Former boyfriend of Utah grief author gets emotional during testimony about relationship
Former boyfriend of Utah grief author gets emotional during testimony about relationship
Testimony Reveals Emotional Dynamics in Utah Grief Author’s Trial
Robert Josh Grossman, the ex-boyfriend of Kouri Richins, a Utah-based grief author facing trial for her husband’s 2022 poisoning death, displayed visible emotion during his court appearance. The emotional display occurred as he recounted their bond in the months leading up to and following Eric Richins’ fatal encounter with fentanyl. Richins is accused of administering a lethal dose of the drug to her spouse, who died at their residence on March 4, 2022, after celebrating her home purchase for a real estate venture.
Grossman, who read through text messages exchanged with Richins, fidgeted in his chair multiple times and repeatedly uttered, “oh boy” as the messages were displayed. At one point, he lowered his head and wiped his eyes, showing signs of distress. Judge Richard Mrazik inquired if he required a break, to which Grossman replied, “I don’t know what I need,” prompting a brief recess of five minutes.
“I don’t know what I need,” Grossman said, as the judge granted a 5-minute recess.
Grossman explained how he met Richins in South Carolina after responding to a job ad for a property she was renovating. He later relocated to Utah to collaborate with her, stating their romance began shortly before his move in early 2020. He shared that Richins allowed him to reside in one of her flipping houses, provided financial support, and even bought him two trucks. “I liked her,” he said, highlighting the affectionate dynamic between them.
“Yes. In Love with Y O U! Of course I would,” Grossman wrote back to a text from Richins on Feb. 15, 2022, where she asked, “Like actually IN LOVE with me? If I was divorced right now and ask you to marry me tomorrow, you would?”
During cross-examination, Grossman recounted a post-death conversation with Richins that took place two weeks after Eric’s death. Prosecutor Bradley Bloodworth questioned him about whether Richins had inquired if he had committed murder. “Yeah, we sat there and talked for quite a while. I’d never seen her that way, obviously,” Grossman admitted, describing the session as “heavy” and a departure from their usual openness.
“Did there come a time during that discussion that Kouri Richins asked you about killing?” Bloodworth asked. “Yeah, we sat there and talked for quite a while. I’d never seen her that way, obviously. It was a heavy conversation, and I’m not used to that with her, and she’s not used to being open like that,” Grossman replied.
He suggested Richins may have been “exhausted emotionally” and sought to redirect the conversation toward him. “I think she was looking for a reason to divert the conversation away from herself,” Grossman stated, noting that she asked if he had ever killed someone. Bloodworth probed whether the question was tied to Grossman’s military service in Iraq, but Grossman dismissed it as a general inquiry.
Later, Grossman testified that their relationship dissolved a few months after Eric’s death. When defense attorney Wendy Lewis asked if he had ever felt Eric’s absence was “out of the picture,” Grossman denied it, asserting he believed Richins was not involved in the crime at the time. Upon learning of her arrest, he expressed feelings of guilt and sorrow for his own infidelity and perceived wrongdoings.
Minyvonne Burke is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News.
