Utah Woman Convicted of Poisoning Husband, Then Writing Grief Book

A Utah woman faces life in prison after poisoning her husband with fentanyl and later publishing a children’s book about coping with grief.

Kouri Richins slipped five times the lethal dose of synthetic opioid into her husband Eric’s cocktail in March 2022. Prosecutors revealed she was $4.5 million in debt at the time.

She falsely believed she would inherit his estate worth more than $4 million after his death. She was also planning a future with another man she was seeing secretly.

“She wanted to leave Eric Richins but did not want to leave his money,”

Summit County Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth stated during the trial.

The Verdict and Sentencing

The jury deliberated for just under three hours before returning the guilty verdict. Richins stared at the floor and took deep breaths as the judge read the decision.

Family members from both sides left the courtroom hugging and crying. Sentencing is scheduled for May 13, the day her husband would have turned 44.

The aggravated murder charge alone carries 25 years to life in prison. Richins also faces additional time for other felony convictions.

Additional Crimes Revealed

Authorities discovered Richins had attempted to poison her husband weeks earlier on Valentine’s Day. She gave him a fentanyl-laced sandwich that made him black out.

Jurors also found her guilty of forgery and fraudulently claiming insurance benefits after Eric’s death. She had opened numerous life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge, totalling about $2 million.

Evidence of Premeditation

Prosecutors presented damning evidence from Richins’ phone internet search history. A digital forensic analyst testified about searches including “what is a lethal dose of fentanyl” and “luxury prisons for the rich America.”

Another disturbing search asked, “if someone is poisoned what does it go down on the death certificate as.”

The court also heard text messages between Richins and Robert Josh Grossman, her alleged lover. She fantasised about leaving her husband, gaining millions in a divorce, and marrying Grossman.

The 911 Call

Bloodworth replayed Richins’ 911 call from the night of her husband’s death for the jury. He contrasted this with the defence’s opening statement claims.

“That’s not ‘the sound of a wife becoming a widow,'” Bloodworth said. “It’s the sound of a wife becoming a black widow.”

Trial Cut Short

The scheduled five-week trial ended abruptly last week. Richins waived her right to testify, and her legal team rested its case without calling any witnesses.

Her lawyers expressed confidence that prosecutors lacked enough evidence for a murder conviction. The jury clearly disagreed after their brief deliberation.

Richins now awaits sentencing, facing decades behind bars for killing the father of her children and then writing about grief