Utah Mother Convicted of Poisoning Husband with Fentanyl
Children's book author Kouri Richins found guilty of murdering spouse for life insurance; jurors describe her as emotionless during trial
Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three and children's book author from an upscale Park City ski community, was found guilty of murdering her husband Eric with a fentanyl-poisoned cocktail on Monday, March 16, 2026. The jury deliberated for approximately three hours before returning guilty verdicts on all five counts.
Prosecutors alleged that Richins slipped five times the lethal dose of fentanyl into a drink she made for Eric in March 2022. Their case centered on financial motive: Richins' home-flipping business was millions of dollars in debt, and she stood to collect substantial life insurance payouts. She had taken out four life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge between 2015 and 2017—policies he attempted to remove shortly before his death.
The three-week trial, held at Summit County Courthouse in Park City, included 13 days of testimony and presented damaging circumstantial evidence. Cellphone data tracked Richins' movements to locations allegedly connected to drug purchases. Investigators also uncovered that she had signed papers to finalize a $2 million mansion purchase for her real estate business the day after Eric's death.
Neighbor testimony proved particularly incriminating. Around Christmas 2021, witnesses recalled Richins saying it would be better if her husband were dead following an argument between them. Eric had been considering divorce and had opposed the expensive property purchase she desperately wanted to make.
Richins published a children's book about coping with grief after her husband's death—before her arrest in May 2023. Jurors indicated this detail, combined with trial evidence, shifted their initial sympathies. One juror, Laura, told reporters that her view of Richins changed dramatically as the evidence unfolded. "We were all really sad and it was heartbreaking," she said, but emphasized that the jury was unanimous in finding her guilty. Laura described Richins as "emotionless like a statue" throughout the trial and verdict.
