild allegations would soon mirror those of the Ridgens family.

And that's exactly what happened.You need to know the dark side of the family.fought a long, hard battle for custody, but was eventually ignored and denied.Since temporary custody was granted to Katie and Clint, they have not allowed me to see or speak to you.No more video calls, no more visits.They blocked the phone number for the jail so I can't call you.

Birthday cards, Christmas cards, the letters I would send you boys, they were all returned or rerouted.All of my contact was cut off more than two years ago.So please, please ask them.Ask them for your cards, for your letters, If I tried calling you, please just ask them whether I've earned 10 years.The one thing I need you boys to know, I did not just walk out of your lives one day to never return, to never call, to never show up.What anyone tells you, I would never ever leave you boys.

And I am so sorry if for even one second you thought that I did.If for even one second you thought that I didn't love you.Because that couldn't be further from the truth.You boys are my world, the reason I continue to wake up every day and fight to come home.You're my reason for living.I understand that you're in a difficult situation mentally, emotionally, and physically.

I understand you guys have been through an extremely difficult time this past four years.You should never have to deal with such tragedy.And I am so, so sorry that you are going through this.You boys have the right to be angry and sad and confused, feel in survival mode, have questions.All of this is completely valid.Your feelings are completely valid.

And one day when this is all over, we can sit down and talk about all of this and sort it all out.And I promise you boys one day it will be over.I'm not perfect.I have succeeded and I have failed as a person, as a wife, As a parent, we all do.I have done plenty of things I am not proud of.Some I regret, some I don't.

Some I'm ashamed of, and some I'm not.I regret things I have done right in my life to later find out they were for the wrong people.I have said things I shouldn't have.I've done things I shouldn't have.Sometimes I haven't said what I should or not meant what I did say.There are things I can't change and long overdue apologies that I owe.

There are what ifs and could ifs.and should have's.We all have them.We have all done them.And you boys will too one day, but in your own way.And that's okay.

That's life and we're human.Nobody is all good or all bad.We just get portrayed that way.You're going to succeed and achieve amazing things in this life.You're also going to make mistakes and fail at some things, but use those opportunities to grow and to learn.They do not define you, and don't ever let other people make you think that they do.

We are not defined by our best or our worst moments.We fall somewhere in the middle, ever -evolving, and you boys are ever -evolving.Secrets diminish self -respect.They lose trust.They make us lose ourself.I fell in love with someone who wasn't your dad.

Your dad fell in love with someone who wasn't me. I did things behind your dad's back.He did things behind mine.Don't keep secrets.Always put your spouse first.Your dad and I didn't always do this, but don't be like us in that aspect.We made mistakes that I know I regret, and I'm sure if he were here today, he would say that there are a few things he regrets as well.

Marriage is hard.Marriage takes work.Marriage takes love.Big love.Deep love.And you may think about divorce, and you will have fights, but then you will make up, and you will forgive each other.

Because when your love is enough,your love keeps you together.Your love is all you need to ignore the noise.Your love never fails.Sometimes your dad would want to throw in the towel on our marriage, or I would want to throw in the towel on our marriage, but we never did.We always found our way back to each other.

I would pick up his towel, or he would pick up mine.We'd hand them back to each other and start again, because our love never failed.We stopped keeping track of each other's wrongdoings, and we forgave, and we moved on, and we loved.And if I had to relive all of those hard days all over again, I would do it without question.Your dad and I were a lot of things, a mess of sorts sometimes.But we were this crazy, beautiful mess that made us a family, because our love was enough.

Hard days never outweighed our good days.Our weak moments never outweighed our most memorable happy days.We always laughed more than we cried things.But we never failed at loving you boys.It was enough to make our house a home.Love was enough to stay together, to raise you boys.

Our love was enough to forgive each other when others said that we shouldn't.To do things for each other others may disagree with.Our love was enough to protect each other, even though it may cost us everything.Love can make you lose yourself.Sometimes it makes you do things for yourself.you shouldn't, but knowing it's not wrong at the same time.

Because your spouse is your person and your love is enough.You will meet someone, fall in love, and understand that just your love is enough.Enough to withstand everything else, the noise of the world, the obstacles, the trials of marriage, the heartache, bad choices, forgiveness.You will understand your love is enough and your love never fails.Don't worry about what others think about your relationship.Don't worry if they would do things differently.

You just love.And you love big, and you love deep, and you protect your love.Your dad and I didn't have it all together.Together, we really did have it all, because we had you three.You can choose the direction of your life by their opinions and their judgments.Being able to hold yourself together in the worst of situations doesn't make you emotionless.

Separating personal and business life and emotions doesn't make you unreasonable.Resentment can get the best of others.Don't let it get the best of you.People will always have a lot to say about lives they've never lived.Live your life the way you choose to live it.Just be safe, and be healthy, and be happy.

That's all that matters.Sometimes people will want you to quit.that life is simply black and white, that situations are black and white, but they're not.Life, situations, they are full of color.At the very least, shades of gray.Always question the color, even if you're only questioning the gray areas.

Keep an open mind, question situations, and stay curious.You'll have some people in your life tell you how their love for you is unconditional.But once your most private life has been revealed, you quickly find out just how conditional their love actually was.Choose the people you hold close to your heart wisely, and always be the friend that walks into somebody's life when everyone else chooses to walk out.Always remember, the only people you owe your loyalty to are those people who never made you question theirs.Every day you wake up, you get a second chance at life to do whatever you want, be whoever you want, to succeed in all your dreams.

Take the day and run with it.It's a blessing.Don't take it for granted.Sometimes, you will have hard days when all you want to do is count all the ways things are going wrong or have gone wrong in your life.In that moment, stop, take a minute, take a step back, take a breath, and switch your thinking to count all the ways that it has gone right, all good that has come to you boys, all the grace, the blessings, and the love.Remember that anyone can give up on something.

That's the easy way out.True strength comes when everyone has the strengthyou to fall apart, but you hold it together.Persevering through the hardest of times.Always persevere.Always prove them wrong.

Because you boys don't give up, and you boys will never quit.There's always going to be someone out there ready to tear you down, misrepresent you, lie about you, tell half -truths, and judge you.They will judge you on decisions you do or don't make, what you did or didn't do, what you did or didn't say, they will take out a context and twist your words.They will judge you on your emotions or the way you grieve.You may show too much emotion, you may not show enough.They will tell you you're not grieving correctly, you're too angry, you're too sad, you're holding it together too well or not well enough, or maybe you're too ambitious.

They will judge you on your demeanor, if you cry, if you don't cry, if you don't do anything at all, and all of this will get misinterpreted into something that it's not.formed by the opinions of who's ever creating it.And then silence is also too often misinterpreted and misjudged.But when people behave that way, it has much more to do with them personally than it does you.Everyone's entitled to their opinion.It doesn't make it true.

Remember who you are and what you stand for, the truth, and ignore the noise.Ignore their noise.Ignore their egos, their entitlement, and their biased judgment.Those who abuse the power and the positions they hold will have a higher power to report to one day.And that higher power holds the final truth, their final truth.Don't ever let someone tell you how to show emotion, how you're supposed to react to any given situation.

Don't care what others think about you, what others say about you.just let them talk.Just be you, be yourself, be authentic, be genuine.Because those who truly know you, who truly love you, is all you need.Forgive those who turn their back on you, but never forget, don't hold hate in your heart toward others.It only brings you down more than it does them.

Apologize when you're wrong, even if that apology is long overdue.You can't change what you can't change, and you can't change the past.But you can take accountability when you mess up.Admit when you make a mistake, even when it's embarrassing or humiliating, even when it can ruin relationships, careers, or your integrity.Be honest with yourself and those you need to.But never apologize for something you didn't do.

Never admit to something you didn't do.And never beg for mercy for something you didn't do.Don't take the easy way out.Always stand up for what's right, even if you find yourself standing alone or with a small group of people that love you.Believe in yourself and be brave.Never give up on your fight, no matter how long it takes.

Months, even years.Never give up on truth, justice, and the fight of corruption.When something is broken, fix it.When something doesn't make sense, question it.If money is paying for it, follow the money.Your brothers are your best friends.

Your dad and I raised you boys.If you care about nothing else,in this world, you care about each other.Your brothers will always be there for you.They will always be your brothers.You love them.

You protect them.You take care of each other.You support each other.You help each other.And you trust one another.You be loyal.

You keep each other safe and healthy and happy.And you stay together no matter what.Give each other's back.Be patient with one another.Keep track of wrongdoings.Let them go.

Give passion and empathy toward each other.Never go on a date without telling one another you love each other.Because you are never too old, or too cool, or too busy to love each other.Settle for just good, go for great in school, in your career, in hunting, fishing, in your relationships, in your goals.Exceed expectations.Be like your dad.

Be generous.Be charitable.Stay humble.Give when you have too much.Give more than you take or need.Serve your community like your dad.

Never stop learning through education, people, travel, culture, through business and friends, from your success and achievements, from your mistakes and failures.Be like your dad first.Find your peace, your there soul, somewhere where it's those that you love and miss the most.Like your dad.you want to cry.Laugh when you're mad.

Recognize that no one will ever forget.Even when you're gone.Be like your dad.Love your family.Through the good, agreements, back and forth arguments.It's forgiveness, love, happiness.

Be a loyal brother.Be a noble son.Like your dad.That bring you excitement and joy.That give you a break from life.But build your life full of people and family who you love and that love you.

Build a family that makes you happy to come home to every day.With a career that makes you hold your head high.I wanted to give you every opportunity or choice that we didn't have.We would do anything for you boys or break our backs falling over obstacles and finding our way to be sure you have the best of the best.Even if we didn't always do it well or have the right answers or the words, we would give you everything that we had.Can't give you boys what you want the most because I can't give you something that I don't have.

An explanation that I just don't know.Never lost a son.I've never lost one of my brothers, a nephew, or a best friend, a single mother, and I have lost my father.I do know what it's like to wonder if dad could have watched me graduate college, walk me down the aisle, be there for the birth of one of you boys, if only dad were here.I do know what that's like.I'm a pain, brings the sadness and the anger.

I would never wish that upon anyone, especially you boys and sweet babies.It's a lifetime of what ifs and if onlys, an empty hole in your heart where your dad's supposed to be.He's supposed to fill.He's supposed to walk through life with you, with us, with our family.I do know what that's like.So murder, an attempted murder, years later, and it's still hard for me to say those words out loud.

They get caught in my throat.I turn my stomach, and I try to avoid them as much as possible because it makes me physically sick to think about.But still to this day, I can't believe this is real sometimes, that this is our life, that this is my life.Convicted of taking one of the people out of my life and filled it with my husband, father of my children.Shocked and still in disbelief.Accused and now convicted of such a heinous crime.

Potentially costing me to never see you boys again.I just lost both of their parents.No textbook answer.What's to do?Is this to react or move forward?So sorry you boys are being pulled through the middle of this.

This absolute chaos between two families fighting that both love you so very much.Trust and assets, our home, you boys are what matter.Your safety, your health, mentally, emotionally.All of that should be being prioritized.I will and have always prioritized your safety.I am your mother, and that is my job.

And for anyone to scare you otherwise, it's just cruel and heartless.I'm sorry that eight people from a jury who have never met you or me or our family, the right to determine our future.And they did that in less than three hours.In a perfect world, there might be justice.But in a perfect world, nothing ever goes wrong.Tragedies don't happen.

Some think a verdict or the sentencing will be the answer that they seek or that they need, but it won't.It will only give them something else to think about for a while.It may help to disperse some of their hurt or their resentment, but it won't relieve it.This grief will outlive us all.The hundreds of lives that this has affected, the lifelong trauma you boys have suffered this last four years, will outlive us all.You haven't had to just endure losing one parent, but losing two.

And no child should ever have to go through that, especially when one was an unforeseen tragedy and the other based on injustice and a system we're supposed to trust.He will always be the kind that's a physical hurt, a tightening in your chest when you think of him, particularly on days like today, his birthday.He was so loved that no verdict or sentence will ever be able to release that kind of suffering.I'm broken.Broken without your dad.Broken without you boys.

God did not put me in this world to take a life.God put me in this world to give life, your lives, who or what I'm supposed to be if it's not a mother, your mother.As much as you've been influenced into thinking that dad was murdered, that I took your dad from you, that is completely wrong and an absolute lie.And the thought of that is still as absurd today as it was four years ago.And just because someone may not be perfect, that's a far reach for them to be capable of murder.to kill someone, our someone.

Your dad was in physical pain, a lot of physical pain.And just because some people didn't know or didn't want to see certain things doesn't mean they weren't happening or they weren't true.He would have never left us intentionally.And I would have never taken him from you, from us.He was the glue that held us all together, that made us us.I know how much you need him, how much you love him, how much you aspire to be just like him.

And I would have never taken that from you.And I'm so sorry that I can't bring him back for you, for me, for our family.I set myself up all day about how I could have been a better person or made better personal choices.And I can understand and accept you boys being upset about those things.But murder, no, absolutely not.I will not accept that.

And I will not be blamed for something I did not do.I will appeal and fight these charges, no matter how long it takes.Not because I have anything to prove to this court, to the state, to the Richens family, or to the world, but I do have something to prove to you three.I do care what you boys think, and I need you boys to know the truth.And because of that, I will never quit or give up on this fight for justice, the truth, and coming home to you.So please, I know that right now you may not believe me, that you believe I took dad from you, and that's okay.

I still and will always love you, and I'm asking that you please just don't give up on me. I'm coming home, not today, not this year, but we're going to make this right.Our justice system will get this right, although this courtroom can't seem to.We have a long road ahead, but I will never quit fighting my way home to you boys.I love you more than these words could ever express.you before I ever met you.To say it, I miss you boys more and more.

And I think about how much I wish I could be with you, but this nightmare would go away.This entiresituation isn't fair to anyone, but it's especially not fair to you three, and you boys are all that matters.I want to remind you just how strong you are, that you are loved by so many.And I am beyond proud of you, of everything you have overcome, everything you have achieved, and how much you bring into this world.You've been through so much, and I wish I could take away all your sadness and all your pain, tell you how much Dad and I love you, and that everything's going to be okay.

Try to count the purple cheeks.I wish I could help you through this year, laugh these days.But for now, the way it is, you have to be strong.You have to remember, strength grows in these moments, especially these hard days.Because in the end, at the end of this war, it will be so worth it.But I need you boys to always keep pushing through these hard days.

This will come to an end.I just need you to hang in there, listen to your little hearts, listen to your little bellies for the truth.Before you were told who to be and what to believe, remember who you are.Remember who we are.Remember our family.I will continue to call you every day, even if my calls are blocked, just so you know that I'm here.

I've always been here.And I will always be here.And letters were stopped.I will never stop.I love you forever.Gentlemen, a fair reminder.

While inside the courtroom, everyone involved in this process must be treated with respect.Do not have any outward reactions inside the courtroom.If any of you feel overcome with emotion, hatred, anger, whatever of any kind, please remember just to look down.Keep your hands folded in your lap.The court has considered the following information.The evidence, information, arguments, and recommendations provided by counsel on the record today.

The impact statements and other statements made on the record today regarding the appropriate sentence.And the pre -sentence investigation report as corrected on the record today, including the numerous statements attached to it.In addition, the court has considered each of the factors set forth in Utah Code 76 -3 -201 subsection 2B and has prioritized those factors as required by section 201 -2C.Having considered the gravity and circumstances of the offenses for which Ms. Richens has been convicted, the number of victims and available information regarding the history, character, and rehabilitative needs of the defendant.Court hereby orders that the sentences on counts two through five shall run consecutively to each other and to the sentence imposed on count one.Moreover, the court exercises its discretion and chooses to impose no fines related to any sentence in this case.

The court addresses the five counts on which Ms. Richens was convicted in reverse order.Ms. Richens, based on your conviction on count five, third -degree felony forgery, the court hereby sentences you to an indeterminate prison term not to exceed five years.Based on your conviction on count four, second -degree felony insurance fraud, the court hereby sentences you to a five -year sentence.prison term of not less than one and not more than 15 years.Based on your conviction on count three, second degree felony insurance fraud, the court hereby sentences you to an indeterminate prison term of not less than one and not more than 15 years.Based on your conviction on count two, First -degree felony attempted aggravated murder.

The court hereby sentences you to an indeterminate prison term of not less than five years, and that may be for life.Which brings us to the final issue, the appropriate sentence for count.Under Utah Code 76 -3 -207 .7, there are only two options, an indeterminate prison term of not less than 25 years, and that may be for life, or life in prison without parole.And the law requires that the court consider each option.Under a sentence of 25 to life, and considering the effect of the four consecutive sentences, the time that Ms. Richens has spent in custody, and the current practices of the Board of Pardons and Parole, Ms. Richens would likely serve approximately 30 years in the Utah State Prison before receiving her first parole hearing.By that time, she would be 66 years old.

Under a sentence of life in prison without parole, Ms. Richards would be in prison for the rest of her natural life unless the board of pardons and parole determines by clear and convincing evidence at some future point that she is permanently incapable of being a threat to the safety of society, at which time the board would have the authority to release her.Under either scenario, Ms. Richards will be incapacitated.meaning structurally prevented from harming anyone outside the Utah State prison system for at least the next three decades, and perhaps much longer.But the potential impact on the survivors of the tragedy created by Corey Richens, most importantly, Eric Richens' three sons, is more difficult to predict.On one hand, If the court sentences Ms. Richards to life without parole, one or more of those young men may come to resent that the court eliminated any opportunity they might have in the future, decades into the future, to express an opinion as adults with substantial life experience about whether their mother should, for example, be allowed to die with dignity.On the other hand, If the court sentences Ms. Richens to 25 to life, one or more of those young men may spend the next 30 years questioning why the court failed to protect them from the prospect of the person who murdered their father being released from prison at some time in the distant future, perhaps when they have families and children of their own.

The court's contemplation of how those young men may come to feel about today's decision some 30 years from now comes from a place of genuine concern for them and humility regarding the court's inability to predict the future.Sitting here today, it is simply not possible for anyone, not even those young men, to know how their view of this case may evolve over the next several days.My hope is that every person affected by Eric Rich's death will, over time, find their way to a state of peace.As for today, the court's duty is to make a decision, a weighty, long -lasting decision based on the best information available today.And the bottom line is this.Cory Richens was convicted unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt of attempting to murder Eric Richens, her husband, and the father of their three children.

And then, having failed in her first effort of spending the next 17 days not changing course, but doubling down, preparing to try again, and ultimately completing the act through the administration of poison.And for what?For pecuniary gain.A person convicted of committing that sequence of acts, in that way, and for that reason, and who causes the absolute tragedy that has befallen Eric Richen's sons and family, a person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to ever be free.Accordingly, Ms. Richens, based on your conviction on count one, first degree felony aggravated murder, The court hereby sentences you to life without parole.You have the right to an appeal.

You must file a notice of appeal within 30 days.You have the right to be represented by counsel on appeal.Mr. Bloodworth, anything further?No, Your Honor.Ms. Lewis, Ms. Nestor.Your Honor, we anticipate filing a motion for a new trial and would like a date set.

We have a substantial record in this case.We will file a notice of appeal of the conviction and the sentence, and ask that everything be stayed pending the motion for a new trial, as we're entitled to do under Rule 4B.But we think we need sufficient time to file a motion for a new trial based on the substantial record that exists in this case, longer than the typical 14 days, because this is Not only the trial itself, but the years of litigation and motion practice that preceded the trial.We were hoping that we could get an agreed deadline of 90 days to file a motion for new trial.Daily because for half of June, I'm out of the country, and for half of July, Lewis is out of the country.Normally we would ask for 60, but there's gonna be a month in there where both of us aren't available.

So we're asking for 90 days.Your Honor, this state objects.The rule provides for 14 days.I can't imagine this is a decision that was made today, I think.The counsel's had the last 53 days to prepare the motion, 14 days pursuant to the rule.I appreciate that it's a lengthy record in this case, but the issues available for the trial are fairly general.

The state recommends a 14 -day trial period as provided by the rule.There is one other thing, your honor, on that, as to why we need the extra time.So we have asked the county to retain an expert to assist toa declaration attached to our motion for new trial.And it's going to require us to go before a separate entity to decide whether that funding is approved.And that just takes time.

So that's another issue we need.I feel like there's more that I need to know in order to make this decision.I can also appreciate why a defendant is concerned about the 14 -day deadline so they do not lose that opportunity.Sitting here today with very little information and the state having very little opportunity to respond to this idea, I'll extend your deadline to 28 days.But within that time, if you want to file a motion to extend it this semester with more detail, you have 14 days to file that motion.14 days from now, they have an opportunity to make a deadline to file a motion to extend the 28 -day deadline.

If they don't, it's 28 days.Acknowledge that that 28 -day deadline may cause practical difficulties for the state's team, and if I need to extend the state's response deadline, I will certainly give that fair consideration.Is Mr. and Ms. Lewis anything else to add?Mr. Hitchens, you are hereby committed to the Utah State Prison and remanded to the custody of the Department of Corrections.This court is in recess.Please follow the deputy's instructions.

You are off the record.Take away all your sadness and all your pain.Tell you how much dad and I love you and that everything's going to be okay.Not the way it is.We have to be strong.We have to remember that our strength grows in these moments, but we don't think we can keep going on.

Keep going on through these hard days.At the end of this war, it will be so worth it.But I need you boys to always keep pushing through these hard days.I need you to hang in there to your little hearts.I want to believe you are who you are.Remember our family.

I will continue to call you every day, even if my calls are blocked.So you know that I'm here.I've always been here.Here.I love you forever.She says there, I wish I could take away all your sadness and your pain when referring to her boys.

Well, she should have thought about that before she took away these boys' father.Well, here are the judges ruling on the other side of the aisle.break.Folks, keep it right here on Court TV.Welcome back to Court TV Live.I'm Cody Thomas.

Now, Corey Richens has addressed the courts.Now it's time for the judge to address Richens and determine her fate.Let's get back inside that courtroom for the judge's sentence.All right, ladies and gentlemen, a fair reminder.Inside the courtroom, everyone involved in this process must be treated with respect.You cannot have any outward reactions inside the courtroom.

If any of you feel overcome with emotion, frustration, and anger, whatever.of any kind, just to look down, keep your hands folded in your lap.Consider the following information.The evidence, information, arguments, and recommendations provided by counsel on the record today.Fact statements and other statements made on the record today regarding the appropriate sentence.And the pre -sentence investigation report as corrected on the record today, including the numerous statements attached to it.

In addition, the court has considered each of the factors set forth in Utah Code 76 -3 -201, subsection 2b, and has prioritized those factors as required by section 201, 2c, having considered the gravity of the case.of the offenses for which Ms. Richens has been convicted, the number of victims, and available information regarding the history, character, and rehabilitative needs of the defendant.The court hereby orders that the sentences on counts 2 through 5 shall run consecutively to each other and to the sentence imposed on count one.Moreover, the court exercises its discretion and chooses to impose no fines related to any sentence in this case.Court addresses the five counts on which Ms. Richens was convicted in reverse order.Richens, based on your conviction on count five, third -degree felony forgery, the court hereby sentences you to an indeterminate prison term not to exceed five years.

Based on your conviction on count four, second -degree felony insurance fraud, the court hereby sentences you to an indeterminate prison term of not less than one and not more than 15 years.Based on your conviction on count three, second degree felony insurance fraud, the court hereby sentences you to an indeterminate prison term of not less than one and not more than 15 years.Based on your conviction on count two, first degree felony attempted aggravated murder, the court hereby sentences you to an indeterminate prison term of not less than five years, and that may be for life.Which brings us to the final issue.of the appropriate sentence for count one.Under Utah code 76 -3 -207 .7, there are only two options.

An indeterminate prison term of not less than 25 years.and that may be for life or life in prison without parole.And the law requires that the court consider each option.Under a sentence of 25 to life, and considering the effect of the four consecutive sentences, the time that Ms. Rich has spent in custody, and the current practices of the Board of Pardons and Parole, Ms. Richards would likely serve approximately 30 years in the Utah State Prison before receiving her first parole hearing.By that time, she would be 66 years old.Under a sentence of life in prison without parole, Ms. Richards would be in prison for the rest of her natural life.

Unless the board of pardons and parole determines by clear and convincing evidence at some future point that she is permanently incapable of being a threat to the safety of society, at which time the board would have the authority to release her.Under either scenario, Ms. Richards will be incapacitated, meaning structurally prevented from harming anyone outside the Utah State prison system.for at least the next three decades, and perhaps much longer.But the potential impact on the survivors of the tragedy created by Corey Richens, most importantly, Eric Richens' three sons, is more difficult to predict.On one hand, if the court sentences Ms. Richens to life without parole, One or more of those young men may come to resent that the court eliminated any opportunity they might have in the future, decades into the future, to express an opinion as adults with substantial life experience.about whether their mother should, for example, be allowed to die with dignity.

On the other hand, if the court sentences Ms. Richens to 25 to life, one or more of those young men may spend the next 30 years questioning why the court failed to protect them from the prospect of the person who murdered their father being released from prison at some time in the distant future, perhaps when they have families and children of their own.Court's contemplation of how those young men may come to feel about today's decision some 30 years from now comes from a place of genuine concern for them and humility regarding the court's inability to predict the future.Sitting here today, it is simply not possible for anyone, not even those young men, to know how their view of this case may evolve over the next several decades.My hope is that every person affected by Eric Richie's death will, over time, find their way to a state of peace.As for today, the court's duty is to make a decision.a weighty, long -lasting decision based on the best information available today.

And the bottom line is this.Cory Richens was convicted unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt of attempting to murder Eric Richens, her husband, and the father of their three children.And then, having failed in her first attempt,effort of spending the next 17 days not changing course, but doubling down, preparing to try again, and ultimately completing the act through the administration of poison.And for what?Money.

All for pecuniary gain.A person convicted of committing that sequence of acts in that way and for that reason, and who causes the absolute tragedy that has befallen Eric Richens' sons and family.A person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to ever be free.Accordingly, Ms. Richens, based on your conviction on count one, first -degree felony aggravated murder, the court hereby sentences you to life without parole.You have the right to appeal.You must file a notice of appeal within 30 days.

You have the right to be represented by counsel on appeal.Mr. Bloodworth, anything further?No, Your Honor.Ms. Lewis, Ms. Nestor?Your Honor, we anticipate filing a motion for a new trial, and when, like, a date's set, we have substantial record in this case.We will file a notice of appeal of the conviction and the sentence, and ask that everything be stated, pending the motion for a new trial, as we're entitled to do under Rule 4B.

We think we need sufficient time to file a motion for a new trial based on the substantial record that exists in this case, longer than the typical 14 days, because this is not only the trial itself, but the years of litigation and motion.that preceded the trial.We were hoping that we could get an agreed deadline of 90 days to file a motion for new trial, mainly because for half of June, I'm out of the country, and for half of July, Lewis is out of the country.Normally we would ask for 60, but there's gonna be a month in there where both of us aren't available.So we're asking for 90 days.John, as a state object, the vote provides for 14 days.

You can't imagine this is a decision that was made today, I think.Council has had the last 53 days to prepare the motion, 14 days pursuant to the rule.I appreciate that it's a lengthy record in this case, but the issues available for the trial are fairly narrow.The state recommends a 14 day period.That's true, by the way.There is one other thing, Your Honor, I'm not, this is why we need the extra time.

We have asked the county to retain an expert to assist to do a declaration attached to our motion for a new trial.And it's going to require us to go before a separate entity to decide whether that funding is approved.And that just takes time.So that's another issue we need.Or that I need to know in order to make this decision.And so.

I can also appreciate why defendant is concerned about the 14 -day deadline so they do not lose that opportunity.Sitting here today, very little information, and the state having very little opportunity to respond to this idea.I'll extend your deadline to 28 days, but within that time,if you want to file a motion to extend it this semester with more detail, you have 14 days to file that motion.Pass the clarification.14 days from now, they have an opportunity.

They have a deadline to file a motion to extend the 28 -day deadline.If they don't, it's 28 days.Gotcha.I acknowledge that that 28 -day deadline may cause practical difficulties for the state's team, and if I need to extend the state's response deadline, I will certainly give that fair consideration.Ms. Ness or Ms. Lewis, anything else today?No, sir.

Ms. Richards, you are hereby committed to the Utah State Prison and remanded to the custody of the Department of Corrections.This court is in recess.Please follow the deputy's instructions.We're off the record.Well, there it is.Life without parole.

As of now, Cori Richens will never see the light of day again after murdering her husband by poisoning him with a fentanyl -laced cocktail.We heard Cori speak to the court.She maintained her innocence with no accountability.Her attorney asked the judge to sentence her based on her conviction and not her character.Well, obviously, the judge saw life without parole as appropriate.Big news out of Utah today.

Cori Richens locked away forever.More after the break, right here on Court TV.I wish I could pay for it.Accordingly, Ms. Richens, based on your conviction on count one, first -degree felony aggravated murder.The court hereby sentences you to life without parole.Well, you heard it there.

The judge has ruled and has sentenced Corey Richens to life in prison without the possibility of parole.But seems like Richens will be fighting for an appeal, talking about a motion for a new trial.We'll have to see how that goes.But for right now, joining me to talk about this outcome, former deputy public defender in Los Angeles and my good friend, Philip Dubé.Philip, what are we making of this decision here, man?I mean, life without parole, that's pretty heavy.

Obviously, the judge viewed this case as, you know, especially aggravated because prosecutors argued there was prior planning there, and I guess that aggravation pointed toward the idea of future dangerousness, which led him right down that path to life without parole.Yeah, ultimately what it means is, A, he was not moved at all by her waterworks, and B, I think that whatever apology she gave through that to the court, and I think in the end, the judge basically found that she could not be rehabilitated ever to be returned to society, to reenter society, and that given the aggravated nature of this crime and all the factors surrounding it, that there was no way he was going to set her free by his gavel.There was just no way.We got to harken back to that evidence.Cody, remember what she did.She shopped around to find someone to get her the Michael Jackson strength of drug.

And it wasn't to enhance the moonwalk, OK?It was to get the job right.Come on.It was to kill him.The movie just came out now.Everyone's talking about it.

Exactly.She wasn't trying to get him to glide smooth forward and backwards.No.She wanted him to have an eternal dirt nap, not to sound crass.And her tears dropped.bench.

So he has seen this.He's impervious to the tears.He's also impervious to violent crime.And so he just did his weighing and balancing.And frankly, for all honest, Corey probably could have even got the death did her a big favor.Absolutely, and we talk about the pretty much I'm sorry to my son speech that she gave.

I don't know where she was going with that.She's giving them a marriage lesson.She's giving them this motherly lesson.Take accountability.Be like your dad, who's not here because I'm convicted of killing him, but be like your dad and do all these different things.I mean, you're telling them to take accountability, but you didn't take accountability at all sitting up here.

Exactly.And she could have done that all in a letter to her kid.She didn't have to do it on the record in open court like that, because if she thought that that was going to move the monolith toward life with parole, she was sadly mistaken.And my gut tells me I don't know her defense counsel.They probably told her to sit this one out and let us do the talking for you, because we don't think that it will have any effect on this bench.They know this judge.

They know how he rules.They know his sentencing schemes.And there is no way that the judge was going to fall below that.There was just no way.And again, like I said, she's lucky she didn't get the firing squad, because I'm telling you, they would unload and reload until they got the job done.And as far as, you know, future appeals, they heard some quick arguments they were having about the dates and when they're going to file that motion.

Do you see a future appeal, a motion for a new trial being granted?Oh, sure.Never granted.I see it filed.I see a lot of ink, toner and paper getting wasted, frankly.But you have a job to do as a defense attorney, you got to defend your client.

Absolutely.Phillip, stand by.Coming up, folks, a live report.from outside the courthouse with our live reporter who saw everything take place inside that courtroom in Utah.That's next at the top of the hour.Ms. Richens, based on your conviction on count one, first degree felony aggravated murder.

Court hereby sentences you to life without parole.Welcome back to Cory TV Live.I'm Cody Thomas.There you have it, Cory Richens sentenced to life without parole.But before that, she gave an emotional statement to the court addressing her children, telling them to be like their dad.Be like your dad.

Be generous.Be charitable.Stay humble.Give when you have too much.Give more than you take.When others are in need, serve your community.

Be like your dad.Be like your dad.Well, joining me now from outside that Park City, Utah courthouse, our eyes and ears inside that courtroom, Kathy Russell with Law and Crime Network.Kathy, great to see you, my friend.Love the royal blue jacket.Thank you for joining us this hour.

Talk to me about the atmosphere inside that courtroom.Who was there?Who was inside?What the emotional feeling was like inside?Talk to me about all of that.Yeah, I'm joining you now.

Windy Park City right at this moment.It was pretty emotional.It was very interesting because we had like the morning was all the victim side and then after the short lunch break, it was all the defense side.So definitely two different feelings inside that courtroom.Eric Richman's family filled up the first two rows and then to say, maybe 7 to 10 people there on her side, including her mother and her brother.So it's a little scary.

a little bit of tension in the air.I mean, everybody kept to themselves, but when the sisters were talking, there were tears being wiped away in the gallery.And then when Corey was talking, there were tears being wiped away from her family.So it was pretty emotional day.Yeah, Kathy, that was leading right into my next question about the dynamics between the two families.Of course, I imagine there's going to be tension here.

You have this woman, Corey, who's now convicted of killing Eric, a brother, a father, his family there too.you know, just just how I'm sure you get to cut that tension with a knife in the air inside the courtroom.Very much so.When when we are all let out of the courtroom, Corey Rich's family goes first and then they wait a beat a few minutes before the rest of Eric Rich's family leaves.And so they are directing the traffic in and out of that courtroom to keep them separated.Absolutely.

I'm sure they don't want any sort of interaction between the two.Kathy, talk to me about, you know, when Corey was giving her her speech there, when she was giving that long -winded message to her children, directed not at the court, but at her sons.What was the judge's, you know, demeanor as he was listening to that?Because we know, after all, he sentenced her to life without parole, so I guess all of that rung hollow to him.What was he looking like up there on the bench?So I will say he was pretty animated today as far as that judge can be animated.

He had little smirks every once in a while, not just when Corey was talking, but earlier in the day when the sisters were talking and they were saying things about how their lives have been impacted, he was very animated.And then when Corey was talking, he was kind of looking down most of the time.that spoke, he gave them his full attention and stared at them.I didn't see him look at Corey the entire time she was talking.And for the rest of us, at least for me, I was like, oh, this 30 minutes is going to be her talking to her sons.We didn't know that going in, what her 30 minutes was going to be about.

When her attorney said this morning that she would take about 30 minutes, I was thinking, wow, that's a long time for a defendant to speak.And now I see why.She says she's been blocked from any contact from her sons.She tries to send them cards and they get returned.And so she wanted to take this moment so when they're older and they can go back and watch the footage, they could hear what she had to say to them.Yeah, I mean, 30 minutes is a long time, which, you know, I guess she has a right to do that.

She could take as much time as she wanted.You know, when I first started listening, I thought maybe she'd do five or 10 minutes talking to the boys, but, you know, get into addressing the court and really pleading for her leniency.Kathy, another moment, you talked about the judge being animated with other people speaking.There was another moment while Katie was up there speaking, delivering her statement.This moment between Corey and Katie.While she was speaking, Corey was making these facial expressions of her own, as if, you know, we're still in the trial, like, oh, can you believe she's saying this?

What did you observe there?What did her counsel look like as she was making these expressions?Were they like, hey, calm down.Remember, we're here trying to keep you from behind bars for the rest of your life.What did you see in there?I don't think her counsel saw her expressions.

We all saw it because we had our camera.focused on her in the background while Katie was speaking and the other victim impact statements.And yes, Corey was very animated.She was smirking.She was incredulous, or at least appeared that way many times.Because I was in the gallery, I couldn't see her head on, but I had my laptop, so I had our feet up so I could see her expressions.

And then I saw everybody that was watching and in the chat talking about all the expressions she had.You know, she insists she's innocent.She didn't do this.She misses Eric.She loves Eric.This is just kind of a travesty of justice.

She says one day justice will be served, even though it wasn't served in this courtroom.So that was her attitude all day, that she shouldn't be here and this shouldn't have been happening.Yeah, I felt like I expected her to maintain her innocence throughout this whole thing.As she's done through this trial, I didn't expect anything different here today.And we saw immediately, you know, after that verdict came down, she kind of looked a little stoic.She kind of just like nodded her head.

But then right after that, her counsel stood up and immediately talked about filing, you know, that motion for appeal, a motion for a new trial.Once that started happening, was there any sort of shift in her in the emotion in the courtroom, like from the Richens' side of the family, like, wow, I can't believe she wants a new trial.Was there anything like that or was it still just kind of a somber, stoic atmosphere where it's going to go through the motions of this and, you know, we'll get back to court if that day comes?The rich inside stayed pretty stoic.They kept their emotions in check, maybe more than I could have if it's my family member that was murdered.But I did see Eric Richard's father.

I'm not going to say an eye roll.I had I had kind of a perfect view of him.He did a lot of like when Corey was talking and then like rubbing his eyes, almost like are we done with this little bit of shifting?I don't know really what he waswhat happened when they stood up to appeal.I mean, everybody planned on that.

I mean, everyone knows she's going to appeal this.So I would say for the most part, they kept their emotions in check.However, when the judge did sentence her to life without parole, because remember, she could have got 25 years.She could have got a possibility of parole after 25 years.In the state of Utah, the Board of Pardons and Parole is the ones who decide when you get out, not a judge, unless it's life without parole.And so the family, Richard's family, weren't sure going into today what was going to happen.

And so we did make sure we at least had the sisters in that shot when she was sentenced.And you just saw Katie just go, ugh.like, so relieved that it was without parole.That was kind of the most emotion I saw in the day.Absolutely.I'm sure there's a wave of relief, you know, regarding Eric Richards, all of his loved ones.

They feel like this was actually justice served.Cathy Russin, thank you so much for being our eyes and ears inside that courtroom.We wouldn't have all this great information without you, my friend.I'll see you again soon.Folks, stand by.After this break, we're going to actually get you caught up on testimony out of Wisconsin.

Remember that trial where Josie Dykman resumes her testimony under cross -examination.Keep it right here on Court TV.