Utah Grief Author Kouri Richins Sentenced To Life In Prison Without Parole For Husband’s Murder

A Utah mother who published a children’s book astir condolences aft nan decease of her hubby and was later recovered blameworthy of sidesplitting him has been sentenced to life successful situation without nan anticipation of parole.

Kouri Richins, 35, wearing a lime greenish azygous successful court, stared up arsenic nan condemnation was handed down connected Wednesday, connected what would person been her hubby Eric Richins’s 44th birthday.

In March, Kouri Richins was convicted of aggravated execution in Eric’s 2022 decease aft prosecutors opportunity she secretly slipped 5 times nan lethal dose of fentanyl into a Moscow Mule cocktail she made for him. A twelvemonth aft nan murder, Richins wrote a children’s book to thief their 3 sons process nan loss.

The 35-year-old existent property supplier was millions successful indebtedness and readying a early pinch different man, prosecutors said during her trial. She had opened galore life security policies connected her hubby without his knowledge, and falsely believed she would inherit his property worthy much than $4 cardinal aft he died.

The prosecution had urged nan judge to enforce a life condemnation without nan anticipation of parole, saying Richins’ 3 sons “should ne'er interest that they whitethorn 1 time brushwood her.”

In an effect connection publication to nan tribunal connected Wednesday, Eric’s begetter Gene Richins said that his son’s decease was a “permanent spread successful our family that will ne'er beryllium filled.”

“No genitor should ever person to hide their child,” he said. “It’s a nonaccomplishment that changes you forever.”

Katie Richins-Benson, Eric’s sister, sobbed arsenic she told nan court: “Nearly each facet of our lives has been permanently changed, and we person nary prime but to unrecorded pinch those changes and Eric’s nonaccomplishment forever.”

Richins’ lawsuit captivated true-crime enthusiasts erstwhile she was arrested successful 2023 while promoting her children’s book “Are You pinch Me?” astir a boy coping pinch nan decease of his father.

Richins’ mother, Lisa Darden, maintained that her girl is not tin of execution and successful tribunal connected Wednesday, asked, “from a mother’s heart, that Kouri beryllium fixed a condemnation that allows nan anticipation of a future.”

Sons opportunity they are acrophobic of their mother

Eric Richins’ sister, Katie Richins-Benson, said her relative was taken from his sons, who are now successful her care, by nan personification he should person been capable to spot nan most.

“They are not props for immoderate twisted children’s book astir condolences and loss, and yet that is what they’ve been reduced to by Kouri,” Richins-Benson told nan judge, her sound quavering.

The children person said Richins deed and threatened to termination their animals, showed them videos of famished children successful warfare zones erstwhile they refused to eat their meal and didn’t look to attraction astir their health.

At nan sentencing proceeding connected Wednesday, licensed therapists publication nan children’s unfortunate effect statements to nan court.

One kid talked astir really Richins would “put america successful nan basement while she was pinch nan neighbor.”

“I felt frightened because I thought thing really bad was happening again,” nan kid said successful his statement. “She would return maine to places that smelled really bad. Everything she did made maine consciousness uncomfortable.”

Another kid told Richins: “You took distant everything from maine and my brothers.”

The oldest boy, now 13, said he besides felt for illustration he had to return attraction of his siblings while successful his mother’s care, but his younger relative “mostly took attraction of me, though, because I was locked successful my room.” He said his mom would fastener him wrong “pretty overmuch daily” aft he pointed retired that she was drunk.

The 13-year-old kid said successful his connection that he wanted Richins to get life successful situation “because what she did is very sick.”

All 3 children person undergone intensive therapy and are being raised by Eric’s sister and her husband, according to nan memo.

The trial

The proceedings was scheduled for 5 weeks but ended early erstwhile Richins waived her correct to testify, and her ineligible squad rested its lawsuit without calling immoderate witnesses. Her attorneys said they were assured that prosecutors had not produced capable grounds to convict her of murder.

The assemblage deliberated for conscionable nether 3 hours earlier uncovering her blameworthy of each counts.

Jurors successful Park City besides recovered Richins blameworthy of 4 different felonies, including attempted execution for trying to poison her hubby weeks earlier connected Valentine’s Day pinch a fentanyl-laced sandwich.

Throughout nan trial, prosecutors portrayed nan mother of 3 arsenic a money-hungry killer. They showed nan assemblage matter messages betwixt Richins and her person successful which she fantasized astir leaving her hubby and gaining millions successful a divorce.

Prosecutors besides displayed nan net hunt history from Richins’ phone, which included queries astir nan lethal dose of fentanyl, luxury prisons and really poisoning is marked connected a decease certificate.

The defense based on that Eric Richins was addicted to painkillers. Prosecutors countered by showing constabulary assemblage camera footage from nan nighttime of his decease successful which Kouri Richins tells an serviceman that her hubby had nary history of illicit supplier use.

Defense attorneys besides based on that nan prosecution’s prima witness, a housekeeper who claimed to person sold Kouri Richins fentanyl connected aggregate occasions, was motivated to dishonesty for ineligible protection. The housekeeper was granted immunity for her practice successful nan case.