Utah Widow Who Wrote A Children’s Book About Grief Is Charged With Murder Of Her Husband

According to the outlet, Kouri Richins was arrested on Monday.

Richins, a resident of Kamas, Utah, was then charged with aggravated murder and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute at the Summit County Third District Court, as per KUTV.

She is currently being held without bond and has a detention hearing scheduled for May 19, where the judge will decide if she will be held in jail “while her case is pending before the court,” as reported by KPCW.

According to KUTV, the investigation into the death of Eric Richins began on March 4, 2022, around 3:20 a.m.

Authorities were reportedly called to a home on reports of an “unresponsive man.” When officials arrived, they found Eric Richins at the foot of his bed. Despite their life-saving efforts, the man was declared deceased.

As the investigation began, Kouri Richins told authorities that she and her husband were celebrating the night before his death. She explained that she made him a Moscow Mule and served it to him in bed.

When she returned after falling asleep with one of their three children, she found her husband “cold to touch” and called 911.

Richins told investigators that she did not have her phone while sleeping with one of their children. However, authorities soon discovered that her phone had been “opened multiple times” that night, and text messages that could serve as evidence in the investigation had been deleted.

An autopsy on Eric Richins’ body showed that he died of an overdose, with five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl in his system. Furthermore, the medical examiner concluded that the fentanyl was ingested by the victim orally.

I found the arrest warrant. Can’t believe she asked her dealer for the ‘Michael Jackson stuff’. Kouri Richins is screwed. This will not play out well for her at all. #ericrichins pic.twitter.com/soNQZg1VQm

— Rose (@901Lulu) May 10, 2023

According to KUTV, investigators discovered that Kouri Richins was in contact with a person previously charged with possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

Richins reportedly texted this person between December 2021 and February 2022 and eventually requested “some of the Michael Jackson stuff” for use.

On February 14, 2022, Eric Richins “became very ill” after a Valentine’s Day dinner with his wife. According to a probable cause statement, Richins had suspicions about his partner.

“Eric believed that he had been poisoned. Eric told a friend that he thought his wife was trying to poison him.”

Kouri Richins allegedly contacted the person with the controlled substance again on February 26, 2022, and her husband was found dead a few days later.

Kouri Richins (33) has been charged with the murder of her husband after she poisoned his beverage with Fentanyl on March 4, 2022. Before he died, Eric Richins told a friend that he thought his wife was trying to poison him. He had five times the lethal limit in his system. They… pic.twitter.com/VYJZy6EGMq

— Rose (@901Lulu) May 9, 2023

According to KUTV, Richins published a children’s book about grief on March 5, a year after her husband’s death.

The novel is titled “Are You With Me?” and according to Google Books, it strives to “gently” guide “children through the difficult experience of losing a loved one.”

The description further reads.

“Written by a loving mother who personally faced this challenge, this book… follows the story of a child who has lost their father, but who is reminded that his presence still exists all around them, just like an angel watching over them. Whether it’s playing at the park or simply enjoying a quiet moment at home, the child is comforted by the knowledge that their father is always by their side…”

According to KUTV, Richins dedicated the novel to her “amazing husband and a wonderful father.”

Furthermore, the 33-year-old widow also shared plans to publish sequels to the novel in an interview with KPCW.

An author who published a children’s book about grief following her husband’s death last year has been charged for his murder.

Kouri Richins allegedly poisoned her husband and tried setting up his death as an accidental intoxication. pic.twitter.com/MR9CfuMGZM

— PopCentral (@popcentral_) May 9, 2023