Author of Childrens Book Charged with Murder

Kouri Richins

“To my amazing husband and a wonderful father." — dedication by author Kouri Richins, Are you with me?

Kouri and Eric Richins were married for nine years and had three young sons together, according to his obituary. After his death, Kouri Richins wrote a children’s book called Are you with me? about the process of dealing with grief from his death.

"My kids and I kind of wrote this book on the different emotions and grieving processes that we've experienced last year," she said. "[I am] hoping it can kind of help other kids deal with this and kind of find happiness some way or another."

During an appearance on “Good Things Utah" to promote her new children's book, Kouri Richins said her husband died "unexpectedly." Kouri Richins told KTVX during her interview last month that his death "completely took us all by shock." Now the Utah woman has been accused of poisoning him, court documents show.

Prosecutors claim that Eric Richins was poisoned with a lethal dose of fentanyl on the night of March 3, 2022, and Kouri Richins, 33, now faces charges including aggravated murder, and possession of drugs with intent to distribute, in connection with the death of her husband, Eric Richins, 39, who was found dead on March 4, 2022.

Kouri Richins told police following his death that the couple was celebrating closing on a house for her business and that she "made Eric a Moscow Mule in the kitchen and brought it to their bedroom where Eric consumed it while sitting in bed”. She went to sleep with one of their children (who was having a night terror) and returned to the couples shared bedroom around 3 a.m., where she found Eric Richins "cold to the touch.”

Kouri Richins was supposedly attempting to perform CPR but according to an affidavit for a search warrant in the case, first responders said, "it had not appeared that she had done any CPR, due to the large amount of blood that came from Eric's mouth.”

An autopsy determined that Eric Richins died from a fentanyl overdose, and that the level of fentanyl in his system was five times the fatal dosage. The medical examiner indicated the fentanyl was "illicit fentanyl," not medical grade, and that it was most likely ingested orally.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for the residence after receiving the toxicology report. Kouri Richins allegedly told law enforcement that after going to bed, she did not use her phone until calling 911; however, the phone was locked and unlocked multiple times, and messages had been sent, received, and deleted, according to court documents. The search of Kouri Richins' phone also uncovered communications with an acquaintance who had various drug charges.

The couple was allegedly arguing over the nearly $2 million property she wanted to flip, according to the search warrant. "The day after Eric's death, his wife allegedly signed the closing papers on the home," the search warrant stated.

During an interview with detectives, the drug acquaintance allegedly said that sometime between December 2021 and February 2022, Kouri Richins allegedly texted them asking for "prescription pain medication for an investor who had a back injury," and the acquaintance left hydrocodone pills at a house the defendant owned.

About two weeks later, Kouri Richins allegedly contacted the acquaintance and asked for “some of the Michael Jackson stuff," and "asked specifically for fentanyl." The acquaintance allegedly produced 15 to 30 fentanyl pills in exchange for $900 on Feb. 11, 2022.

At a Valentine's Day dinner at their home three days later, Eric Richins became “very ill”, "believed that he had been poisoned”, and "… told a friend that he thought his wife was trying to poison him.”

According to the search warrant, Eric Richins took one bite of a sandwich his wife made for him and "broke into hives and couldn't breathe." He used an EpiPen, took some Benadryl, and then passed out; when he woke, he "immediately called his business partner about the incident," the search warrant stated.

Kouri Richins allegedly contacted her drug connection two weeks later "asking for another $900 of fentanyl pills," to be delivered on Feb. 26, 2022. Six days later, on March 4, 2022, Eric was found dead of a fentanyl overdose. An attorney for Kouri Richins said they were unable to comment at this time. Her next hearing is scheduled for May 19.

According to the search warrant affidavit, several of his friends told investigators that they "suspected his wife had something to do with his death. They advised he warned them that if anything happened to him she was to blame."

It was also noted that in January 2022, Kouri Richins updated her husband's life insurance policy agreement with his business partner to make herself the sole beneficiary. The insurance company notified her husband and his business partner, and they changed it back, according to the search warrant.

Prior to his death, Eric Richins removed his wife from his will and life insurance and was "looking into a divorce and wanted his kids taken care of," according to the search warrant.