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Eric Faddis on Richins and Gray: Two Trials That Could Redefine Criminal Accountability
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Two of the most significant criminal trials in the country are unfolding simultaneously — and former felony prosecutor Eric Faddis is here to break down both. The Kouri Richins murder trial begins February 23rd in Summit County, Utah, where prosecutors say she poisoned her husband Eric with a lethal dose of fentanyl mixed into a Moscow Mule. In Georgia, Colin Gray faces 29 felony counts including second-degree murder after prosecutors allege he armed his 14-year-old son with an AR-style rifle despite years of alleged warnings from the FBI, law enforcement, and child welfare officials.
In this comprehensive interview, Faddis dismantles both cases from both sides — starting with the Richins defense's strongest pretrial wins and ending with why Colin Gray may be facing an unwinnable fight.
The Richins case has been bleeding evidence for months. Robert Crozier, the man prosecutors called their key link in the fentanyl supply chain, has signed a sworn affidavit recanting his police statement — now saying the pills were OxyContin, not fentanyl. They were never recovered or tested. Lead Detective Jeff O'Driscoll faces witness intimidation allegations after text messages allegedly showed him threatening a witness with arrest. Judge Mrazik excluded the prosecution's domestic violence expert, limited FBI profiler Molly Amman's testimony, and twice denied bringing Kouri's 26 financial crime charges into the murder trial.
But the prosecution's hand is loaded. They allege a prior Valentine's Day 2022 poisoning attempt where two friends reportedly say Eric called them saying his wife tried to kill him. Housekeeper Carmen Lauber is expected to testify that Kouri directly asked her to buy fentanyl twice — and after the first alleged attempt, requested "the Michael Jackson stuff." Google searches allegedly found on Kouri's phone include queries about lethal fentanyl doses, luxury prisons, insurance payouts, and deleting digital records. A letter found in her jail cell allegedly outlines false testimony for family members. A handwriting expert is prepared to testify that insurance document signatures were forged. And the medical examiner found more than five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in Eric's system.
In the Colin Gray trial, prosecutors presented what they allege is years of warning signs: Colt's alleged 2021 search for "how to kill your dad," an FBI visit in 2023 over school shooting threats with instructions to reportedly restrict gun access, the alleged Christmas gift of the rifle seven months later, and by August 2024, Colt allegedly texting his father, "Whenever something happens, just know the blood is on your hands," and asking him to buy 150 rounds of ammunition. Prosecutors allege Colt had a shrine to the Parkland shooter in his bedroom, was reportedly hearing voices, allegedly shoved his mother when she tried to take the gun, and was taking her prescription Zoloft without medical oversight. When officers arrived at the Gray home, Colin allegedly said two words: "I knew it."
The defense argues Colt hid his plans. But the prosecution says the evidence was visible inside the home Colin controlled. Faddis explains the Georgia legal framework that charges cruelty to children as the basis for second-degree murder — a higher bar than the Crumbley manslaughter convictions — and gives his honest assessment of both cases as they head toward their most critical phases.
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