Woman who wrote book on grief after husband’s death convicted of his murder

A jury in Utah, United States has found Kouri Richins guilty of murdering her husband, Eric Richins, after poisoning him with a lethal dose of fentanyl, then publishing a children’s book about coping with grief.

Prosecutors told the court that Richins laced a cocktail with five times the fatal dose of the powerful synthetic opioid, which her husband consumed in March 2022. They argued that the killing was driven by financial desperation and a desire to start a new life.

According to the prosecution, Richins was burdened with debts of about $4.5 million and believed she would inherit an estate worth more than $4 million upon her husband’s death. They also alleged she was involved with another man and planning a future outside her marriage.

“She wanted to leave Eric Richins but did not want to leave his money,” said Brad Bloodworth during the trial.

The courtroom fell silent as the verdict was delivered, with Richins reportedly staring at the floor and taking deep breaths. The jury reached its decision in under three hours, after which emotional scenes unfolded as family members embraced and wept.

In addition to aggravated murder, Richins was convicted of attempted murder for allegedly trying to poison her husband weeks earlier on Valentine’s Day using a fentanyl-laced sandwich that caused him to black out. She was also found guilty of forgery and insurance fraud after his death.

Sentencing is set for May 13 – what would have been Eric Richins’ 44th birthday. The aggravated murder conviction carries a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

Family members of the victim expressed both relief and lingering shock. His sister said the verdict brings a measure of justice and allows the family to focus on preserving his memory and supporting his children.

The trial, initially scheduled to last five weeks, ended abruptly after the defendant waived her right to testify and her legal team rested without calling witnesses. Her lawyers had maintained that prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence for a murder conviction.

However, prosecutors presented what they described as a compelling trail of evidence, including text messages between Richins and an alleged lover, suggesting plans to leave her husband and gain financially. Investigators also uncovered internet searches from her phone querying lethal doses of fentanyl, luxury prisons, and how poisoning is recorded on death certificates.

A recording of Richins’ 911 call from the night of her husband’s death was also played in court. Prosecutors argued it reflected not the panic of a grieving spouse, but something far more calculated – closing their case with the chilling claim that it was “the sound of a wife becoming a black widow.”