Kouri Richins and Medical Examiner Discuss Eric Richins' Toxicology Report
Why It Matters
The stomach findings and presence of acetylfentanyl bolster the conclusion of an opioid overdose involving illicit fentanyl and inform determinations about how the drug entered the body, while the admitted recording may affect perceptions of the family’s interactions with the medical examiner during the investigation.
Summary
A medical examiner testified that supplemental toxicology testing on Eric Richins found high levels of fentanyl and acetylfentanyl in stomach contents, findings the examiner said are suggestive—though not definitive—of oral ingestion and of illicitly manufactured fentanyl. The examiner noted pulmonary edema and foam at the scene, signs commonly associated with opioid overdose, and said no injection sites were observed. The supplemental report added stomach testing to earlier blood-only toxicology, but did not change the official cause or manner of death. An audio recording and transcript of a post-autopsy call from Kouri Richins to the ME’s office were entered into evidence and reviewed in court.
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