Utah woman found guilty of murdering husband with fentanyl, faces life sentence
A digital forensic analyst testified that internet searches on Richins’ phone included: “what is a lethal.dose.of.fetanayl”, “luxury prisons for the rich America”, and “if someone is poisned (sic) what does it go down on the death certificate as”
A Utah woman who authored a children's book about grief has been found guilty of aggravated murder for poisoning her husband with a lethal dose of fentanyl, prosecutors said.
Kouri Richins was convicted of killing her husband, Eric Richins, in March 2022 by slipping a fatal amount of the synthetic opioid into a cocktail she served him, according to court proceedings. Prosecutors said the dose was five times the lethal level, says The Guardian.
In addition to aggravated murder, the jury found Richins guilty of attempted murder, forgery and insurance fraud. The attempted murder charge related to an earlier incident on Valentine's Day, when authorities said she gave her husband a fentanyl-laced sandwich that caused him to black out. Prosecutors presented the episode as a failed attempt preceding the fatal poisoning weeks later.
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A digital forensic analyst testified that internet searches on Richins' phone included: "what is a lethal.dose.of.fetanayl", "luxury prisons for the rich America", and "if someone is poisned (sic) what does it go down on the death certificate as".
Prosecutors argued that Richins was driven by financial distress and a desire to start a new life with another man while retaining access to her husband's wealth. Evidence presented at trial showed she was approximately $4.5 million in debt and believed she would inherit her husband's estate, valued at more than $4 million.
They also alleged she had taken out multiple life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge, totaling about $2 million in benefits.
Text messages introduced in court indicated she was involved in an affair with Robert Josh Grossman and had discussed leaving her husband, obtaining money through a divorce and marrying him.
Summit County prosecutor Brad Bloodworth summarized the motive during the trial, stating, "She wanted to leave Eric Richins but did not want to leave his money".
Following her husband's death, Richins self-published a children's book about coping with grief.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before delivering the verdict. Sentencing is scheduled for May 13, which would have been Eric Richins' 44th birthday. The aggravated murder conviction carries a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
