A jury in Utah found Kouri Richins guilty on all counts in the March 2022 poisoning death of her husband, Eric Richins, after about three hours of deliberation.
Prosecutors said Richins, 35, mixed a Moscow Mule cocktail at the couple’s Park City-area home and laced it with fentanyl, at a concentration they described as nearly five times a lethal dose. She was convicted on multiple felonies, including aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder—charges that each carry a potential life sentence—as well as mortgage fraud and forgery. Court filings say she signed documents to close a multimillion-dollar real estate purchase the day after her husband’s death. Richins had pleaded not guilty; a sentencing hearing is set for May 13.
When the verdict was read, Richins, wearing a white blouse with pale blue and peach flowers, looked down and began breathing heavily. Eric Richins’ sister, Amy Richins, told The Associated Press the family was relieved, saying they felt “in shock” but grateful to have obtained justice for her brother.
The trial began in February at the Summit County Courthouse in Park City and ran about three weeks, including 13 days of testimony. The defense called no witnesses, and Richins did not testify. Prosecutors argued she was motivated by financial gain.
Investigators say family members had long suspected Richins. Court records recount incidents they said raised concern: Eric allegedly believed she had tried to harm him during a trip to Greece years earlier; he developed hives and had trouble breathing after eating a sandwich she made on Valentine’s Day 2022, weeks before his death; and a neighbor testified Richins told others around Christmas 2021 that it would be better if her husband were dead after a fight.
Documents presented at trial also indicate Eric was contemplating divorce and had argued with his wife about buying a $2 million house she intended to flip for her real estate business. Prosecutors said Kouri Richins had been named beneficiary on several life insurance policies taken out on Eric between 2015 and 2017 without his knowledge, and that he had recently tried to remove her from those policies and from his will. The day after his death, she is accused of signing papers finalizing the mansion purchase.
Within a year of Eric Richins’ death, Kouri Richins published and promoted a children’s picture book about coping with loss titled Are You with Me?, appearing on local television to discuss the challenges she and her three sons faced. She was arrested in May 2023.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.