Kouri Richins, a Utah children’s book author, was convicted for the 2022 murder of her husband, Eric Richins, following a three-week trial at the Summit County Courthouse in Park City, Utah. Prosecutors argued Richins poisoned her husband with a fentanyl-laced drink to collect nearly $2 million in life insurance proceeds amid debts totaling $7.5 million.
Evidence Presented Against Richins
Authorities said Eric Richins died from a lethal dose of fentanyl found in his system, along with significant quantities of quetiapine, an antipsychotic medication. Prosecutors alleged this was a deliberate act amid financial troubles and an attempt to gain control over the couple’s finances. Court records also indicated an earlier poisoning attempt in February 2022, when Eric Richins suffered severe allergic reactions after eating a sandwich tainted with fentanyl.
Investigators revealed that Kouri Richins had purchased multiple life insurance policies on her husband and then changed the beneficiary to herself without his consent. Eric Richins reportedly reversed the beneficiary change before his death after discovering the alteration. Prosecutors said the insurance money was intended to fund a $2 million mansion flip that Eric Richins’ family disputed.
Financial Motive and Trial Testimony
A forensic accountant testified Richins was $7.5 million in debt before her husband’s death, with monthly expenses around $80,000 and frequent overdrafts. The defense argued the state failed to prove her responsibility for the fentanyl poisoning. Richins also authored a children’s book about grief following her husband’s death, which attracted national attention during the trial.
Witnesses included Eric Richins’ business partner, who denied he used illicit drugs, and a former boyfriend of Richins, whose text messages were introduced. Eric Richins’ sister testified that he had expressed fears his wife might harm him before he died.
For more stories on this topic, visit our category page.
