Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby and former Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds have been charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly interfering in the high-profile prosecution of Kouri Richins, according to court records unsealed Wednesday in Utah's 3rd District Court. Both men, who have pleaded not guilty, face felony charges stemming from investigations tied to the case involving the murder of Eric Richins.
Legal Battle Over Redacted Indictments
The indictments, which were returned by a grand jury on Sept. 24, remain partially redacted, a move that has sparked legal debate regarding First Amendment rights. Prosecutors in Summit County have argued in court filings that the specific details of the indictments should be made public, while attorneys for both Rigby and Edmunds have sought to keep the documents redacted to avoid pretrial publicity. A hearing to resolve the issue of the redactions is scheduled for Nov. 4.
Specific Charges and Allegations
The criminal charges against Rigby include a second-degree felony count of obstructing a criminal proceeding and a class B misdemeanor for making a written false statement. Edmunds faces a third-degree felony charge of obstructing a criminal investigation. According to court filings from Edmunds' attorneys, the charge against him may stem from a statement he allegedly made during an interview in March. The indictment also links the charges to alleged misconduct involving a sheriff's deputy, an anonymous letter, and the case of State of Utah v. Kouri Darden Richins.
Background on Alleged Misconduct
The investigation into the sheriffs follows reporting by the Utah Investigative Journalism Project, which detailed allegations of misconduct involving a deputy and an anonymous letter. In January of this year, Rigby allegedly presented an anonymous letter to Summit County Sheriff Kacey Bates that contained severe allegations regarding a Summit County sheriff's deputy. That deputy, Eric Mainord, was a detective on the Richins case and was also running a campaign against Rigby for the position of Wasatch County sheriff. Mainord eventually withdrew from that race before the June Republican primary, in which Rigby was defeated by Jeremy Hales.
The Kouri Richins Prosecution
The Kouri Richins case has drawn significant national attention. Richins, a realtor, was convicted of poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, with a fentanyl-laced cocktail. Following her sentencing in May to life without parole, she was also ordered this week to pay more than $55 million to Eric Richins' estate following a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his sister. The high-profile nature of the murder trial has contributed to the legal arguments presented by defense attorneys regarding the need for redactions in the sheriffs' indictments.
Broader Legal Context
The indictment of the two sheriffs marks a rare use of grand juries in Utah's state courts, where prosecutors typically rely on preliminary hearings to determine if enough evidence exists for trial. This development comes amidst other recent legal challenges for Utah officials; just last week, Republican State Representative Trevor Lee of Layton resigned after being charged with fraud. Rigby has served as the Wasatch County sheriff since 2019, while Edmunds served as the Summit County sheriff from 2003 to 2014.
Current Status of Proceedings
As of Oct. 7, 2026, the legal proceedings regarding the redactions of the indictments remain pending. The cases against Rigby and Edmunds represent a significant intersection of law enforcement oversight and the fallout from one of the state's most widely covered criminal investigations.
