Utah children’s book author Kouri Richins convicted in husband’s murder

Kouri Richins, the Utah children’s publication writer accused of poisoning her hubby with a fentanyl-laced portion earlier publishing a publication astir grief for their children, was recovered blameworthy successful his 2022 death.

Prosecutors alleged the parent of 3 murdered her husband, Eric Richins, successful a calculated strategy to cod millions of dollars successful beingness security and summation power of the couple’s finances. 

Richins has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty, with her defence arguing the authorities failed to beryllium she was liable for the fatal dose of fentanyl recovered successful his system.

Richins, 35, of Kamas, Utah, was charged with aggravated murder, attempted transgression homicide, 2 counts of fraudulent security claims and forgery successful transportation with her husband’s death.

Jurors besides convicted the parent of 3 of attempted aggravated murder, 2 counts of security fraud and forgery aft deliberating successful the intimately watched case.

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Body camera video is displayed connected a surface during the execution proceedings of Kouri Richins during her execution proceedings astatine the Summit County Courthouse, successful Park City, Utah, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (Spenser Heaps/AP Photo, Pool)

The lawsuit drew aggravated nationalist attraction successful portion due to the fact that Richins aboriginal authored a children’s publication astir coping with grief titled "Are You With Me?", which she said was meant to assistance her 3 young sons process the nonaccomplishment of their father.

Prosecutors alleged Richins poisoned her hubby with a cocktail laced with illicit fentanyl portion the mates was celebrating astatine their location successful March 2022.

A aesculapian examiner aboriginal determined Eric Richins had much than 5 times the lethal magnitude of fentanyl successful his system, according to charging documents.

Authorities besides said Eric Richins’ gastric fluid contained 16,000 ng/ml of quetiapine, an antipsychotic medicine sometimes prescribed arsenic a slumber aid.

Investigators argued the fatal poisoning was not the archetypal effort connected Eric Richins’ life.

Court records assertion Richins tried to poison her hubby weeks earlier connected Valentine’s Day 2022, slipping fentanyl into his favourite sandwich.

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Kathy Nester, the defence lawyer for Kouri Richins, a Utah parent accused of fatally poisoning her husband, shows the assemblage an representation of a pill vessel portion delivering her opening connection successful Richins' execution proceedings astatine the Summit County Courthouse successful Park City, Utah, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (Spenser Heaps/AP Photo, Pool)

According to investigators, Eric Richins broke retired successful hives and struggled to respire aft eating the sandwich. He utilized his son’s EpiPen and took Benadryl earlier falling dormant for respective hours. He survived the incident.

Prosecutors argued Richins killed her hubby arsenic portion of a program to cod millions of dollars successful beingness security proceeds.

Court documents accidental she purchased aggregate beingness security policies totaling astir $2 cardinal and aboriginal changed the beneficiary to herself without her husband’s authorization.

Authorities said Eric Richins discovered the alteration and switched the beneficiary backmost to his concern partner.

Investigators besides alleged Richins planned to usage the security wealth to decorativeness and flip a $2 cardinal mansion successful Wasatch County, an concern Eric Richins’ household said helium did not o.k. of.

A forensic accountant testified during the proceedings that Richins was $7.5 cardinal successful indebtedness earlier her husband’s death. Jurors heard her accounts were repeatedly overdrawn and that she owed astir $80,000 a period successful expenses.

The accountant besides testified Richins had turned to aggregate payday lenders, astatine 1 constituent paying 4 lenders astir $2,100 a day, and that she closed connected a $2.9 cardinal mansion the aforesaid time Eric Richins died.

Prosecutors said she spent $1.35 cardinal successful beingness security proceeds wrong 3 months of his death.

Jurors heard 3 weeks of grounds from household members, investigators, forensic experts and instrumentality enforcement officials.

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Kouri Richins, left, a Utah parent of 3 who wrote a children's publication astir coping with grief aft her husband's decease and was aboriginal accused of fatally poisoning him, speaks to her attorney, Kathy Nester, during a hearing, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, successful Park City, Utah. (Rick Bowmer/AP Photo via Pool)

A adjacent person and concern spouse of Eric Richins testified that helium ne'er saw Eric usage illicit drugs, contradicting immoderate proposition the fentanyl recovered successful his strategy came from his ain cause use.

Investigators besides told jurors that Eric Richins’ sister said helium had expressed fears that Kouri mightiness beryllium trying to termination him earlier his death.

The proceedings besides featured grounds from Richins’ erstwhile boyfriend, with jurors shown substance messages successful which helium wrote that it was "draining to emotion you," portion different connection allegedly from Richins read: "I americium successful emotion with a antheral that’s not my husband."

Jurors besides heard that Eric Richins had consulted a divorcement lawyer and made changes to his property readying to displacement assets to his children earlier his death.

A household person testified that Richins erstwhile said she felt "trapped" successful her matrimony and disquieted a prenuptial statement could permission her financially worse disconnected if the mates divorced.

One of the trial’s cardinal witnesses was Carmen Lauber, the Richins household housekeeper, who testified she helped get drugs for Richins.

Lauber said Richins initially asked for symptom pills successful aboriginal 2022, claiming an "investor" wanted thing stronger. She aboriginal testified that Richins referred to the petition arsenic seeking the "Michael Jackson stuff," a operation prosecutors said referred to almighty drugs.

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Judge Richard Mrazik, right, talks to Brad Bloodworth, main authoritative for Summit County, during the proceedings of Kouri Richins, a Utah parent accused of fatally poisoning her husband, astatine the Summit County Courthouse successful Park City, Utah, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (Spenser Heaps/AP Photo, Pool)

Lauber told jurors she near pills for Richins and that Richins aboriginal near $1,000 astatine her location to acquisition much drugs.

Prosecutors argued those purchases yet led to illicit drugs containing fentanyl.

Prosecutors besides presented a bid of substance messages and telephone records during the trial.

Jurors saw messages Richins allegedly sent aft her husband’s decease stating "they volition not instrumentality from maine what is mine."

Another connection shown during grounds included Richins telling a friend, "If I die, Eric did it."

A forensic expert besides testified that hundreds of substance messages were deleted from 1 of Richins’ phones betwixt January and mid-March 2022.

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Richins’ defence squad sought to situation the prosecution’s communicative passim the trial.

Defense attorneys questioned investigators astir delays successful reports and missing notes, and pressed instrumentality enforcement implicit grounds handling during the aboriginal stages of the investigation.

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Kouri Richins, the Utah ma of 3 and children's publication author, was accused of poisoning her hubby to death. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool/ Facebook)

A authorities toxicologist besides acknowledged during grounds that Eric Richins could person taken fentanyl earlier consuming the drink, perchance raising questions astir prosecutors’ assertion that Richins secretly laced his Moscow mule.

Defense lawyers besides scrutinized the handling of grounds collected from the location wherever Eric Richins died, including phones, THC gummies and items mapped during a 3D scan of the residence.

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During closing arguments, Summit County authoritative Brad Bloodworth told jurors Richins wanted the quality of a cleanable beingness and fiscal success.

"She wanted the cleanable life. Or, astatine least, the quality of a cleanable life," Bloodworth said.

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Bloodworth argued Richins wanted to permission her hubby but support entree to his money.

He besides replayed the archetypal infinitesimal of the 911 telephone placed the greeting Eric Richins was recovered dead, telling jurors it revealed much than shock.

"It was not the dependable of a woman becoming a widow," Bloodworth said. "It was the dependable of a woman becoming a achromatic widow."

"The grounds proves that Kouri Richins murdered, attempted to execution Eric Richins," helium told jurors.

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In a connection pursuing closing arguments, Richins’ attorneys, Wendy Lewis, Kathy Nester and Alex Ramos, said the lawsuit present rests wherever it belongs: with the jury.

They thanked jurors for the attraction and attraction they showed during 3 weeks of grounds and argued prosecutors failed to conscionable the precocious ineligible modular required for a conviction.

"For astir 3 years the nationalist has heard accusations astir Kouri that created a communicative acold beyond this courtroom," the attorneys said. "But successful court, accusations are not enough. The instrumentality requires impervious beyond a tenable doubt."

The defence said Richins has maintained her innocence since the opening of the lawsuit and expressed assurance successful the assemblage system, adding they anticipation she volition yet beryllium capable to instrumentality location to her 3 sons and rebuild her life.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].