Children’s author who wrote grief book found guilty of husband’s murder

Kouri Richins, a mother and children’s book author from Utah, has been convicted of murdering her husband. The case gained widespread attention because she had recently published a book helping children cope with loss.

After a three-week trial, a Summit County jury found the 35-year-old guilty on all charges connected to the 2022 death of her husband, Eric Richins. The jury reached a verdict after about three hours of discussion.

Richins was convicted of several serious crimes, including aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud, and forgery. The aggravated murder conviction alone carries a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

A Utah jury has convicted Kouri Richins, a mother accused of killing her husband, on all counts, including the most serious charge of aggravated murder. Richins later published a children’s book dealing with grief.

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 17, 2026

Prosecutors claimed Kouri Richins poisoned her husband to get out of about $4.5 million in debt and inherit his $4 million fortune. Evidence showed Eric Richins died in March 2022 after consuming a Moscow Mule laced with a dangerously high – five times the lethal amount – of illegal fentanyl.

The investigation uncovered online searches for topics like fatal fentanyl dosages and high-end prisons, suggesting a potential plan. Crucially, a housekeeper testified that she had sold fentanyl to Richins, providing key evidence in the case.

Children’s book became central to case

The case received a lot of public attention, partly because of what Richins did after her husband died. In 2023, she published a children’s book called Are You With Me? to help kids deal with loss. She then appeared in local media to promote the book, portraying herself as a mourning widow and mother of three.

During the trial, prosecutors pointed to the defendant’s book and public image, claiming they didn’t match the evidence suggesting she was involved in her husband’s death.

Richins maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings and did not testify in her own defense.

Eric Richins is set to be sentenced on May 13, 2026, the date he would have turned 44. He is also dealing with 26 other serious criminal charges related to a continuing investigation into financial crimes.

2026-03-17 20:48

Children’s book became central to case

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