The defense in the Kouri Richins murder trial tried something that doesn't always work—putting the dead man on trial. They suggested Eric Richins had a history with drugs and that the fentanyl that killed him may have come from somewhere other than Kouri. Then the judge blocked their most specific drug evidence before they could even use it. And Eric's closest friend looked a jury in the eye and said he never once saw Eric use drugs. This Hidden Killers Week In Review examines why this strategy is collapsing—and what Eric's family has endured to get here.

Defense attorney Eric Faddis breaks it down. He's been on both sides of this kind of argument and won't sugarcoat what it looks like when a defense team goes after the character of a dead man in front of a grieving jury. The judge's ruling that gutted their drug evidence. Whether "maybe it came from somewhere else" is enough to create reasonable doubt. The Valentine's Day phone call that directly undercuts the entire theory. The forensic marker in Eric's toxicology pointing to street-grade fentanyl—not a prescription.

Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott and retired FBI Behavioral Analysis Chief Robin Dreeke examine the family's side. Eric's family didn't need a toxicology report—the moment they walked through the door the night he died, something felt wrong. That instinct cost them years and six figures before they were heard.

What happens psychologically when a family sees a dangerous relationship and can't stop it? Why does the person inside so often choose their partner over the people warning them? What's it like to sit in a house with the person you suspect, with no evidence, on the worst night of your life?

Does blaming the victim make a jury angrier at your client?

Kouri Richins has pleaded not guilty.

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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.

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