Overview

• Defense filings include a sworn affidavit from Robert Crozier stating he did not sell fentanyl to Richins’ acquaintance and instead sold OxyContin while he was detoxing during a 2023 police interview he does not recall.
• Crozier says he told Summit County prosecutors in April that he had not supplied fentanyl, a claim the defense argues was exculpatory and not disclosed to them until they interviewed him in September.
• Prosecutors have 14 days to respond in court to the new motions, and the Summit County attorney declined public comment on the filings.
• Defense attorneys note no fentanyl pills tied to Eric Richins’ death were recovered or tested, emphasizing that the state’s theory relies heavily on witness statements, including those of housekeeper Carmen Lauber.
• Richins remains jailed after prior bail denials, has pleaded not guilty to murder and multiple related felonies, and is currently scheduled for trial in February 2026.