Kouri Richins Sentenced to Life Without Parole After Husband’s Murder

Kouri Richins, 36, was sentenced to life on May 13 for murdering her husband, Eric Richins, in 2022 by giving him a fentanyl-laced drink at their home near Park City, Utah. The jury has also found her guilty of attempted murder and fraud charges in connection with Eric’s death.

After killing her husband, she also wrote a children’s book on grief and family. However, she has now been sent to prison without parole.

Third District Judge Richard Marzik handed down the maximum sentence allowed under Utah law. Speaking in court on what would have been Eric’s 44th birthday, the judge said: “A person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to be free.” Prosecutors said Richins has built up millions of dollars in debt and believed she would inherit her husband’s estate, which was calculated to be more than $4 million, after his death.

Prosecutors presented jurors with evidence of insurance fraud by falsely claiming insurance benefits after Eric Richin’s death and tried to profit from his estate. Prosecutions also stated that Kouri was involved in an extramarital affair and alleged that she was planning a future with another man.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that the killing was not an isolated act. Kouri was also convicted of attempted murder in connection with an earlier incident in which she poisoned her husband’s sandwich.

She did not testify at trial, but she did speak in court for almost half an hour before her sentencing. Many of her words were directed towards her three children.

"I know today you don't want to speak to me and you hate me. That's OK. When you are ready, I will be here for you," she said.

The case drew national attention when Kouri published a children’s picture book shortly before her arrest. The book, “Are You With Me?, was released in January 2023, two months before police took her into custody.

She has promoted the book as a way to help families deal with the loss of a loved one. In an earlier interview with a radio station, KPCW, Shae said, "We wrote this book and we're really hoping that it provides some comfort for not just obviously, our family, but other families that are going through the same thing."

Kouri also dedicated the book to Eric Richins, whom she described as “My amazing husband and a wonderful father.”