Woman who wrote children’s book to mourn her dead husband gets life imprisonment for killing him

• Kouri Richins was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for murdering her husband, Eric Richins.

• Prosecutors said she poisoned him with fentanyl in 2022 and attempted to kill him weeks earlier.

• The case gained global attention after she published a children’s book about grief following his death.

A Utah mother who wrote a children’s book about grief following the death of her husband has been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

This is after she was convicted of murdering him with fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid used medically for severe pain management.

ALSO READ: Ghana officially exits IMF bailout programme after 3 years as reserves hit record US$14.5Bn

Kouri Richins, 36, was sentenced on Wednesday by Judge Richard Mrazik after an eight-person jury found her guilty of aggravated murder in the death of her husband, Eric Richins.

The sentencing was delivered on what would have been Eric Richins’ 44th birthday.

Prosecutors said Kouri Richins poisoned her husband with a fatal dose of fentanyl at their home in Kamas, Utah, in March 2022.

ALSO READ: Ghana risks losing Africa’s top gold producer title to Côte d’Ivoire, expert warns

She was also convicted of attempted aggravated murder for allegedly trying to poison him weeks earlier on Valentine’s Day, as well as insurance fraud and forgery linked to life insurance policies.

“A person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to ever be free,” Judge Mrazik said during sentencing.

According to investigators, Eric Richins died from a fentanyl overdose with nearly five (5) times the lethal amount found in his blood.

ALSO READ: Ghana’s stock market becomes 2nd best-performing in the world, 1st in Africa

During the emotional hearing, Richins denied murdering her husband and insisted she had been wrongfully convicted.

“As much as you’ve been influenced into thinking that dad was murdered, that I took your dad from you, that is completely wrong. An absolute lie,” she told her three sons in a statement read in court.

However, statements from the couple’s children painted a different picture, with all three saying they feared for their safety if their mother was ever released from prison.

ALSO READ: ‘My son is not a thief’ – Mother of Asante Akyem North MP, OK Frimpong cries and begs for his release

“You took away everything from me and my brothers. I don’t want you out of jail because I will not feel safe if you are out,” one of the boys wrote.

Prosecutors argued that Richins, a real estate agent facing mounting financial difficulties, killed her husband for money while planning a future with another man.

The court heard that she had secretly taken out multiple life insurance policies on her husband and believed she would inherit millions after his death.

ALSO READ: Full list: 15 Ghanaians arrested, indicted or jailed for romance scams (2024–2026)

Text messages presented during the trial allegedly showed Richins discussing her desire to leave her marriage.

“If he could just go away and you could just be here! Life would be so perfect!!! I love you,” one message read.

ALSO READ: US Attorney’s office confirms arrest of Ghanaian twins, 'Lancaster' and 'Arrangement' over alleged wire fraud

The case attracted international attention after Richins published a children’s book titled Are You With Me? following her husband’s death. The book focused on helping children cope with grief after losing a parent.

Her lawyers say they plan to appeal both the conviction and sentence.