Utah woman sentenced for husband's fentanyl poisoning murder after publishing grief book
Consensus Summary
Kouri Richins, a 35-year-old Utah real estate agent, is set to be sentenced on May 13, 2026, for the aggravated murder of her husband, Eric Richins, after poisoning him with fentanyl in 2022. She was convicted in March 2026 of five felonies, including aggravated murder and attempted murder, following a trial where prosecutors portrayed her as a financially motivated killer. Richins had published a children’s book about grief shortly before her 2023 arrest, which captivated true-crime audiences. Prosecutors urged Judge Richard Mrazik to impose life without parole, citing evidence including text messages, internet searches, and statements from her three sons, who expressed fear for their safety if she were released. Richins’ defense argued insufficient evidence and claimed her husband had a painkiller addiction, but the jury deliberated for under three hours before convicting her on all counts. Her sentencing coincides with the anniversary of her husband’s 44th birthday.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Kouri Richins, 35, was convicted in March 2026 of aggravated murder for poisoning her husband Eric Richins with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in 2022 at their home near Park City, Utah
- Richins faces several decades to life in prison for aggravated murder, punishable by 25 years to life or life without parole
- Prosecutors allege Richins was millions in debt, had taken out multiple life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge, and believed she would inherit his $4m+ estate
- Richins was also convicted of four other felonies, including attempted murder for poisoning her husband with a fentanyl-laced sandwich on Valentine’s Day 2022, which caused him to black out
- Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 13, 2026, the day her husband would have turned 44
- Richins’ three sons (now 13, 11, and 9) submitted statements to prosecutors expressing fear for their safety if their mother were released, with the oldest saying, 'I’m afraid if she gets out, she will come after me and my brothers'
- Richins published and promoted a children’s book titled *Are You With Me?* about a boy coping with the death of his father shortly before her 2023 arrest
- Prosecutors did not push for the death penalty and urged Judge Richard Mrazik to sentence Richins to life without parole with no overlap in sentences for her multiple convictions
- Richins’ trial ended early when she waived her right to testify and her legal team rested without calling witnesses, with her attorneys claiming prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence for murder
- Prosecutors presented evidence including text messages between Richins and her lover, her internet search history (fentanyl dosage, luxury prisons, death certificates), and body camera footage of her claiming her husband had no history of illicit drug use
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Richins’ attorneys declined to comment Tuesday before her sentencing hearing
- Prosecutors allege the oldest son suffered emotional and physical abuse from Richins after his father’s death, supported by sealed Utah child services findings
- The middle child (now 11) refuted his mother’s claim that she slept in his bedroom the night of his father’s death, recalling unusual circumstances like being put to bed early without a bath and his parents’ bedroom being locked
- The youngest son (now 7) said he feels 'hateful and ashamed' when people talk about his mother and would be 'so scared' if she were released
- Richins faces more than two dozen additional money-related criminal charges in a separate case not yet tried
- Body camera video was played to the jury during the trial showing Richins telling an officer her husband had no history of illicit drug use
- The defense argued Eric Richins was addicted to painkillers and that the prosecution’s star witness, a housekeeper granted immunity, was motivated to lie
- Prosecutors displayed Richins’ internet searches about 'wiping information from a phone'
- The house where the Richins lived in Francis, Utah, was referenced in the trial
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian states Richins was a real estate agent with a house-flipping business, while ABC does not explicitly mention her house-flipping business but confirms her role as a real estate agent
- The Guardian specifies the youngest son was in preschool when his father died, while ABC does not provide his age at the time of the incident
Source Articles
‘I’m afraid if she gets out’: US author’s sons say they want mother to stay in jail
Kouri Richins, 35, faces up to life in prison for killing her husband, and her three sons say they are ‘afraid’ of her The young sons of Kouri Richins, a Utah author, said ahead of her sentencing hearing Wednesday that they would feel unsafe if their mother was ever released from prison after she was found guilty in March of killing their father. Richins, 35, faces several decades to life in prison on five felony convictions, including aggravated murder. Continue reading...
Utah woman who published book on grief after husband’s death to be sentenced for his murder
Kouri Richins was convicted for lacing her husband’s cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email A Utah mother who published a children’s book about grief after the death of her husband and was later found guilty of killing him will now receive her prison sentence. Kouri Richins was convicted in March of aggravated murder for lacing her husband’s cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl at their home near Park City in 2022. C
US author to be sentenced for killing husband then writing a book on grief
Kouri Richins was convicted of aggravated murder after poisoning her husband with fentanyl and self-publishing a children's book about coping with grief.