Kouri Richins: Author accused of murdering husband tried to poison him repeatedly, family says
KAMAS, UTAH: Kouri Richins has been accused by family members of trying to poison her husband Eric Richins several times before his death. The mother-of-three, who has been charged with his murder, was arrested on Monday, May 8, after allegedly poisoning her husband with fentanyl at their home in Kamas. The medical examiner found five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in Eric's system after he died on March 4 last year.
Kouri told the authorities that she had made Eric a vodka cocktail and a THC gummy to celebrate the sale of a home and then proceeded to put one of their three children to sleep in their bedroom. When she returned at 3 am she allegedly found him "cold to touch" and lying on the foot of their bed. After her husband's demise, Kouri was lauded for writing 'Are You With Me?' - a book to help children cope after losing a loved one. However, just two months after a TV appearance to promote the book, she was charged with Eric's murder.
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'If anything happened to him, she was to blame'
Shortly after Eric's death, his family members told investigators that they suspected Kouri was responsible. They said he had "warned them that if anything happened to him, she was to blame," per search warrants obtained by KPCW. Kouri, meanwhile, told the authorities she performed CPR on her husband after finding him unresponsive, but emergency responders said this was unlikely since there was blood coming from his mouth. What's more? Eric's family claimed that in the years leading up to his death, he believed Kouri was trying to kill him. They recounted two incidents when he became violently ill after having drinks or dinner with his wife.
Poisoning allegations
One of Eric's sisters told investigators that he had called her three years ago while vacationing with Kouri in Greece. He allegedly told her that his wife had given him a drink that made him severely ill and that he believed she had attempted to kill him. A warrant states that Kouri changed Eric's joint life insurance policy -- which he shared with his business partner Cody Wright -- in January 2022, so she would become the only beneficiary.
When the insurance company informed the partners at C&E Stone Masonry of the change, they immediately changed it back. However, after realizing his wife had tried to change his life insurance policy, Eric reportedly changed the beneficiary of his will and gave his power of attorney to his sister without telling Kouri. He apparently feared she might "kill him for the money," per the warrant. A month later -- on Valentine's Day last year -- Eric suffered yet another allergic reaction following a meal with Kouri. Court documents state he couldn't breathe and passed out after using an EpiPen and taking Benadryl.
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
Purchased $900 worth of fentanyl pills
Kouri had reportedly purchased $900 worth of fentanyl pills from an acquaintance before the Valentine's Day meal and sought $900 more two weeks later, per court documents. Eric died of an overdose just days later. After his death, Kouri claimed he was addicted to pain medicine in high school but did not have any substance abuse issues since. His loved ones, however, told the authorities they had no idea he was ever addicted to any form of medicine. Furthermore, investigators did not recover any painkillers from the family residence. It's worth noting that in addition to the murder charge, Kouri also faces charges involving the alleged possession of GHB - a narcolepsy drug often used for recreational purposes. The charges are reportedly based on officers' interactions with the suspect as well as the account of an unidentified "acquaintance" who admitted to having sold her the fentanyl.
'Are You With Me?'
Just months ago, Kouri was promoting her children's book 'Are You With Me?' on local television and told a segment called 'Good Things Utah' that she wrote the book in order to help her three boys deal with the loss of their father. During the appearance, she called her husband's demise unexpected and said it sent her and her children reeling. She insisted that for children, grieving was about "making sure that their spirit is always alive in your home." She told the anchors, "It's - you know - explaining to my kid just because he's not present here with us physically, doesn't mean his presence isn't here with us." The suspect was subsequently commended for being an amazing mother, according to the Daily Mail.