Kouri Richins found guilty as ‘grief book’ twist stuns jury

Kouri Richins, the Utah mother who wrote a children’s book about grief after her husband’s death, has been found guilty of murdering him in a case that has gripped the US.

The 35-year-old was convicted on all five counts, including aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder, after a weeks-long trial. A Summit County jury reached a verdict in just three hours of deliberations.

Richins remained still and looked down as the guilty verdicts were read out in court. She is due to be sentenced on May 13.

Prosecutors said she fatally poisoned her husband, Eric Richins, in 2022 by spiking his drink with a lethal dose of illicit fentanyl. They also alleged she had made an earlier, failed attempt to kill him by lacing a sandwich with the drug weeks before his death.

During closing arguments, prosecutors painted a picture of financial desperation, claiming Richins was under mounting pressure from her struggling property business, with debts nearing $8 million. They argued she wanted a “fresh start” and believed she would gain financially from her husband’s death.

They also cited alleged messages to her boyfriend and witness testimony suggesting she had expressed a desire for her husband to be gone. Prosecutors said she later tried to cover her tracks by deleting messages and searching online about lie detector tests and whether deleted texts could be recovered.

Eric Richins, 39, was found dead in bed on March 4, 2022. An autopsy found he died from fentanyl intoxication, with levels in his system reported to be around five times the lethal dose. Investigators said the drug was illicit, not medical grade.

Richins was also convicted of insurance fraud and forgery after prosecutors said she took out a $100,000 life insurance policy using a forged signature before filing a claim following his death.

The defence maintained her innocence throughout, arguing the case was built on “confirmation bias” and lacked direct proof. Her lawyer said there was no evidence fentanyl had been placed in her husband’s drink and suggested investigators failed to explore other possible sources.

They also challenged the credibility of a key witness who testified under immunity and argued that Richins’ behaviour after her husband’s death was being unfairly scrutinised.

Richins did not testify during the trial, and the defence called no witnesses.

Prosecutors acknowledged the case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence but insisted it was compelling enough to convict.

“All the evidence proves that Kouri Richins murdered her husband,” prosecutor Brad Bloodworth told jurors. “There is no other rational explanation.”

The case has drawn widespread attention not only for its chilling allegations but also for the striking detail that Richins publicly spoke about grief and promoted a children’s book following her husband’s death.