Children’s book author who wrote about grief, now convicted of murder: Kouri Richins case ends in guilty verdict

Kouri Richins, author who wrote a children’s book about coping with grief after her husband’s death was found guilty Monday of murdering him, bringing a dramatic conclusion to a case that drew national attention for its unsettling contrast between public image and prosecution claims.

The jury convicted Kouri Richins of killing her husband, Eric Richins, after prosecutors argued she fatally poisoned him with fentanyl in March 2022. The verdict followed weeks of testimony and closing arguments that laid out starkly different versions of events, according to the Associated Press.

In closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors that Richins carried out a deliberate and premeditated killing, motivated by financial strain and personal factors.


They added that she mixed a fatal dose, reportedly five times the lethal amount, of fentanyl into a cocktail consumed by her husband, Eric Richins, at their home near Park City in March 2022. They further claimed she was carrying roughly $4.5 million in debt and believed she would inherit an estate valued at more than $4 million upon his death.

They pointed to evidence presented during the trial, including testimony that she obtained fentanyl, financial records indicating significant debt, and claims that she stood to benefit from life insurance and assets after her husband’s death.

Prosecutors also referenced an alleged earlier attempt to poison Eric Richins, arguing it demonstrated a pattern of behavior.

The defense countered that the prosecution’s case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Richins administered the fatal dose.

The case drew widespread attention in part because Richins, a mother of three, had published a children’s book about grief following her husband’s death—an element prosecutors highlighted to challenge her actions and credibility.

Over roughly three weeks of testimony, jurors heard from law enforcement officials, forensic experts, and witnesses connected to the couple’s finances and personal life, piecing together the events leading up to March 2022.

With the guilty verdict delivered, Richins now faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence, potentially life behind bars. Sentencing is expected at a later date.