A Utah grand jury has indicted Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby on felony obstruction of justice and misdemeanor false statement charges, alleging he interfered with the high-profile prosecution of Kouri Richins. Richins was convicted in March 2026 of murdering her husband, Eric Richins, by poisoning him with fentanyl and was later sentenced to life in prison without parole. The case drew national attention after Richins, a realtor and mother of three, self-published a children’s book about grief following her husband’s death.
The indictment, handed up September 24, 2026, and partially unsealed October 7 in Summit County’s Third District Court, charges Rigby with one count of obstruction of justice in a criminal proceeding, a second-degree felony, and one count of making a written false statement, a class B misdemeanor. Former Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds, who served from 2003 to 2014, faces a separate third-degree felony obstruction of justice charge. Both men pleaded not guilty October 7. They were booked, fingerprinted, and released.
Specific factual allegations in the publicly available charging documents remain heavily redacted. Third District Judge Richard Mrazik, who presided over the Richins trial and imposed her sentence, has set a November 4, 2026, hearing to decide whether more of the indictments can be made public. The investigation by the Summit County Attorney’s Office centers on an anonymous letter postmarked January 10, 2026, that arrived at the prosecutor’s office weeks before Richins’ February trial.
The letter contained 13 allegations of misconduct against Summit County Sheriff’s Detective Eric Mainord, raising “serious concerns as to his credibility and reliability as a witness.” Mainord had worked on the Richins investigation, appeared in video evidence shown to jurors, and was listed as a potential witness. He ultimately did not testify. Mainord had also filed in January to run against Rigby in the Republican primary for Wasatch County sheriff.
According to search warrant affidavits and court filings reported by local outlets including KPCW and the Park Record, Rigby met Summit County Sheriff Kacey Bates in early January 2026 and showed her a manila envelope containing a matching list of 13 allegations against Mainord. Bates told investigators she formed the clear impression that Rigby was intimating the information would become public, and could negatively affect the Richins prosecution, unless Mainord withdrew from the race.
Prosecutors have alleged in filings that a juror could reasonably infer Rigby wrote the anonymous letter. A handwriting analysis of a related public records request Edmunds submitted in December 2025 for Mainord’s personnel file from his prior employment at the Heber City Police Department identified handwriting as a “possible” match for Rigby’s, subject to further review. Edmunds’ charge involves an alleged false statement on March 13, 2026, intended to hinder identification of the letter’s author.
The connection to the Richins case is specific and limited: the allegations concern efforts to discredit a potential prosecution witness and investigator whose credibility could have become an issue under Brady and Giglio disclosure rules. There is no reported evidence that the alleged actions altered physical evidence, the core facts of the poisoning, or the jury’s verdict. Mainord withdrew from the sheriff’s race in May. Rigby lost the June primary to Wasatch County Emergency Management Director Jeremy Hales.
The trial judge reviewed the allegations against Mainord privately and allowed both sides to list him as a witness, but neither called him. Defense motions seeking to stay proceedings or obtain a new trial by citing the obstruction investigation and possible undisclosed Giglio material have so far been denied. Richins’ conviction remains intact on the current record. No court has ruled that the alleged misconduct compromised the fairness of her trial.
Rigby remains in office. County officials have stated they lack authority to remove an elected sheriff before the end of his term in January 2027. Wasatch County Manager Dustin Grabau and County Council Chair Erik Rowland have emphasized continuity of public safety services while respecting the judicial process. County leaders have not placed him on administrative leave.
Rigby’s attorney previously stated through statements to media that the sheriff “acted lawfully and have done nothing wrong.” Attorneys for the defendants declined further comment after the indictment. Prosecutors have not issued detailed public statements beyond court filings arguing for fuller unsealing. The case arrives against a backdrop of prior scrutiny of Rigby’s office.
In 2025, the Wasatch County Council commissioned an independent investigation by retired Judge Richard D. McKelvie after complaints from former Lt. Shane Fredrickson and others. The report identified concerns about retaliation, favoritism in hiring and promotions, absentee leadership, misuse of county resources, interference in investigations, and strained interagency relationships.
McKelvie found no “gross mismanagement” or illegal activity in that review. Employees described a culture of fear. One corrections officer who spoke with the investigator was later placed on indefinite paid leave; McKelvie called the timing suggestive of retaliation. Rigby has denied wrongdoing in those matters and has said the office would address recommended reforms.
In 2023, Rigby’s nomination to lead Utah’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Council was rescinded after questions about his handling of an earlier internal affairs matter. Multiple probes into the sheriff’s office have occurred since early 2025. McKelvie was later sworn in as a special prosecutor in the Summit County obstruction investigation. Search warrants seized phone and text records from Rigby, Edmunds, and Park City Police Chief Wade Carpenter.
Court filings reference Carpenter and former Heber City Police Chief Dave Booth as having worked closely with Rigby on the allegations against Mainord. Neither has been charged. An attorney for Carpenter and Edmunds previously said search results showed no wrongdoing by his clients. Warrants also touched records related to Greg Hall, described in filings as Richins’ marketing associate or media advisor, who had offered campaign assistance to Rigby.
The investigation examined whether anyone used the allegations to hinder the prosecution. Under Utah law, obstruction of justice tied to a first-degree felony underlying case such as aggravated murder can be charged as a second-degree felony, punishable by one to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The class B misdemeanor carries a maximum of six months in jail and a smaller fine. The precise alleged acts remain redacted pending the November 4 hearing.
Authorities received the anonymous letter in January 2026 and launched the formal investigation shortly afterward. Earlier complaints about office culture predated the Richins-related events. If a sitting county sheriff is accused of interfering with a neighboring jurisdiction’s criminal prosecution, the immediate answer in this case has been an investigation and grand jury process led by the Summit County Attorney’s Office, with a special prosecutor drawn from outside the affected agencies.
The broader question of independent oversight for elected law enforcement officials, the limits of county removal authority under Utah law, and the public’s right to timely details about charges involving the justice system itself remains unresolved while key portions of the indictments stay sealed. Richins’ conviction stands.
