Utah Mom Who Wrote Children’s Book About Grief After Husband’s Death Found Guilty Of Murdering Him With Lethal Fentanyl Cocktail

A Utah woman who wrote a children’s book about coping with grief after her husband’s death has now been found guilty of murdering him in a shocking case that prosecutors say was driven by debt, an alleged affair, and a plot to inherit millions.

Kouri Richins was convicted of killing her husband, Eric Richins, after prosecutors said she secretly poisoned him with a massive dose of fentanyl.

According to authorities, Richins mixed five times the lethal dose of the synthetic opioid into a cocktail that Eric drank in their home, leading to his death.

The case drew national attention after investigators revealed that following her husband’s death, Richins authored and promoted a children’s book about grieving the loss of a loved one.

The book, titled Are You With Me?, was marketed as a way to help children process the death of a parent. Richins appeared on local television and radio programs discussing the book and the emotional challenges her family faced after Eric’s passing.

Prosecutors later argued that the publication was part of an effort to deflect suspicion and present herself publicly as a grieving widow.

During the trial, prosecutors outlined what they described as a calculated financial motive behind the killing.

They told the court that Richins was $4.5 million in debt and believed that if her husband died she would inherit his estate, which was valued at roughly $4 million.

Investigators also presented evidence suggesting Richins had been seeing another man around the time of the alleged murder.

Court filings further revealed that prosecutors believe the fatal poisoning was not her first attempt to kill her husband.

In an earlier incident, Richins allegedly gave Eric a fentanyl-laced sandwich, which reportedly caused him to lose consciousness but did not result in his death.

Authorities said that incident raised suspicions later during the investigation into Eric’s death.

The dramatic case has drawn widespread attention due to the disturbing contrast between the image Richins publicly presented after the tragedy and the allegations prosecutors say were unfolding behind the scenes.

Richins was arrested in 2023 and has remained at the center of one of Utah’s most high profile murder trials in recent years.

She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13.