1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: Crime Alard Hourly Update, Breaking Crime News Now, I'm Sidney Sumner. 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: A dramatic moment unfolded in the murder trial of Utah 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:12,239 Speaker 1: Children's Grief author Corey Richards as her alleged handyman lover, 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 1: broke down in court while testifying. Robert Grossman, forty three, 5 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: an Iraq war veteran, took the stan Wednesday and described 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: a series of intimate text messages exchanged with Richins just 7 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: weeks before her husband's death in twenty twenty two. According 8 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: to testimony, less than a month before her husband, Eric 9 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: Richins died, Corey Richins sent Grossman a message asking if 10 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: I was divorced right now and asked you to marry 11 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: me tomorrow, you would, Grossman replied, yes, in love with 12 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: y O you, of course I would, Prosecutors say. The 13 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: messages reveal the pair discussing a future together. In another 14 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: text shown to jurors, Richins allegedly wrote that life would 15 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: be perfect if her husband could just go away and 16 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: you could just be here. Richins muses about purchasing a 17 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: mansion with Grossman, living in the guest house and renting 18 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: out the main house as an event center. Richins suggests 19 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: they hang out every day on a little farm and 20 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: raise her children. As the texts were displayed in court, 21 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: Grossman became emotional and wiped away tears During his testimony. 22 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: Grossman also described a troubling conversation he had with Richins 23 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: just days after her husband died. He told jurors she 24 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: asked him if he had ever killed anyone, referring to 25 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: his military service in Iraq, and questioned him about how 26 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: it made him feel. Grossman said at the time he 27 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: had no suspicion that Richins might have been involved in 28 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: her husband's death. Prosecutors alleged Richins killed Eric Richins in 29 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: March twenty twenty two by slipping four times the lethal 30 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: dose of fentanyl into a Moscow mule cocktail she prepared 31 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: for him. Additional charges accuse her of a previous attempt 32 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: to kill Eric by spiking his sandwich with fentanyl a 33 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: month earlier, on Valentine's Day. After his death, Richins went 34 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: on to self publish a children's book about coping with grief, 35 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: saying it was meant to help her sons and other 36 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: children deal with the loss of a parent. Prosecutors argue 37 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: Richinds plan the killing in hopes of starting a new 38 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: life with her lover and believe she would inherit her 39 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: husband's estate, valued at more than four million dollars. Her 40 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: defense team, however, maintains that Eric Richards died from an 41 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: accidental overdose. They say it's unclear how Eric ingested the 42 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: drug and that investigators did not thoroughly test the drink's 43 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: cup for evidence. Corey Richins has pleaded not guilty and 44 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: the trial continues. More crime and justice news after this. 45 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: The nation is carefully watching local election races in California. 46 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: In Arkansas, as a convicted sex offender and alleged murderer 47 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: run for public office. In California, a registered sex offender 48 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: running for city council held a press conference near an 49 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: elementary school last week. Renee Campos, forty one, who has 50 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: sought the Fresno City Council's District seven seat, has a 51 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen conviction for possessing child sex mas materials. On Friday, 52 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: Campos held a press conference outside Saint John's Catholic Church, 53 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: which is across the street from Big Picture Academy. School 54 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: Officials say they are exploring their legal options as Campos's 55 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: proximity to the school absolutely violated the law. Campos pleaded 56 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: guilty in twenty twenty one to the child pornography charges 57 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: and was sentenced to two years probation. While Campos has 58 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 1: not formally filed to run for city council, assembly Woman 59 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: Esmuel Desoria of merced introduced a bill on Tuesday to 60 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: prevent registered sex offenders from running or holding local or 61 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: state office. Meanwhile, Campos described the move as institutional overreach. 62 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: He went on to explain that he chose to hold 63 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: Friday's press conference outside of a church as its a 64 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: symbol for rehabilitation and forgiveness. Campos has until the end 65 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: of the day to formally file to have his name 66 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: on June's ballot. In Arkansas, a man accused of killing 67 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: another man who allegedly kidnapped and raped his fourteen year 68 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: old daughter in twenty twenty four won a primary election 69 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: for county sheriff. Aaron Spencer reportedly shot Michael Fossler, sixty seven, 70 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: after discovering him in a car with his daughter. Despite 71 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: being charged with Fossler's second degree murder, Spencer won the 72 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: Republican nomination for Lonoke County Sheriff, winning fifty three percent 73 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: of the vote. The girl's mother set on Facebook that 74 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 1: there was an active protective order against Fossler as he 75 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:24,679 Speaker 1: was accused of stalking and raping her daughter months before 76 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: the October twenty twenty four shooting. Further, Lonoke County Police 77 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: confirmed Fossler's July twenty twenty four arrest for Internet stocking 78 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: of a child and sexual assault. The victim's mother said 79 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: they were unaware their daughter was back in contact with Fossler, 80 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: who was free on bond. Spencer's trial was expected to 81 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: begin in January, but it was delayed after the State 82 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 1: Supreme Court removed the presiding judge. The State Supreme Court 83 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 1: also dismissed that judge's order, which limited the public's access 84 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: to the trial. Spencer cannot serve as sheriff if convicted 85 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: of murder. A hearing to reschedule his trial is scheduled 86 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: for this month. Linoki Kik County Prosecuting attorney Chuck Graham 87 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: says Spencer's trial will begin in late April or late June. 88 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: The Brazos County Sheriff's Office in Texas released an image 89 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: of a truck belonging to Nicole Nicki Winder, a fifty 90 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: three year old who has not been seen since February 91 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: twenty fifth, According to the Sheriff's office, Police located the 92 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: twenty twenty five white Chevrolet on an oil pad site 93 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 1: off FM nine seventy four north of Highway twenty one 94 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: on Wednesday after it had been torched. Police said Winder 95 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: was last seen at around three pm last Wednesday, leaving 96 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: her place of employment in Bryan. Law enforcement are encouraging 97 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: residents near the nineteen hundred block of FM nine seventy 98 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:39,919 Speaker 1: four to check security and game cameras for footage on 99 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: February twenty fifth between three pm and four fifteen pm. 100 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: On Monday, police expanded their search to include the surrounding areas. Meanwhile, 101 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 1: the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a statewide clear 102 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: alert for Winder after love one said they were concerned 103 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: for her safety. Winder is described as five feet seven 104 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: inches tall and about one hundred and thirty pounds, with 105 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 1: green eyes and blonde hair. She was last seen wearing 106 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 1: a dark gray shirt and pink pants. Police asked anyone 107 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: with information to contact their local law enforcement or the 108 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: Brazos County Sheriff's Office at nine seventy nine three sixty 109 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: one forty nine hundred For the latest crime and justice 110 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: breaking news, be sure to follow the Crime Alert hourly 111 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: update on your favorite podcast app with this crime Alert, 112 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: I'm Sidney Sumner.