Utah children's book author accused of killing husband to face trial
Criminal defense attorney Jonna Spilbor weighs in on the evidence against Utah mom Kouri Richins, who will stand trial in the fentanyl death of her husband.
Kouri Richins, the Utah mother of three who penned a children's book about grief after allegedly killing her husband, previously tried to poison him before his death on Valentine's Day, court records say.
Richins, now 35, is charged with multiple felonies, including aggravated murder and drug possession, after she allegedly poisoned her husband of nine years, 39-year-old Eric Richins, with a cocktail laced with illicit fentanyl in March 2022.
Prosecutors allege Kouri killed her husband as a means to collect millions in life insurance funds and start her dream career in high-end real estate.
But months before Eric's death, he feared for his life, friends and family told police in court records previously obtained by Fox News Digital.
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Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three who wrote a children's book about coping with grief after her husband's death and was later accused of fatally poisoning him, looks on during a hearing, May 15, 2024, in Park City, Utah. (Rick Bowmer/Pool)
Authorities filed an additional attempted murder charge in March last year that accused her of slipping fentanyl into her husband’s favorite sandwich on Valentine’s Day, causing a severe but nonfatal reaction.
A witness identified only as C.L. told police that Kouri requested fentanyl sometime in early 2022. On either Feb. 11 or Feb. 12, C.L. allegedly delivered the fentanyl to Kouri.
An obituary for Eric Richins described him as an "avid outdoorsman and dedicated hunter." He enjoyed helping his family's cattle ranch and growing his "successful" masonry business. (Facebook/ Kouri Richins)
"Three days later, on Feb. 14, 2022, the Defendent prepared a sandwich for Eric and placed it on the seat of his truck with a love note," documents state.
Shortly after Eric ate the sandwich, he broke out in hives and began to have difficulty breathing. He took his son's EpiPen and ingested Benadryl before falling asleep for hours, according to court documents.
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"I think my wife tried to poison me."
Eric's family told authorities after his murder that he had been in fear for his life when Kouri allegedly tried to poison him on Valentine's Day.
Charges filed against Kouri Richins are based on officers' interactions with Richins and an unnamed acquaintance who apparently told authorities that she sold fentanyl to the mother of three. (Facebook/Kouri Richins)
Kouri apparently told other witnesses that she had purchased the sandwich from a diner and maintains that she did not poison it, documents state.
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Kouri's attorneys, Kathy Nester and Wendy Lewis of Nester Lewis and Alexander Ramos of Langford Ramos, did not respond to the Valetine's Day accusation.
The two attorneys previously said in a March 2024 statement: "We are aware that the preliminary hearing stage favors the prosecution to an extraordinary degree and respect the court's decision. We firmly believe the charges against Kouri do not withstand thorough scrutiny and are confident that a jury will find the same."
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Kouri Richins, left, a Utah mother of three who authorities say fatally poisoned her husband, Eric Richins, then wrote a children's book about grieving, stands with her attorney, Skye Lazaro, during a status hearing, Sept. 1, 2023, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool)
"Our focus now is on ensuring that justice is served through a fair trial," they continued. "We are committed to defending Kouri against these charges, firmly believing that the truth will prevail. These past fifteen months have taken a heavy toll on Kouri and her three children. It’s time to bring this ordeal to an end, restore her life, and allow her and her family to move on."
Prosecutors allege Kouri purchased four different life insurance policies on Eric's life totaling more than $1.9 million between 2015 and 2017.
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The house where Kouri Richins and Eric Richins lived is shown, May 11, 2023, in Francis, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
On Jan. 1, 2022, months before Eric's death, Kouri "surreptitiously and without authorization changed the beneficiary for his nearly $2 million life insurance policy to herself," the document states. Eric received a notification about the change and switched the beneficiary back to his business partner.
She apparently wanted to use the funds to flip a $2 million Wasatch County mansion that was under construction at the time of Eric's death, an investment that his family said he did not approve of.
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Utah children's book author Kouri Richins had a contentious relationship with her husband wrought with financial disagreements before she allegedly killed him with fentanyl. (TownLift/Will Scadden | Facebook)
The same night Eric died, authorities say he, Kouri and her mother were celebrating Kouri's recent closure of the mansion in question. The then-33-year-old, who owned a real estate company, wanted to finish building the mansion and sell it for a profit, according to search warrants.
Kouri allegedly poured her husband a Moscow mule laced with fentanyl while celebrating that evening. A medical examiner determined that Eric had more than five times the lethal amount of illicit fentanyl in his system when he died. The examiner also found "16,000 ng/ml of Quetiapine," described as an atypical antipsychotic medication that's "widely used as a sleep aid," in Eric Richins’ gastric fluid, new charging documents state.
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Kouri Richins is charged with killing her husband of nine years, Eric Richins, with fentanyl last year. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer | Family handout)
The next day, Kouri allegedly closed a deal on the mansion "alone" after her husband was pronounced dead.
Kouri has pleaded not guilty to all charges filed against her and maintains that she did not kill Eric. She is scheduled to stand trial in April.
After her husband's death, Kouri went on to write and sell a children's book about a father's death titled "Are You With Me?" that was previously available for purchase on Amazon for $14.99.
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