How Grief Author Kouri Richins Ended Up Convicted of Husband’s Murder

Utah mom Kouri Richens wrote a book about grief after her husband Eric Richin‘s death in 2022.

On May 13th, the day Eric would have turned 44, Kouri received a life sentence for his murder. Judge Richard Mrazik, presiding over the case, determined that Kouri, age 36, posed too great a risk to be released from prison.

Following the verdict, defense attorney Kathryn Nester stated that her client continues to claim she didn’t commit the crime, and they plan to appeal the conviction, as reported by the Salt Lake Tribune.

Kouri has been in jail in Summit County since she was arrested in 2023. In March, she was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, two counts of insurance fraud, and one count of forgery. She chose not to speak in court during the trial.

At the sentencing, she strongly denied the accusations, calling them completely false. However, she spent most of her 30-minute statement addressing her three young sons, telling them that both she and their father had made errors they regretted.

She added later, “Be like your dad.”

Prosecutors say that after trying and failing to poison Eric with a sandwich on Valentine’s Day, Kouri put a deadly amount of fentanyl in a Moscow mule she made for him. He died on March 4, 2022, at the age of 39.

A year after that, Kouri released her book, Are You With Me?, which was presented as a comforting guide for children dealing with the loss of someone they love. It was described as being written by a mother who had gone through this experience herself.

She later went on local television to discuss the tragic event and what inspired her to write about it.

Kouri said Eric’s death was a complete shock to everyone. She and her children then wrote a book about the various emotions and grieving stages they’ve gone through over the past year, as she explained to Good Things Utah hosts Deena Manzanares and Surae Chinn.

In May 2023, Kouri was arrested for murder, and a month later, Deena and Surae were still dealing with the emotional impact of the arrest.

Deena told NewsNation that nothing initially seemed off during their April 2023 meeting with Kouri. However, she did notice Kouri seemed somewhat detached and lacked warmth. Deena explained she didn’t want to be critical, figuring Kouri was likely still processing her grief and feeling numb.

After the interview was broadcast, the station received an email from someone who claimed the interviewee had killed her husband. The host said they didn’t pay much attention to it initially, as they regularly receive unusual emails.

What happened to Eric Richins?

According to court documents obtained by TopMob News, Kouri stated that on March 3, 2022, she made her husband a Moscow mule to celebrate a work success. He drank it around 11 p.m. while they were in bed. Kouri then checked on one of their sons who was experiencing a night terror and ended up falling asleep in the boy’s room.

She remembered going back to the bedroom around 3 a.m. and finding Eric not responding and cold, according to the search warrant.

Kouri stated she left her phone charging in the bedroom, but investigators found evidence it had been actively used while she said she was sleeping. The phone was unlocked and locked repeatedly, and several text messages were sent, received, and then deleted, according to a search warrant.

An autopsy toxicology report showed Eric had five times the amount of fentanyl needed to cause a fatal overdose in his system. According to a warrant, the medical examiner determined he had swallowed an illegal, non-pharmaceutical dose of the drug.

What was the state of Kouri and Eric Richin’s marriage when he died?

Eric’s family stated he remained married solely for the sake of his children, who were ages 9, 8, and 5 at the time of his death.

After Eric Kouri’s arrest, family spokesperson Greg Skordas told NBC News that Eric, heavily involved in his children’s sports as a soccer, baseball, and basketball coach, seemed to be motivated by a desire to keep the family together. Skordas described Eric as a good father and someone who generously supported others, adding that he “did the best he could to make the most of his marriage.”

Kouri told investigators, in an email from April 19, 2022, that she suspected Eric was having an affair. According to reports from KUTV, she removed her clothes from their house to show him she was serious about leaving if he didn’t end the other relationship, though she didn’t fully move out.

She explained that they tried counseling a few times, but it didn’t feel right, so they eventually worked through their issues on their own, like many couples do.

According to court documents filed May 18th and reported by NBC News, Eric consulted with a divorce lawyer and estate planner in October 2020. During that meeting, he created a living trust and appointed his sister, Katie Richins-Benson, as the trustee.

I’ve been following this case closely, and it’s heartbreaking. Apparently, Eric told his family he was genuinely afraid of Kouri. He warned them that if anything ever happened to him, they should know Kouri was responsible. Two family members even said he feared Kouri would kill him for money and was desperately worried about making sure his children were financially secure if something happened to him. It’s just awful to think about.

Prosecutors claim that between 2015 and 2017, Kouri secretly took out over $2 million in life insurance policies on her husband, Eric. In September 2020, Eric discovered his wife had made several large, undisclosed financial moves. These included a $250,000 home equity loan in 2019 which she used to buy a business property, withdrawing $100,000 from his bank accounts, and racking up over $30,000 in charges on his credit cards.

She agreed to repay him when he confronted her about the loan, prosecutors noted.

As a long-time follower of this case, I’ve been reading the filings closely. Kouri’s lawyers are arguing he shouldn’t be held on bail, and they’ve made it clear that Eric was fully aware of the loan. What’s more, he actually did all the stonework on the property himself. It’s important to note that Eric co-owned C&E Stone Masonry with Cody Wright, so he’s a skilled professional, and this work was clearly within his capabilities.

In April 2019, Kouri launched her own real estate company. According to statements made to investigators, Eric’s family said they had been arguing with her about a $2 million property she planned to buy and renovate for profit. The day after Eric’s death, his family reported that Kouri finalized the purchase and hosted a party at her house.

According to KUTV, Kouri told investigators in an April email that she and Eric clashed over her career goals. He reportedly wanted her to embrace a traditional, conservative lifestyle where he would be the primary provider and she would focus on being a homemaker and mother.

She hoped to “move on,” she wrote, “and grieve and mourn.”

Did Eric Richins suspect his wife was trying to kill him?

Family members told investigators that Eric believed his wife had already tried to poison him.

A search warrant document states that Eric’s sister reported he and his wife traveled to Greece several years ago. After his wife gave him something to drink, Eric became severely ill and called his sister, telling her he thought his wife had attempted to poison him.

According to a sworn statement, on Valentine’s Day in 2022, Eric’s wife gave him a sandwich. After just one bite, he had an allergic reaction – he broke out in hives and had trouble breathing. He had to use his son’s EpiPen and Benadryl, and then he lost consciousness for several hours.

How did authorities connect Kouri Richins to fentanyl?

According to a police warrant reviewed by TopMob News, a person known to Kouri, identified as “C.L.”, told detectives that Kouri asked them between December 2021 and February 2022 if they could obtain painkillers for an investor who had hurt their back.

Around two weeks after delivering hydrocodone to a house Kouri was renovating in Midway, Utah, C.L. stated that Kouri requested fentanyl, explaining the investor was looking for a more potent drug.

Okay, so get this – apparently, on February 11th, 2022, this guy, C.L. – and honestly, his past is… complicated, let’s just say the police file says he’s had trouble with drugs before – he contacted a dealer up in Ogden, Utah. He actually got 15 to 30 fentanyl pills! Can you believe it? Then, my absolute idol, Kouri, went to C.L.’s place, paid him $900 in cash – straight up! – and picked them up. C.L. told the detectives all about it, according to the warrant. It’s just… everything about this is fascinating.

According to court documents, Eric became seriously ill three days after a Valentine’s Day dinner and confided in a friend that he suspected his wife was attempting to poison him. Approximately two weeks later, Kouri allegedly requested $900 worth of fentanyl, which, according to C.L., was obtained from a dealer in Ogden and delivered to a property in Midway on February 26th.

Authorities said Eric died of a fentanyl overdose on March 4.

What did grief book author Kouri Richins say after being charged with murder?

According to a court document from June 2023 reviewed by NBC News, Kouri’s lawyers stated that investigators haven’t found any texts or other evidence suggesting Eric ever thought Kouri tried to poison him.

In response to the prosecution’s claims, the defense stated that Eric became sick while in Greece after a waitress unknowingly served him alcohol, which interacted negatively with the Lyme disease medication he was taking.

Their mutual friends said that Kouri immediately helped Eric when he wasn’t feeling well. He took him back to their room, contacted a doctor, got the necessary medication, and stayed with him until he recovered. Later that day, Eric and Kouri were able to rejoin their friends.

According to court documents, on Valentine’s Day in 2022, Eric felt sick after eating lunch that Kouri had purchased for them, and he went to take a nap. Their nanny reported that Eric didn’t have any hives and didn’t appear to be unwell.

According to court documents, six days later Eric and Kouri went to a bar with separate groups of friends. Witnesses said they both seemed unusually happy, and Eric even joked about having an allergy to allergy medicine.

After a year of remaining silent following the charges against her, Kouri finally shared her side of the story in a series of audio statements to NBC’s Dateline: True Crime Daily podcast. She explained that she had been separated from her children, family, and normal life, while the media portrayed her in a way she felt was inaccurate and unfair.

A mother, claiming she’s done nothing wrong, expressed her eagerness to clear her name and have her day in court after being separated from her children. She stated she’s very anxious to prove she’s innocent and wants the trial to begin as soon as possible.

Why did Kouri Richins and her in-laws sue each other?

After being refused bail, Kouri filed a lawsuit against her late husband’s estate, claiming she was wrongly prevented from accessing money she was entitled to. This included the funds from the sale of his share of the stonemasonry business and her portion of the equity in their shared home, which she states they bought together in 2012 for $400,000.

She claimed in her lawsuit that the house was worth at least $1.9 million, largely due to improvements they had made over time. These included a swimming pool that was planned and finished after Eric passed away.

According to CourtTV, the lawsuit included a copy of the couple’s prenuptial agreement from June 15, 2013. This agreement stated that Kouri would only inherit a share of Eric’s business if he died before her.

After Eric’s death, his sister and trustee, Katie Richins-Benson, sued Kouri for $13 million. The lawsuit claimed Kouri took money from Eric to fund her new real estate business and then profited from his name and image by publishing a children’s book about him.

According to the lawsuit, Kouri had no intention of repaying the $250,000 home equity loan or the money she took without Eric knowing. She deliberately misled him about her plans to prevent him from stopping her.

According to court documents shared by CourtTV, Eric owned the house outright and it was held by a trust he created in 2020. This trust also included all of his assets – bank and retirement accounts, insurance policies, cash, and other property – totaling $300,000 in value.

Although the lawsuit primarily focuses on claims of fraud, theft, and other financial crimes, it also includes a wrongful death allegation, claiming the defendant caused Eric to ingest a fatal dose of fentanyl – five times the amount that would have been lethal.

According to the lawsuit, Kouri deliberately and systematically carried out a series of actions with the goal of covering up her significant debts, using assets to support her own businesses, arranging for Eric’s death, and financially benefiting from his death.

During a court hearing on June 12th, Eric’s sister, Amy Richins, described the past year as incredibly difficult for her family, calling it a “living hell” in a statement she read.

Amy expressed her disbelief in court, asking how anyone could place so little worth on a human life. “I’m heartbroken and devastated that she didn’t seem to care about Eric at all,” she added.

What did Eric Richins’ family say about Kouri Richins being sentenced to life in prison?

Before Kouri received a life sentence with no chance of parole, Katie pleaded with the judge, asking that her brother’s life not be valued at only 25 years in prison.

Amy said that “a parole-eligible sentence is not a conclusion,” but rather “an ongoing nightmare.”

The sons of Kouri and Eric, who are now living with their aunt Katie and her husband, told prosecutors they hoped their mother would stay in prison, addressing her by her first name when speaking to authorities.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen firsthand how deeply childhood experiences shape us. Recently, in court documents, the youngest child shared some incredibly poignant feelings. He described having only vague memories of his parents, but expressed a hopeful outlook. He said that once a certain person is no longer in the picture, he anticipates feeling genuinely happy, safe, and able to trust others more easily. It’s a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful statement about a child’s need for security and peace.

2026-05-14 00:48