A Utah mother who published a children's book about grief after her husband's death has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for his murder. Kouri Richins, 35, was convicted in March of lacing her husband Eric's cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl at their home near Park City in 2022.
Judge Richard Mrazik handed down the sentence on what would have been Eric Richins' 44th birthday, stating that a person convicted of such crimes is 'too dangerous to ever be free'. Prosecutors said Richins, a real estate agent with a house-flipping business, was millions in debt and planning a future with another man. She had taken out multiple life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge and falsely believed she would inherit his £3.2 million estate.
Jurors also found Richins guilty of four other felonies, including attempted murder for trying to poison her husband weeks earlier with a fentanyl-laced sandwich on Valentine's Day. Richins has maintained her innocence, calling the verdict 'an absolute lie'. Her case gained attention when she was arrested in 2023 while promoting her book 'Are You With Me?', which tells the story of a boy coping with his father's death.
Eric Richins' sister, Amy Richins, expressed relief after the verdict, saying the family can now focus on supporting his three sons, who were aged nine, seven and five at the time of his death. In a memo filed by prosecutors, the boys told the judge they would feel unsafe if their mother were ever released. The eldest, now 13, said: 'I'm afraid if she gets out, she will come after me and my brothers, my whole family.'
The trial ended early when Richins waived her right to testify and her legal team rested without calling witnesses. Prosecutors presented evidence including text messages with her lover and internet searches about lethal fentanyl doses and luxury prisons.
