Kouri Richins: The Systemic Blind Spots That Let Poisoners Walk Free

The DHS warning about Kouri Richins isn't just about her case. It's about what we're missing.

America's autopsy rate has collapsed to 8.5%, with natural-looking deaths autopsied just 4.3% of the time. Death certificates are wrong roughly a third of the time. The January 2026 Department of Homeland Security bulletin documented seventeen spousal poisoning cases since 2014 with at least eleven deaths — substances like cyanide, antifreeze, fentanyl, and common eye drops all chosen because they mimic natural illness. DHS specifically cited Richins' upcoming trial as part of this accelerating national pattern.

This episode examines three convicted spousal poisoners — James Craig, Lana Clayton, and Stacey Castor — who each nearly escaped detection, and connects their cases to the Richins trial and the systemic failures that let poisoners walk free. The system didn't catch any of them. A person did every time.

Richins is charged with aggravated murder in the 2022 fentanyl death of her husband Eric in Kamas, Utah. Prosecutors allege she spiked his cocktail with five times the lethal amount after a failed attempt on Valentine's Day two weeks earlier. The alleged motive: her realty company owed at least $1.8 million while Eric's estate was worth roughly $5 million.

The defense says publicity has poisoned the jury pool beyond repair. Judge Richard Mrazik disagreed, denying their second venue change motion after prosecutors pointed to 830 potential jurors who hadn't heard of the case or hadn't followed it. What makes this case so well-known isn't media coverage — it's the allegations themselves. A children's book about grief. A six-page jailhouse letter allegedly laying out fabricated testimony. A drug source who now says under oath he never sold fentanyl at all.

Kouri Richins has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent. Trial begins February 23rd.

#KouriRichins #HiddenKillers #SpousalPoisoning #DHSWarning #AutopsyCrisis #JamesCraig #LanaClayton #StaceyCastor #EricRichins #TrueCrime

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This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.