On Monday, Kouri Richins, a Utah children’s grief author, was convicted of fatally poisoning her husband as part of a twisted plot to collect his $4 million estate and escape her financial troubles with her lover.
The 35-year-old mother of three, who authored a children’s book on grief after her husband’s death, was found guilty of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud, and forgery. The guilty verdict came after three hours of deliberation following a three-week trial in Park City, Utah.
The Poisoning Scheme
Richins, who lived in the affluent suburb of Kamas, slipped a fatal dose of fentanyl into her husband Eric Richins’ Moscow Mule cocktail on March 4, 2022. Prosecutors argued that she had carefully crafted this scheme to ensure she would inherit her husband’s fortune, as her home-flipping business was $4.5 million in debt.
According to the prosecution, Kouri had also attempted to poison Eric a month earlier, on Valentine’s Day, with a fentanyl-laced sandwich, which caused him to break out in hives and black out. This was part of a calculated effort to get her hands on the wealth that was tied to her husband’s estate.
A Fatal Obsession with Wealth
In the prosecutor’s closing arguments, they painted Kouri as a social climber who carefully curated a façade of being an affluent, successful business owner. Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth stated that Richins saw no way forward except for her husband’s death, describing her as an “incompetent business owner” desperate for money.
Richins’ desire for money was further highlighted in a disturbing exchange between her and her secret lover, Robert Josh Grossman. Just days after Eric’s sudden death, Kouri allegedly asked Grossman, a 43-year-old Iraq war veteran, if he had ever killed anyone. Grossman testified to this conversation during the trial.
The Aftermath: A Children’s Book and a Failed Defense
After Eric’s death, Kouri wrote and promoted a children’s book titled “Are You With Me?” to help their sons cope with the loss of their father, despite being the one responsible for his death.
Richins faced a failed defense attempt. Her lawyer, Kathy Nester, asked for a mistrial, arguing that the prosecutor had made errors during his closing statements. However, the motion was denied by Judge Richard Mrazik.
Sentencing and Future
Kouri Richins, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, now faces up to 25 years in prison. She is scheduled for sentencing on May 13.
