A Utah mother who authored a children's book about grief after her husband's death has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for murdering him. 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.
Prosecutors said Richins, a real estate agent, was millions in debt and planning a future with another man. She had taken out life insurance policies on Eric without his knowledge and falsely believed she would inherit his estate worth over $4 million. Jurors also found her guilty of attempted murder for trying to poison him with a fentanyl-laced sandwich weeks earlier.
Richins maintained her innocence, calling the verdict 'an absolute lie.' Her case gained notoriety after her arrest in 2023 while promoting her book 'Are You With Me?', about a boy coping with his father's death. Eric's sister, Amy Richins, said the family was 'very happy that we got justice.'
In a memo, Eric and Kouri's three sons expressed fear of their mother. The oldest, now 13, said he was afraid she would 'come after me and my brothers.' The middle child, 11, said he could now 'live a happy and successful life without fear.' The youngest said he would be 'so scared' if she were released.
