Utah Sheriff and Former Sheriff Charged with Obstruction of Justice in Kouri Richins Case

A current sheriff and a former sheriff in Utah face charges of obstruction of justice in connection with the Kouri Richins murder case, according to newly unsealed court filings. The indictments allege that both officials interfered with the prosecution of Richins, who was found guilty in March of murdering her husband.

Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby has been charged with one count of obstruction of justice in a criminal proceeding, a second-degree felony, and one count of making a written false statement, a misdemeanor. According to the indictment, Rigby is accused of making or using a knowingly false item in January with the intent to hinder a prosecution. His charges are reportedly linked to an anonymous letter postmarked January 10, 2026, though the contents of the letter are not detailed in the filings.

David Edmunds, who previously served as Summit County sheriff from 2003 to 2014, faces one count of obstruction of justice in a criminal investigation, a third-degree felony. Court documents state that the indictment against Edmunds alleges he provided false information on March 13 with the intent to hinder an investigation. The language in his indictment reportedly names the Richins prosecution and connects an anonymous letter to alleged misconduct by a Summit County sheriff's deputy, with Edmunds accused of making a false statement intended to hinder the identification of the letter's author.

Both Rigby and Edmunds have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Rigby has previously stated that he acted lawfully. Attorneys for Rigby and the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Kouri Richins was convicted of fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, with fentanyl. A Summit County jury found her guilty in March, and Judge Richard Mrazik sentenced her to life without parole. The 36-year-old mother of three, who gained attention for self-publishing a children's book about grieving after her husband's 2022 death, is currently seeking a new trial, a request under consideration by the Utah Court of Appeals.

In a separate civil matter, Judge Mrazik ordered Richins to pay more than $55 million in damages to her late husband's estate and family members in a wrongful death claim. The order noted that Richins did not dispute factual statements asserting she "wrongfully caused" her husband's death. The awarded damages include $10,780,129 in economic damages, $3 million in non-economic damages for her three minor children, and $41,340,387 in punitive damages.