- Kouri Richins was found guilty of murdering her husband with fentanyl in March 2022
- She poisoned Eric Richins to claim his $4 million estate while in significant debt
- Richins was convicted of murder, attempted murder, insurance fraud, and forgery
Kouri Richins, a Utah children's author who published a book on grief, was found guilty of murdering her husband by poisoning him with fentanyl in a verdict delivered on March 16, BBC reported. The 35-year-old was convicted of slipping a lethal dose of fentanyl into her husband Eric Richins' Moscow Mule cocktail on March 4, 2022, in a calculated move to seize his $4 million estate. Roughly a year after her husband's death, Richins self-published a children's book titled 'Are You With Me', which was designed to help children cope with the loss of a loved one.
The Verdict
After about three hours of deliberation following a 13-day trial, the jury convicted Richins of aggravated murder, attempted murder, two counts of insurance fraud, and forgery. Richins stared at the floor and took deep breaths as the judge read the verdict.
During the trial, evidence revealed that Richins had accumulated significant debt, purchased life insurance policies on her husband, and was also involved in an extramarital affair. Prosecutors demonstrated that Richins was over $4 million in debt at the time of the death and falsely believed she would inherit her husband's estate, which was valued at over $4 million. They presented testimony from over 40 witnesses, including the individual who supplied the substances used in Eric Richins' death.
Prosecutors also presented evidence that Richins was planning a future with her lover, citing her affair as a motive for the crime.
Authorities stated that Richins had previously attempted to kill her husband by poisoning his sandwich, nearly succeeding, and subsequently increased the dosage, resulting in his death. Richins pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
"She wanted to leave Eric Richins but did not want to leave his money," said Summit County prosecutor Brad Bloodworth.
The Murder and Arrest
In March 2022, Richins called the police late one night and said her husband, Eric Richins, was "cold to the touch," a BBC report said. The police arrived at their home at about 3:20 am to find Eric lying at the foot of the bed. "Life-saving measures were attempted, but Eric was declared deceased," according to documents cited by KSL-TV.
She told the officials that she had made her husband a mixed vodka drink before finding him unresponsive hours later. A medical examiner later found Eric Richins died from a fentanyl overdose. The medical examiner said that Richins had five times the lethal dosage of the drug in his system.
Court documents revealed that between December 2021 and February 2022, she had texted a person arrested on drug charges, seeking prescription pain medication for an investor with a back injury. The documents showed that Richins obtained hydrocodone pills and later requested something stronger.
In the months before her arrest in May 2023, Richins self-published the children's book 'Are You with Me?' about a father with angel wings watching over his young son after his death. In an interview with KPCW, she said that the book was to bring peace to her and her three children. The book was dedicated to her husband, describing him as "my amazing husband and a wonderful father."
