Wife Poisoned Husband, Then Published Book on Grief - Now Faces Prison

A Utah mother of three was convicted of murdering her husband by slipping five times the lethal dose of fentanyl into his cocktail - then spent the following year writing a children's book about grief and appearing on local television to promote it.

On March 16, 2026, a Summit County jury found Kouri Richins, 35, guilty on all five counts against her, including aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder. The verdict came after just under three hours of deliberation.

Her sentencing is scheduled for May 13 - what would have been her husband Eric's 44th birthday. She faces 25 years to life in prison.

Eric Richins Died in His Own Home

Eric Richins, 39, was found unresponsive in the couple's home in Kamas, Utah, in the early hours of March 4, 2022. His wife called 911 to report she had found him cold to the touch in their bed.

An autopsy revealed fentanyl in his system at roughly five times the lethal level. Eric had no known history of drug use.

Prosecutors said Kouri had made an earlier attempt on Valentine's Day 2022, slipping fentanyl into a sandwich she left for her husband alongside a love note. He became seriously ill but recovered.

The Motive Prosecutors Laid Out

According to prosecutors, Kouri Richins was approximately $4.5 million in debt at the time of the murder and believed she stood to inherit her husband's estate, valued at more than $4 million.

What she did not know was that Eric had quietly updated his will years earlier, cutting her out after discovering she had taken on significant debt in his name.

"She wanted to leave Eric Richins, but she did not want to leave his money," Summit County chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth said during closing arguments.

Prosecutors said Kouri obtained the fentanyl through a housecleaner who purchased the drugs from a contact at a gas station. Phone records and digital forensics corroborated the timeline. Kouri had also taken out multiple life insurance policies on her husband and was having an affair at the time of his death.

The Grief Book

About a year after Eric's death, Kouri Richins self-published a children's book titled Are You With Me?, describing it as a project she and her sons created together to cope with losing their father.

She appeared on a local radio program to promote the book in April 2023 - just weeks before her arrest.

Investigators later determined the book had been ghostwritten. A lead detective testified that shortly after Richins was arrested, her mother mailed an anonymous package to the sheriff's office containing a copy of the book, along with a note describing Kouri as a devoted wife and mother.

Prosecutors presented the book and its promotion to the jury as evidence of a calculated attempt to shape public perception after the killing.

The Verdict and What Comes Next

After the guilty verdicts were read, Eric's sister Amy Richins spoke briefly outside the courthouse.

"Honestly I feel like we're all in shock," she said, according to AP News. "It's been a long time coming. Just very happy that we got justice for my brother."

Richins' three sons, now ages 12, 10, and 8, were left without either parent at home following the verdict.

Richins still faces a separate trial on 26 additional charges related to alleged financial crimes committed in the years leading up to Eric's death, including mortgage fraud and money laundering.

Her sentencing in the murder case is set for May 13, 2026.

References: Kouri Richins Trial Verdict Utah | Story