Topline: A jury convicted the Utah mom of spiking her husband’s drink with a lethal dose of fentanyl to collect insurance money.
Published: March 17, 2026 3:00 am ET
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Kouri and Eric Richins (via Facebook)
PARK CITY, UT — A Utah jury found Kouri Richins guilty on March 15 of aggravated murder for the 2022 fentanyl poisoning of her husband.
Richins, 35, was also convicted of attempted aggravated murder, two counts of falsifying insurance claims and forgery, according to The New York Times. The jury reached the verdict after three hours of deliberation.
The trial began Feb. 23. Prosecutors called 40 witnesses during the proceedings, while the defense team did not call any, as reported by CBS News.
Prosecutors argued Richins killed Eric Richins, 39, by lacing his Moscow Mule cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl. The death occurred in March 2022 at their home in Kamas.
Richins faces 25 years to life in prison. A judge scheduled her sentencing for May 13, which would have been Eric Richins’ 44th birthday, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Prosecutors alleged Richins was millions of dollars in debt from a house-flipping business. They argued she believed life insurance policies on her husband would cover those debts.
Following her husband’s death, Richins wrote a children’s book titled “Are You With Me?” about grieving the loss of a parent. She promoted the book on local television before her arrest.
During the trial, Becky Lloyd, a friend of the defendant, testified that Richins expressed feeling trapped in her marriage less than three months before the death.
“She was feeling trapped; she was feeling like there wasn’t an easy way forward out of her marriage,” stated Lloyd as per the Tribune.
Robert Josh Grossman, an ex-boyfriend, testified he began a romantic relationship with Richins in 2020. Prosecutors presented text messages between the two to the jury to establish a motive for the crime.
In one exchange, Richins asked Grossman if he would marry her if she were divorced. Grossman replied that he would, according to records presented in court.
In another message sent days later, Richins wrote that life would be perfect if her husband could “just go away,” according to KSL.
A digital forensic analyst testified about Richins’ internet search history. According to the Associated Press, the searches included inquiries about lethal doses of fentanyl and how poisoning is listed on death certificates.
Other searches included “luxury prisons for the rich America” and “if someone is poisned (sic) what does it go down on the death certificate as,” the analyst testified.
The prosecution argued that the attempted aggravated murder charge stemmed from an earlier instance where Richins allegedly tried to poison her husband’s sandwich.
Defense attorneys argued Eric Richins had access to drugs from a trip to Mexico. They noted that investigators found no fentanyl inside the family home during their search, according to the Tribune.
Richins remains in custody at the Summit County Jail pending her sentencing hearing in May.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Kouri Richins Verdict: Guilty of Murder, Fraud, and Deception
A jury convicted the Utah mom of spiking her husband’s drink with a lethal dose of fentanyl to collect insurance money.
By Kate Byrd
Published: March 17, 2026 3:00 am ET
Kouri and Eric Richins (via Facebook)
PARK CITY, UT — A Utah jury found Kouri Richins guilty on March 15 of aggravated murder for the 2022 fentanyl poisoning of her husband.
Richins, 35, was also convicted of attempted aggravated murder, two counts of falsifying insurance claims and forgery, according to The New York Times. The jury reached the verdict after three hours of deliberation.
The trial began Feb. 23. Prosecutors called 40 witnesses during the proceedings, while the defense team did not call any, as reported by CBS News.
Prosecutors argued Richins killed Eric Richins, 39, by lacing his Moscow Mule cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl. The death occurred in March 2022 at their home in Kamas.
Richins faces 25 years to life in prison. A judge scheduled her sentencing for May 13, which would have been Eric Richins’ 44th birthday, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Prosecutors alleged Richins was millions of dollars in debt from a house-flipping business. They argued she believed life insurance policies on her husband would cover those debts.
Following her husband’s death, Richins wrote a children’s book titled “Are You With Me?” about grieving the loss of a parent. She promoted the book on local television before her arrest.
During the trial, Becky Lloyd, a friend of the defendant, testified that Richins expressed feeling trapped in her marriage less than three months before the death.
“She was feeling trapped; she was feeling like there wasn’t an easy way forward out of her marriage,” stated Lloyd as per the Tribune.
Robert Josh Grossman, an ex-boyfriend, testified he began a romantic relationship with Richins in 2020. Prosecutors presented text messages between the two to the jury to establish a motive for the crime.
In one exchange, Richins asked Grossman if he would marry her if she were divorced. Grossman replied that he would, according to records presented in court.
In another message sent days later, Richins wrote that life would be perfect if her husband could “just go away,” according to KSL.
A digital forensic analyst testified about Richins’ internet search history. According to the Associated Press, the searches included inquiries about lethal doses of fentanyl and how poisoning is listed on death certificates.
Other searches included “luxury prisons for the rich America” and “if someone is poisned (sic) what does it go down on the death certificate as,” the analyst testified.
The prosecution argued that the attempted aggravated murder charge stemmed from an earlier instance where Richins allegedly tried to poison her husband’s sandwich.
Defense attorneys argued Eric Richins had access to drugs from a trip to Mexico. They noted that investigators found no fentanyl inside the family home during their search, according to the Tribune.
Richins remains in custody at the Summit County Jail pending her sentencing hearing in May.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Kouri Richins Verdict: Guilty of Murder, Fraud, and Deception
A jury convicted the Utah mom of spiking her husband’s drink with a lethal dose of fentanyl to collect insurance money.
By Kate Byrd
Published: March 17, 2026 3:00 am ET
Kouri and Eric Richins (via Facebook)
PARK CITY, UT — A Utah jury found Kouri Richins guilty on March 15 of aggravated murder for the 2022 fentanyl poisoning of her husband.
Richins, 35, was also convicted of attempted aggravated murder, two counts of falsifying insurance claims and forgery, according to The New York Times. The jury reached the verdict after three hours of deliberation.
The trial began Feb. 23. Prosecutors called 40 witnesses during the proceedings, while the defense team did not call any, as reported by CBS News.
Prosecutors argued Richins killed Eric Richins, 39, by lacing his Moscow Mule cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl. The death occurred in March 2022 at their home in Kamas.
Richins faces 25 years to life in prison. A judge scheduled her sentencing for May 13, which would have been Eric Richins’ 44th birthday, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Prosecutors alleged Richins was millions of dollars in debt from a house-flipping business. They argued she believed life insurance policies on her husband would cover those debts.
Following her husband’s death, Richins wrote a children’s book titled “Are You With Me?” about grieving the loss of a parent. She promoted the book on local television before her arrest.
During the trial, Becky Lloyd, a friend of the defendant, testified that Richins expressed feeling trapped in her marriage less than three months before the death.
“She was feeling trapped; she was feeling like there wasn’t an easy way forward out of her marriage,” stated Lloyd as per the Tribune.
Robert Josh Grossman, an ex-boyfriend, testified he began a romantic relationship with Richins in 2020. Prosecutors presented text messages between the two to the jury to establish a motive for the crime.
In one exchange, Richins asked Grossman if he would marry her if she were divorced. Grossman replied that he would, according to records presented in court.
In another message sent days later, Richins wrote that life would be perfect if her husband could “just go away,” according to KSL.
A digital forensic analyst testified about Richins’ internet search history. According to the Associated Press, the searches included inquiries about lethal doses of fentanyl and how poisoning is listed on death certificates.
Other searches included “luxury prisons for the rich America” and “if someone is poisned (sic) what does it go down on the death certificate as,” the analyst testified.
The prosecution argued that the attempted aggravated murder charge stemmed from an earlier instance where Richins allegedly tried to poison her husband’s sandwich.
Defense attorneys argued Eric Richins had access to drugs from a trip to Mexico. They noted that investigators found no fentanyl inside the family home during their search, according to the Tribune.
Richins remains in custody at the Summit County Jail pending her sentencing hearing in May.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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