06/24/2026
She Poisoned Her Husband and Penned a Book on Grief — Now She Faces Life Behind Bars
On what would have been Eric Richins’ 44th birthday, his own sons stood before the judge and delivered a heartbreaking plea: “Keep her there forever.”
Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the aggravated murder of her husband Eric in March 2022. Prosecutors proved she slipped a lethal dose of fentanyl — five times the fatal amount — into a cocktail she served him at their home outside Park City. Eric died that night, leaving behind three young boys.
In the months after his death, Kouri published a children’s book titled Are You With Me?, which she promoted as a way to help her sons (and others) cope with grief. The book gained attention as a touching story of loss and healing — until investigators uncovered the chilling truth behind Eric’s sudden death.
The case captivated true crime audiences when Kouri was arrested in 2023 while still promoting her book. A jury convicted her of murder and insurance fraud, finding she had poisoned her husband amid financial troubles and a strained marriage.
During sentencing, her sons’ raw words cut through the courtroom. They asked the judge to ensure their mother never walks free again. The judge agreed, calling her “simply too dangerous to ever be free.”
Now, Kouri Richins sits in prison — a woman who wrote about grief while allegedly creating it. The question remains: Will the walls of her cell break her completely, or will she one day find a path toward redemption and remorse?
A mother who turned her family’s tragedy into a public brand now faces the ultimate consequence — a lifetime to reflect on the pain she caused.