Kouri Richins, a mother of three and author of a book about grief following the death of her husband, has been charged with his murder.
According to prosecutors, she allegedly poisoned Eric Richins with a lethal dose of the synthetic drug fentanyl, which was found in his system after he died on March 4, 2022.
Ms Richins was detained in Provo, Utah, on Monday and is also charged with possessing GHB, a drug commonly associated with “date rape” cases due to its sedative effects.
Search warrants seen by KPCW revealed that Mr Richins’ family had expressed suspicion that Ms Richins was responsible for his death, and he had reportedly warned them that she was to blame if anything happened to him. The charges also come after an “unnamed acquaintance” claimed to have sold fentanyl to Ms Richins.
Ms Richins claimed to have found her husband “cold to the touch” after she had given him a THC gummy and a Moscow Mule to celebrate him selling a house. Following his death, she wrote a picture book titled “Are you with me?” to help children dealing with the loss of a loved one.
She had been promoting the book in recent television interviews, including an appearance on “Good Things Utah,” where she explained that children needed to be reminded that a loved one’s spirit is always present in the home.
In addition to the murder charge, Ms Richins is also accused of altering her husband’s life insurance policy to make herself the sole beneficiary. She is currently in custody, and the case is ongoing.
