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Utah author Kouri Richins, who wrote a children's book to cope with the grief of losing a parent after her husband's mysterious death in 2022, was charged with first-degree aggravated murder and other charges related to his death earlier this year. She has since maintained her innocence in the matter.
CBS News and other sources reported that Kouri, a mother-of-three and former real estate agent, stands accused of fatally poisoning her husband of nine years, Eric Richins, using fentanyl. A medical examiner confirmed that Eric had five times the lethal amount of "illicit" fentanyl in his system at the time of death.
Kouri is reportedly scheduled to make a court appearance in November 2023 and remains in custody at the Summit County Jail.
An upcoming episode of NBC Dateline will further delve into the case against Kouri Richins this Friday, September 22, 2023. The episode, titled Page Turner, is set to air on the channel at 10 pm ET.
Digital evidence suggested that Kouri Richins purchased fentanyl pills worth $900 less than a week before Eric's death
NBC News reported that on March 4, 2022, Eric Richins was found unresponsive in the bedroom of their Kamas, Utah, home after having a Moscow mule cocktail. Kouri Richins made the drink in their kitchen to celebrate Eric's business deal.
The outlet reported that Kouri told authorities she brought the drink to their bedroom, where Eric drank it while sitting on his bed. She claimed she then slept in one of her children's rooms, woke up, and headed to the bedroom, where she found her husband "cold to the touch."
Kouri alleged she attempted to administer CPR on the victim. However, first responders reported that it did not appear to be true because of "the large amount of blood that came from Eric's mouth."
According to People Magazine, Kouri "invited her friends over for a large party at her home where she was drinking and celebrating" one day after Eric's death. Later, the medical examiner reported that the 39-year-old had five times the lethal amount of "illicit" fentanyl in his system. They also alleged that he had consumed the drugs orally.
The shocking discovery prompted detectives to further investigate the case and search the couple's home and electronics. The authorities found digital evidence, including Kouri's conversations with an acquaintance, that implicated her in Eric's death.
Detectives then interviewed the acquaintance, who disclosed critical information, alleging that the mother bought hydrocodone from them and purchased a batch of 15 to 30 fentanyl pills worth $900 on February 11. She again acquired fentanyl worth the same amount on February 29, less than a week before Eric's death from fentanyl poisoning.
Kouri Richins was charged with murder and other charges in May 2023
In the following months, Kouri Richins tried to gain access to her husband's assets and finances, prompting her sister-in-law, Katie Richins-Benson, to hire a private investigator to look into Eric Richins' mysterious death.
Katie later filed a lawsuit accusing Kouri of taking money from Eric's bank accounts and getting a fraudulent loan, among other things, before his death in March 2022. Prosecutors also alleged that the 33-year-old poisoned her husband by spiking the Moscow mule cocktail she made for him.
CBS reported that the accused murderer also published a children's book on grief, titled Are You With Me?, a year after her husband's death. The self-published book is about a deceased father watching over his sons. In the book, a young boy ponders if his father, who passed away, can see his goals at a soccer game. An angel-wing-clad father figure wearing a trucker hat responds,
"Yes, I am with you. I am with you when you scored that goal. ... I am with you when you walk the halls. ... I'm here and we're together."
According to NBC News, Kouri Richins was arrested on May 8, 2023, and charged with one count of aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Recently, prosecutors accused the mother, who is behind bars at Summit County Jail, of "engaging in witness tampering" and directing her brother, Ronney Darden, "to testify or inform falsely." The allegations emerged from a six-page letter Kouri allegedly wrote to her mother. The letter was found inside her jail cell.
The case against Kouri Richins will be revisited on NBC Dateline's upcoming episode this Friday.
