Mum and grief author who murdered husband given life sentence
She wrote a book on grief about losing her husband - but she was the one who killed him.
A mum of three who published a book about grief after the death of her husband, but was later found guilty of murdering him, has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Kouri Richins, 36, was convicted in March of aggravated murder for poisoning her husband’s drink with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in 2022.
Judge Richard Mrazik said in sentencing, “A person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to ever be free."
Eric Richins would have turned 44 on the day his wife was put away forever.
The case gained international attention after Kouri was arrested in 2023 as she was promoting her children’s book Are You With Me? - about a boy coping with the death of his father.
A book she couldn't have written if she hadn't murdered her husband.
It wasn't until Kouri began a media tour that the circumstances of his death attracted further attention from authorities.
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Richins dedicated the book to “my amazing husband and a wonderful father.” The book was eventually removed from Amazon.
Are You With Me? author Kouri Richins gets life for murder
Richins, a real estate agent, was millions in debt and planning a future with another man. She had opened numerous life insurance policies on her husband, which she intended to claim on after his death.
Jurors in Park City also found Richins guilty of four other felonies, including attempted murder for trying to poison her husband weeks earlier on Valentine’s Day with a fentanyl-laced sandwich.
Richins continues to claim her innocence. She said on Wednesday that the verdict was “an absolute lie”.
However, her sons separately told the judge they would feel unsafe if Richins was ever released, the Guardian reports.
“I’m afraid if she gets out, she will come after me and my brothers, my whole family,” said the oldest boy, who is now 13. “I think she would come and take us and not do good things to us, like hurt us.”
The middle child, now 11, said he was sad that his dad won’t be present for major milestones. With his mother behind bars, he said he can “live a happy and successful life without fear of [her] hurting me or anyone I love”.
The youngest said he would be “so scared” if his mother was released.
Top image: Korui Richins at sentencing. Image: X
