Kouri Richins will spend the rest of her life in prison for the 2022 murder of husband Eric Richins, but vowed to appeal and “fight these charges, no matter how long it takes.”
Following Richins’s extended address to her three young children, as well as a series of emotional impact statements, Judge Richard Mrazik ruled the Utah mom should receive the maximum sentence for her conviction of first-degree aggravated murder.
“The bottom line is this: Kouri Richins was convicted, unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt, of attempting to murder Eric Richins, her husband, and the feather of their three children,” Mrazik said. “And then, having failed in her first effort of spending the next 17 days not changing course, but doubling down, preparing to try again, and ultimately completing the act through the administration of poison. And for what? Money. All for pecuniary gain.”
“A person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to ever be free,” he concluded.
Eric Richins, a father with no prior history of drug abuse, mysteriously died in March 2022 from a lethal dose of fentanyl. Ultimately, a jury found his death was no accident, and that Kouri was responsible for poisoning him with the opioid.
Concluding a highly publicized three-week trial, Richins, 35, was found guilty of first-degree aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, forgery, and insurance fraud on March 16, 2026. The jury needed only three hours of deliberations to reach a verdict.
Richins has maintained her innocence, and even penned a children’s picture book about grief after her husband’s death, while prosecutors argued she hoped to collect millions of dollars from insurance and start a new life with her alleged boyfriend.
Here’s what we know about Richins, her trial, and what happens after her sentencing.
Who Is Kouri Richins, and What Happened in Her Husband’s Death?
Kouri Richins, now 35, killed her husband Eric Richins, 39, at their home outside of Park City, Utah, on March 4, 2022. According to CBS News, she faces almost three dozen counts in total from the incident—with the majority of these charges in a case separate from the murder trial.
Kouri pleaded not guilty to the aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud, and forgery charges and maintained she wasn’t involved in her husband’s death, but a jury found otherwise.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Eric ran a successful stonemasonry business, while Kouri worked as a real estate investor who flipped houses. The couple also had three sons, who were ages 9, 7, and 5 at the time of Eric’s death, according to his obituary.
Prosecutors alleged Richins hid five times the legal amount of the synthetic opioid fentanyl in a Moscow mule cocktail given to Eric. They also claimed she tried to poison him a month prior by giving him a sandwich from a local restaurant laced with fentanyl.
Pamela Sue Ulmer, a former forensic pathologist for the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner, testified during the trial that Eric Richins had no signs of fatal heart disease, stroke, or other natural cause of death. Toxicology reports showed a toxic level of fentanyl.
Eric Richins had no prior history of illicit drug use or prescription drug abuse, but defense attorneys argued it wasn’t definitively known how he ingested the fentanyl.
What Was Kouri Richins’s Motive?
As for a motive in the case, prosecutors alleged Kouri Richins hoped to profit from millions in insurance money after her husband’s death. They said she hoped to erase debt from her struggling real estate venture—having owed lenders more than $1.8 million—and set up a new life with boyfriend Robert Josh Grossman, with whom she had a romantic relationship.
According to CNN, Eric Richins’ life was insured for more than $2 million at the time of his death through several policies—including one Kouri allegedly applied for by illegal means.
At the trial, prosecutors shared screenshots of text messages in which Richins told Grossman she wanted to leave her husband and marry him one day. She also allegedly searched “women Utah prison” and “Can cops force you to do a lie detector test?” according to her internet history.
Richins was officially charged with Eric’s murder on May 8, 2023. The trial experienced multiple delays related to disputes over evidence, representation, and jury selection, according to KUTV.
Did Kouri Richins Really Write a Children’s Book About Grief After Her Husband’s Death?
Richins’s case has garnered additional attention because of a children’s book she wrote after Eric’s death.
Published March 5, 2023, Are You With Me? tells the story of a boy who must grieve the death of his father and looks for his angelic presence amid everyday activities. According to a Goodreads description, the book is “designed to offer comfort and solace to young minds in a way that is both accessible and engaging.”
According to the New York Post, Richins promoted the book on TV and radio programming. “I just wanted some story to read to my kids at night, and so, you know, I was like, ‘Let’s just write one,’” she told the hosts of local talk show Good Things Utah.
What Was the Key Testimony from Richins’s Trial?
One of the most anticipated days of the trial was March 4, when Grossman—Richins’s alleged love interest—took the stand to answer questions.
According to NBC News, Grossman, 43, repeatedly shifted in his seat and held back tears as pages of text messages between him and Richins were shared in court. He testified their relationship became romantic in early 2020, and that Richins let him stay in one of the houses she was flipping after he moved to Utah. He claimed she also gave him money and purchased two trucks for him.
Some of the text messages included talk of a possible future together, including one on February 15, 2022, in which she asked if Grossman would marry her if she was divorced. “Yes. In Love with Y O U! Of course I would,” Grossman replied.
Grossman also spoke about a conversation they had roughly two weeks after Eric’s death, during which Kouri asked if he had ever killed anyone. Grossman previously served in the U.S. military during the Iraq War. “She asked me how it made me feel or something along those lines. And then I answered her. I took it as not out of the normal, though, really,” he said.
Earlier on February 27, a former housekeeper for the Richins named Carmen Lauber testified that Kouri had asked her to acquire drugs four times and gave her permission to purchase fentanyl. She claimed Kouri asked for stronger drugs she called the “Michael Jackson stuff,” a crude reference to the late music star.
Prosecutors rested their case on March 12. The following day, Richins waived her right to testify. According to Court TV, members of her legal team indicated they had several witnesses ready to testify, but the defense ultimately rested its case without calling a witness to the stand.
Closing arguments in the trial began March 16, marking the final step before jury deliberations. According to NewsNation, Richins’ defense team asked for a mistrial to be declared, citing alleged improper remarks made by prosecutor Brad Bloodworth.
Attorney Kathryn Nester claimed Bloodworth dehumanized Richins by calling her a “black widow,” but the judge ruled the comments were permissible because they stemmed from previous witness testimony.
What Happened at Kouri Richins’s Sentencing?
The May 13 date of Kouri Richins’s sentencing was significant, as it marked Eric’s birthdate. He would have turned 44 years old.
In addition to the life sentence for the first-degree aggravated murder, Richins was sentenced to the following, with each indeterminate term running consecutively to one another and consecutive to the primary sentence:
- Five years to life for Count 2, first-degree felony attempted aggravated murder
- One to 15 years for Count 3, second-degree felony insurance fraud
- One to 15 years for Count 4, second-degree felony insurance fraud
- A term not exceeding five years for Count 5, third-degree felony forgery
What Did Kouri Richins Say About the Verdict?
Richins was committed to the Utah State Prison to serve her sentences. She must file a notice of appeal within 30 days, and vowed to do so during an extended statement directed to her three children.
Claiming her efforts to contact her sons through phone calls, Christmas cards, and other methods have been blocked for more than two years, Richins offered them advice about love and marriage and asked them to not give up on her. Earlier during the hearing, impact statements from each of her sons were read to the courtroom requesting she receive the harshest sentence possible for Eric’s death.
“One day when this is all over, we can sit down and talk about it,” Kouri said.
Richins again denied murdering Eric, calling the idea an “absolute lie,” and said she will continue to fight in the hope she might one day return home.
“God did not put me in this world to take a life. God put me in this world to give life,” she said in her statement.
Family members of Eric Richins have previously expressed relief they can focus on honoring his memory and supporting his three sons after Kouri’s conviction.
“Honestly I feel like we’re all in shock. It’s been a long time coming,” Amy Richins, Eric’s sister, told the Associated Press. “Just very happy that we got justice for my brother.”
Watch Murder She Wrote: The Kouri Richins Trial on Hulu
Richins’s case and trial were the subject of a special edition of 20/20, which premiered March 20 on ABC and is now streaming on Hulu.
According to a news release, Murder She Wrote: The Kouri Richins Trial features an exclusive interview with Ali Staking, a friend of Kouri since junior high school, as well as conversations with the jury foreperson and members of Kouri’s family. Additionally, the episode includes bodycamera footage from the night of Eric’s death.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
