Kouri Richins’ Marriage, Finances and Estate Moves Detailed Ahead of Aggravated Murder Conviction
Court records and trial testimony detailed the couple’s marriage and estate moves — a June 15, 2013 prenuptial agreement that waived spousal claims except Eric’s masonry business, Eric’s November 2020 living trust naming his sister as trustee and steps to strip Kouri of will and life‑insurance benefits — while prosecutors say Kouri used a fraudulent 2019 power of attorney to take a $250,000 HELOC and ran a house‑flipping business that was roughly $7.5 million in debt with large monthly expenses. Prosecutors portrayed those financial pressures and a multimillion‑dollar real‑estate closing the day after Eric’s death as motive for an alleged life‑insurance and mortgage‑fraud scheme tied to the fentanyl poisoning that resulted in Kouri Richins’ aggravated‑murder conviction; the defense pointed to investigative gaps, called no witnesses, and sentencing is scheduled for May.
📌 Key Facts
- A jury found 35-year-old Kouri Richins guilty on all counts — including aggravated murder, attempted criminal homicide, two fraudulent insurance claims and forgery — and she now faces the possibility of life in prison; sentencing is scheduled for May 13.
- The trial featured about 13 days of testimony over roughly three weeks; the defense called no witnesses, Richins did not testify, and the jury deliberated about three hours before returning the verdict.
- Prosecutors introduced toxicology evidence showing Eric Richins had more than five times a lethal amount of fentanyl and 16,000 ng/ml of quetiapine in gastric fluid, and alleged a pattern of poisoning that included prior suspected attempts in Greece and a Valentine’s Day 2022 fentanyl-laced sandwich that left him gravely ill.
- Prosecutors argued a financial motive: testimony from a forensic accountant said Kouri’s house-flipping business was roughly $7.5 million in debt with about $80,000 in monthly expenses and heavy use of payday lenders, and they tied mortgage‑fraud and forgery counts to multimillion-dollar real estate deals closed the day after Eric’s death.
- Records and testimony detailed estate- and asset-protection moves by Eric: a June 15, 2013 prenuptial agreement that largely waived spousal claims (while providing that his masonry business would transfer to Kouri if he died), a November 2020 Eric Richins Living Trust naming his sister as trustee to keep Kouri from managing his property, and steps to remove Kouri from his will and life insurance.
- Prosecutors alleged Kouri used a fraudulent power of attorney in 2019 to obtain a $250,000 home‑equity line of credit on the family home and withdraw the funds without Eric’s knowledge.
- Witness accounts on contested points included a housekeeper who said she sold fentanyl pills to Kouri twice before Eric’s death and once after, while another dealer said he sold only oxycodone; prosecutors also introduced texts and testimony about an alleged extramarital affair and statements by Kouri expressing a wish that Eric would "go away."
- The defense argued investigators failed to test drinking glasses and did not adequately pursue the possibility of accidental overdose or other drug-use explanations; Kouri’s family has publicly pushed back, saying Eric knew the finances and denying that she ‘stole’ from him.
- After Eric’s death, Kouri authored a children’s grief book and made media appearances — actions prosecutors highlighted in the case narrative as part of the post‑death timeline.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2021, 6% of male murder victims were killed by an intimate partner, compared to 34% of female murder victims.
Female Murder Victims and Victim-Offender Relationship, 2021 — Bureau of Justice Statistics
In 2019, 0.11% of homicides in the US were committed by poison.
Expanded Homicide Data Table 8 — FBI Uniform Crime Reporting
In 2023, Black persons had an intimate partner homicide victimization rate of 2.0 per 100,000, compared to 0.5 per 100,000 for White persons.
Homicide Victimization in the United States, 2023 — Bureau of Justice Statistics
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 17, 2026
3:19 PM
Did Utah mom poison her husband, then write a children's book on grief?
New information:
- Precise date and terms of the June 15, 2013 prenuptial agreement, including that each spouse waived rights to the other's assets except that Eric’s masonry business would transfer to Kouri if he died while still married.
- Allegation that in 2019 Kouri used a ‘fraudulent’ power of attorney to execute a $250,000 home‑equity line of credit on the family home and withdrew the full amount without Eric’s knowledge, according to prosecutors.
- Detailed account of Eric Richins creating the Eric Richins Living Trust in November 2020, naming his sister Katie Richins‑Benson as trustee and, according to his estate lawyer, explicitly aiming to protect himself from Kouri’s alleged misuse of his finances and to ensure she never managed his property after his death.
- On‑record pushback from Kouri’s family members, including her mother insisting Eric always knew the family finances, and their claim that she did not ‘steal’ from him.
- Timeline of Kouri’s real estate business launch in 2019, with contrasting portrayals: her family and friend describing her as successful versus court documents and Eric’s family spokesman alleging the business was millions of dollars in debt by 2022.
1:06 PM
Kouri Richins, Utah mom who wrote grief book, found guilty in fatal poisoning of her husband
New information:
- CBS piece reiterates that Richins was found guilty on all charges, including aggravated murder.
- It specifies that sentencing is scheduled for May and emphasizes she faces the possibility of life in prison.
- It reinforces the national framing of Richins as a Utah mother who wrote a children’s grief book after her husband’s death.
1:01 AM
Grief author Kouri Richins found guilty of murdering her husband
New information:
- Axios piece emphasizes prosecutors’ theory that Richins’ motive was to acquire Eric Richins’ fortune while her house-flipping business was millions in debt, and that Eric had already taken steps to separate his assets after accusing her of 'abuse and misuse of his finances.'
- Adds detailed testimony that a housekeeper said she sold fentanyl pills to Richins twice in the weeks before Eric’s death and once afterward, and notes a separate drug dealer testified he only sold oxycodone, not fentanyl, around the time of death.
- Provides additional 'between the lines' evidence of motive, including testimony about Richins’ alleged extramarital affair and texts where she wrote of Eric, 'If he could just go away and you could just be here! Life would be so perfect!!!' and told a friend 'in many ways, it would be better if he were dead.'
- Spells out that defense attorneys argued detectives failed to test the drinking glasses and didn’t seriously pursue the possibility of drug use or accidental overdose by Eric, and that the defense called no witnesses and Richins did not testify, causing an abrupt end to the case before closings and deliberations.
- Clarifies that the attempted criminal homicide count stems from an alleged failed poisoning of Eric’s Valentine’s Day 2022 sandwich about two weeks earlier, corroborated by text messages showing he was gravely ill that day.
12:41 AM
Utah children’s book author Kouri Richins convicted in husband’s murder
New information:
- Confirms that the jury found Kouri Richins guilty on all counts, including aggravated murder, attempted criminal homicide, two fraudulent insurance claims and forgery.
- Clarifies that Richins now faces the possibility of spending the rest of her life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for May 13 at 9:30 a.m. MST.
- Adds detailed toxicology numbers: Eric Richins had more than five times a lethal amount of fentanyl in his system and 16,000 ng/ml of quetiapine in gastric fluid.
- Provides prosecution allegation of an earlier Valentine’s Day 2022 attempted poisoning via a fentanyl‑laced sandwich, with specific description of Eric’s symptoms and use of an EpiPen.
- Includes forensic accountant testimony that Richins was roughly $7.5 million in debt, with about $80,000 in monthly expenses and heavy use of payday lenders, allegedly motivating the life‑insurance scheme.
12:18 AM
Verdict reached in trial of grief book author accused of murdering her husband
New information:
- The jury in Kouri Richins’ trial has completed deliberations, spending about three hours on Monday before reaching a verdict that is about to be announced.
- The article restates that Richins, 35, faces aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder charges carrying potential life sentences, as well as mortgage fraud and forgery counts tied to a multimillion‑dollar real estate deal closed the day after her husband’s death.
- It provides more detailed prosecution evidence presented at trial, including prior alleged poisoning attempts in Greece and on Valentine’s Day 2022, family suspicions, Eric Richins’ moves to remove Kouri from his will and life insurance, and the timing of her children’s grief book publication and media appearances after his death.
- The piece notes the defense called no witnesses and that Richins declined to testify during the 13 days of testimony over a roughly three‑week trial.
March 16, 2026
1:26 PM
Closing arguments set for trial of Utah mom accused of murdering husband and writing grief book
New information:
- CBS reiterates that closing arguments in Kouri Richins’ murder trial are expected Monday.
- The segment notes the trial has included 13 days of testimony.
- CBS reports the defense did not call any witnesses before resting.
- If convicted, Richins could face life in prison.