Kouri Richins, Utah mom who wrote grief book, found guilty of murdering her husband

Kouri RichinsA Utah mother accused of murdering her husband and later publishing a children’s book about grief has been found guilty of all charges by a Utah jury.

The jury deliberated for about three hours Monday before returning its verdict.

Richins, 35, faced multiple criminal charges for allegedly poisoning Eric Richins, her late husband, in March 2022. Prosecutors said she mixed and served a Moscow Mule cocktail that she allegedly spiked with a lethal dose of fentanyl at their home just outside Park City. The drink contained nearly five times what is considered a lethal amount of opioid, according to court filings.

The most serious charges against Richins, for aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder, carry maximum sentences of life in prison. Richins also faced additional charges for mortgage fraud and forgery, after allegedly signing off on a multimillion-dollar real estate transaction the day after her husband’s death. She had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 13.

Richins, wearing a white blouse decorated with pale blue and pink flowers, looked down and began breathing heavily as the verdict was announced.

Richins’ trial began in February at the Summit County Courthouse in Park City and lasted about three weeks. The case included 13 days of testimony, during which his defense team called no witnesses. Richins refused to testify at the trial, where the prosecution portrayed her as a killer bent on taking her husband’s money.

During the investigation into the poisoning of Eric Richins, his family members told law enforcement they suspected his wife was involved, with the man’s sister recalling that she believed Kouri Richins had tried to kill him during a trip to Greece several years earlier, according to court filings. In another incident, documents say Eric Richins broke out in hives and had difficulty breathing after eating a sandwich his wife made for him on Valentine’s Day 2022, shortly before his death.

During Richins’ trial, one of her neighbors testified that Richins told her around Christmas 2021 that it would be better if her husband was dead, after the couple had an argument.

Court records also showed that Eric Richins was considering divorcing his wife when he was killed and had argued with her over whether to buy a $2 million mansion that she could “flip” against. its real estate activity. Kouri Richins has benefited from several husband’s life insurance policiesof whom prosecutors said purchased four, without his knowledge, between 2015 and 2017. He attempted to remove her from his life insurance policies and his will shortly before his death. The day after her death, she would have signed papers to finalize the purchase of this mansion.

During the year, Richins gained attention for a children’s picture book she authored called “Are you with me?” which focused on ways to cope with the loss of a loved one. She appeared on a local Utah TV station while promoting it and described the challenges she and her three sons faced while going through their own personal heartbreak. During that appearance, Richins said their father’s death was unexpected.

She was arrested in May 2023.