Utah Woman Who Wrote Book About Husband’s Death Charged With Murder

In a tragic turn of events, Kouri Richins, who penned a children's book on dealing with grief following the loss of her husband, has been charged with murder, as per court documents.

Kouri was taken into custody in Summit County on May 8 on charges of aggravated murder and three counts of drug possession with intent to distribute.

When Did This Happen?

The alleged incident took place on March 3, 2022, a day before Kouri's husband Eric Richins passed away unexpectedly, according to his obituary. The couple, who had been married for nine years and shared three sons, were dealt a severe blow.

As per court documents obtained by KTVX, Eric was found dead at the bottom of his bed at 3:22 a.m. on March 4, 2022. Kouri reportedly told authorities that she had given him an alcoholic drink in their room before putting their child to bed and dozing off. Kouri woke up around 3 a.m., discovered Eric's cold body, and dialed 911.

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What Investigators Found

Despite claiming that her phone remained plugged in within her bedroom while she was spending time with her child, investigators revealed that records showed that Kouri had repeatedly unlocked and locked her phone and engaged in various activities during this period, including sending and receiving messages that she later deleted.

Following the investigation into Eric's death, the autopsy revealed that he had died from ingesting a fatal dose of illicit fentanyl, which was five times more than the lethal amount.

Subsequently, a search warrant was obtained to search Kouri's premises, and investigators discovered several devices that revealed her attempts to contact individuals for prescription painkillers. Two weeks later, Kouri had asked the same person to provide her with fentanyl, even referring to it as "Michael Jackson stuff." The person allegedly supplied Kouri with 15-20 fentanyl pills.

Before Eric's Death

According to court documents, after a Valentine's Day dinner, Eric confided to a friend that he had become ill and suspected that Kouri was trying to poison him. Two weeks later, Kouri allegedly requested more fentanyl pills.

Six days after Eric was found dead, Kouri appeared on KTVX's Good Things Utah, where she discussed the book she wrote to help children cope with grief.

She said she wrote the book to distract herself and her family from their feelings after her husband's unexpected death.

Check out her interview here:

Kouri's next hearing is set for May 19.