# Kouri Richins

> A Summit County jury convicted the Kamas real estate agent in March 2026 of murdering her husband, Eric Richins, with fentanyl in 2022, and of trying to poison him weeks earlier. She was sentenced to life without parole, maintains her innocence and is appealing. A separate 26-count financial-crimes case is pending.

- Case: State v. Richins · Park City, Utah · 2023
- Case status: Convicted. Convicted March 16, 2026, of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, two counts of insurance fraud and forgery; sentenced May 13, 2026, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. She maintains her innocence. Her appeal is before the Utah Court of Appeals, and a motion for a new trial was reported pending as of July 30, 2026. In a separate case she is charged with 26 felony financial-crimes counts; on those charges she has not been tried and is presumed innocent. Status as of Oct. 27, 2026.
- Last updated: 2026-10-27
- Editorial review: approved 2026-10-27
- Web page: https://criminalbackstories.com/cases/kouri-richins/
- All defendants are presumed innocent until found guilty by a court of law. Charges and allegations described on this site are not proof of guilt.

## Why she's in the news

On Oct. 15, 2026, Richins asked the judge for a new lawyer in her pending financial-crimes case, writing that her relationship with her public defender had broken down; among her reasons, she said the lawyer had previously represented the prosecution's key witness in the murder trial.[4][3] At a hearing on Monday, Oct. 19, 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik granted the public defender's request to withdraw once a replacement is appointed, and the case remains on hold until then.[2][3] Earlier, on Aug. 28, Mrazik ordered her to repay nearly $1.4 million in life insurance proceeds she collected after her husband's death.[6][5]

## Case at a glance

- Convictions: Aggravated murder; attempted aggravated murder; two counts of insurance fraud; forgery (unanimous jury verdict on all five counts)[18][19]
- Victim: Eric Richins, 39, her husband[30][18]
- Date and place: Found dead March 4, 2022, at the couple's home in Kamas, Summit County, Utah[33][31]
- Arrested: May 8, 2023; held without bail from her arrest through trial[33][27]
- Trial: Feb. 23 to March 16, 2026, Summit County Courthouse, Park City; 42 prosecution witnesses; the defense called none[25][18]
- Sentence: May 13, 2026: life in prison without the possibility of parole, with prison terms on the other counts ordered to run consecutively[13][14]
- Restitution: Nearly $1.4 million to two life insurers, ordered Aug. 28, 2026[6][5]
- Judge: Richard E. Mrazik, 3rd District Court, Summit County[25][1]
- Appeal: Notice of appeal filed May 26, 2026; referred to the Utah Court of Appeals[12]
- Pending charges: 26 felony counts filed June 27, 2025: five counts of mortgage fraud, five of forgery, seven of issuing a bad check, seven of money laundering, one of communications fraud and one of a pattern of unlawful activity[27][7]

## The backstory

### The marriage and the money

Kouri Darden married Eric Richins in June 2013, when she was 23 and he was 31, and the couple signed a prenuptial agreement that kept their income and assets separate unless he died while they were married, CBS News reported.[16] Eric Richins was a stonemason who worked for nearly 12 years at C&E Masonry with a business partner, who testified that the company lent $200,000 to Kouri Richins's real estate business in October 2020.[21] In November 2020 Eric Richins created a living trust naming one of his sisters as trustee; a lawyer told a court that he wanted to protect his finances from his wife and keep her from managing his property after his death, according to CBS News.[16]

Prosecutors told jurors that by early 2022 Richins owed more than $4.5 million to 20 lenders and expected to inherit her husband's $2 million stake in his company, which a divorce would have barred.[25] In the separate financial-crimes case, prosecutors allege that by the end of 2021 she "stood on the precipice of total financial collapse"; those allegations have not been tried.[7]

### Valentine's Day 2022

According to charging documents reported by NBC News, Richins left her husband his favorite sandwich from a local diner with a note on Valentine's Day 2022; he broke out in hives after a bite, used his son's EpiPen and took Benadryl, and told one friend "you almost lost me" and another that he thought his wife had tried to poison him.[31] The documents noted that he had no food allergies and that opioids, including fentanyl, can cause reactions that include hives.[31] His business partner testified that when Eric Richins called him that day, the urgency and fear in his voice stood out.[21] Prosecutors added the attempted-murder charge in March 2024, arguing that Richins learned from the failed attempt and used those lessons 17 days later.[30]

### The pills

The prosecution's key witness was a former housekeeper for Richins who testified under a grant of immunity.[17][23] She testified that Richins asked her in early 2022 to find pain medication for "an investor," that she obtained pills for Richins four times, including a bag of pills she said she bought from a man at a gas station on Feb. 11, 2022, and that Richins later asked for something stronger, referring to "some of the Michael Jackson stuff."[23] She testified that when she asked Richins a few days after Eric Richins's death whether the pills had been for him, Richins said no and told her he had died of a brain aneurysm; phone records shown in court included a text from Richins three days after the death asking whether she still had her "hookup."[23] The man she named as her supplier testified that he sold her what he believed was oxycodone, not fentanyl, after earlier telling investigators otherwise.[22]

Under cross-examination, the housekeeper acknowledged using drugs "very regularly" at the time and testing positive for methamphetamine in early 2022, and the defense pointed to differences between her trial testimony and her 2023 interviews with investigators.[23][22] Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth told the court, "While she may be confused, she is not untruthful."[22]

### March 4, 2022

Richins called 911 and told the dispatcher that her husband was pale, had no pulse and was cold; the dispatcher guided her through CPR until medics arrived, according to the recording played at trial.[21] She told a detective that the couple had shots of alcohol before going to bed around 9 p.m., that she left the bedroom to comfort a child after a nightmare, and that when she returned she found her husband cold.[21] According to the probable cause statement, as reported in 2023, she told investigators she had made him a mixed vodka drink to celebrate a home sale.[33] Body-camera video showed her telling a deputy that he sometimes took a THC gummy before bed, though she did not think he had, and that he had no history of illicit drug use.[24][17]

Dr. Pamela Sue Ulmer, who performed the autopsy, testified that she found 15 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl, a toxic amount, and no evidence of injury; she did not classify the manner of death.[24] Prosecutors alleged the dose was five times a lethal amount.[17][24] The lead detective testified that no fentanyl was found in the home or the family's vehicles and that the trash cans were empty; Richins told her the housekeeper had emptied them.[21] The defense noted that investigators did not test the copper mugs, an empty 2016 hydrocodone bottle in Eric Richins's bedside drawer, or pills allegedly passed to Richins.[25][18][20]

### The insurance and the forgery

Prosecutors alleged that Richins took out life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge, with benefits totaling about $2 million.[17][32] A Salt Lake City police forensic document examiner testified that he found no evidence that Eric Richins signed a life insurance application bearing his name, that it "looked like a simulated forgery," and that he could not determine who wrote it.[21] The forgery count is tied to a policy with TruStage, and the jury convicted her of fraudulently collecting insurance benefits after the death.[5][18]

### Other evidence at trial

A digital forensic analyst testified that Richins's phone search history included queries about lethal doses of fentanyl and how poisoning appears on a death certificate, the Associated Press reported.[17] Text messages showed her discussing leaving her husband and marrying another man, according to the AP.[17] Jurors also saw a six-page letter, titled "Walk the Dog!!," found in her jail cell in September 2023; prosecutors said it outlined false testimony for her mother and brother, including that her husband got "pain pills and fentanyl from Mexico," while her lawyers said it was fiction she had been writing.[20][17] Detective Jeff O'Driscoll testified that texts showed her children's book was written by a ghostwriter.[20][17]

### The trial and verdict

Before trial, the Utah Supreme Court held that state law "does not permit summoning prospective jurors from two counties," rejecting a joint request by both sides to draw jurors from Salt Lake County as well as Summit County.[1][29] The trial opened Feb. 23, 2026, before Judge Richard Mrazik.[25] Prosecutors called 42 witnesses over about three weeks; Richins waived her right to testify, and the defense rested without calling witnesses.[18][19] On March 16, 2026, after deliberating just under three hours, a jury of six men and two women found her guilty on all five counts.[18][19] KPCW later reported that the jury found she acted for monetary gain.[8]

### The sentence

The defense asked for 25 years to life with the possibility of parole; prosecutors argued against parole, citing the children's well-being.[13] On May 13, 2026, Judge Mrazik sentenced Richins to life in prison without parole and imposed prison terms on the other four counts, to run consecutively, KPCW reported.[13][14] He said that after the Valentine's Day attempt she spent "the next 17 days not changing course, but doubling down," asked, "And for what? Money," and said she was "simply too dangerous to ever be free."[13] Statements from her three sons, read by their counselors, expressed fear of their mother; Eric Richins's father asked for the maximum sentence, and her mother asked the court not to bar parole.[13][14] On Aug. 28, 2026, the judge ordered restitution of $1,017,018.49 to Auto-Owners Insurance and $352,562.61 to TruStage, the life insurance she collected; her lawyer did not contest the amount but asked that it be paused during the appeal.[6][5]

### After the verdict

Her lawyers filed a notice of appeal on May 26, 2026, and the case was referred to the Utah Court of Appeals.[12] On July 1 they moved for a new trial, alleging "irregularities in the trial proceedings and cumulative error," and asked that a different judge hear it, arguing Judge Mrazik had been biased against the defense.[11][10][8] On July 29, Judge Kara Pettit rejected the request to disqualify Judge Mrazik, finding it procedurally defective and late, and that the trial video the defense submitted did not show the "extreme" conduct required; KPCW reported that the new-trial motion itself remained pending.[9][8]

### The financial-crimes case

Prosecutors originally charged mortgage-fraud and forgery counts alongside the murder; in November 2024 Judge Mrazik ordered some of them tried separately, and on June 27, 2025, prosecutors filed a separate 26-count case.[26][27] It alleges that between June 2021 and January 2022 she lied to mortgage lenders about her bank balances and wrote bad checks to keep company accounts positive, and that she used a $45,000 payment from a friend under a rent-to-own agreement to pay company debts.[27] **Richins has not been tried on these charges and is presumed innocent of them.** Her defense said at the time that the new charges reflected weakness in the murder case.[27] The case was on hold during the murder trial and remains on hold until a new public defender is appointed.[3]

## Personal backstory

### Family and work

Richins was born Kouri Darden; she was 23 when she married in 2013.[16] She started K Richins Realty LLC in 2019, buying, renovating and reselling homes, and her family says she usually had three houses under way at a time, CBS News reported.[16] She and Eric Richins had three sons.[16][13] Her mother and her brother have spoken on her behalf, and a family friend said after sentencing that many in her family disagree with the verdict.[16][13]

*No mental-health testimony or court findings about her health appear in the sources reviewed.*

### After her husband's death

Two days after his death, Richins and one of his sisters fought over a safe in the home; Richins later pleaded no contest to assault, CBS News reported.[16] Eric Richins's family has pursued a civil claim under Utah's "slayer statute," which bars a person who killed someone from inheriting from them, and Richins is litigating property issues in that case.[18]

In March 2023 she published *Are You With Me?*, a children's picture book about grief that she said was meant to help her sons cope, and promoted it on local television and radio.[16][17][33] Prosecutors argued at trial that she promoted the book to build a narrative and cover up the killing.[17] Texts shown at trial put the ghostwriting cost at $10,000.[20]

### In custody

Richins was held without bail in the Summit County Jail from her arrest in May 2023 through her trial.[27][18] At sentencing she addressed her sons, saying, "I would never ever leave you boys, and I am so sorry," and said she should not be blamed "for something [she] didn't do."[14][13] She appeared by video at the August restitution hearing and did not speak.[5]

### The victim

Eric Richins was 39 when he died; he would have turned 44 on the day of the sentencing.[30][15] At sentencing one of his sisters asked people to remember him "by performing a kind act for a stranger," and his father said the family misses him every day.[13][14]

## Where the parties stand

- Prosecution: Summit County prosecutors argued that Richins, about $4.5 million in debt, killed her husband for his money and expected to inherit his estate, and that she had tried to poison him with a fentanyl-laced sandwich on Valentine's Day 2022.[17][25] Chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth told jurors in opening statements that she "murdered Eric for his money, and for a fresh start at life," and in closing urged them, "Do not let her get away with murder."[25][18]
- Defense: Her lawyers argued that the state could not show how fentanyl entered Eric Richins's body or that she put it there, called the investigation "sloppy" and "driven by bias," and said it was led by his family and a private investigator they hired.[18][25] They argued that he was addicted to painkillers and that the key prosecution witness, who testified under a grant of immunity, had reason to lie.[17] After sentencing, her lawyer said she "maintains her innocence"; Richins told the court, "I will appeal and fight these charges no matter how long it takes."[14][13]

## Timeline

- June 2013: Kouri Darden, 23, marries Eric Richins; they sign a prenuptial agreement the same day, CBS News reported.[16]
- November 2020: Eric Richins creates a living trust naming one of his sisters as trustee; his wife is not told of it before his death.[16]
- Feb. 14, 2022: Eric Richins falls ill after eating a sandwich his wife left for him; prosecutors later charge this as attempted murder.[31][30]
- March 4, 2022: Eric Richins is found dead at the couple's home in Kamas; an autopsy finds a toxic level of fentanyl.[33][24]
- March 2023: Richins publishes a children's book about grief, *Are You With Me?*[16][17]
- May 8, 2023: She is arrested and charged with aggravated murder.[33]
- Aug. 27, 2024: After a preliminary hearing, Judge Mrazik rules there is enough evidence for a jury trial.[30]
- April 24, 2025: The Utah Supreme Court holds that state law does not allow jurors to be summoned from two counties for one trial.[1][28]
- June 27, 2025: Prosecutors file a separate 26-count financial-crimes case.[27]
- Feb. 23, 2026: The murder trial opens in Park City.[25]
- March 16, 2026: The jury finds her guilty on all five counts after about three hours of deliberation.[18][19]
- May 13, 2026: Judge Mrazik sentences her to life in prison without parole, on what would have been Eric Richins's 44th birthday.[13][15]
- May 26, 2026: Her lawyers file a notice of appeal.[12]
- July 29, 2026: A second judge rejects her request to disqualify Judge Mrazik; her motion for a new trial remains pending.[8][9]
- Aug. 28, 2026: She is ordered to repay nearly $1.4 million in life insurance proceeds.[6][5]
- Oct. 19, 2026: The judge allows her public defender in the financial-crimes case to withdraw once a replacement is found.[2][3]

## What happens next

A review hearing on the financial-crimes case and her legal representation is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2026, TownLift reported.[3] Her appeal of the murder conviction is before the Utah Court of Appeals, which will consider whether the trial court conducted the case correctly, KPCW reported.[12] Her lawyers have said they may ask the appellate court to pause the restitution order while the appeal proceeds.[5] *The sources reviewed report no ruling on her motion for a new trial as of Oct. 27, 2026, and no trial date in the financial-crimes case.*

## Sources

1. [State v. Richins, 2025 UT 10, No. 20241329 (opinion, as published by Hall Approved)](https://hallapproved.com/ut/cases/supreme/2025/10384273/). Utah Supreme Court, April 24, 2025. (court or official record)
2. [Judge will appoint new public defender for Kouri Richins](https://www.kpcw.org/summit-county/2026-10-20/judge-will-appoint-new-public-defender-for-kouri-richins). KPCW (Connor Thomas), Oct. 20, 2026. (news report)
3. [Judge to appoint new attorney for Kouri Richins in pending fraud case](https://townlift.com/2026/10/judge-to-appoint-new-attorney-for-kouri-richins-in-pending-fraud-case/). TownLift (Marina Knight), Oct. 23, 2026. (news report)
4. [Kouri Richins requests new attorney in fraud case, citing relationships](https://www.eastidahonews.com/?p=877166). KSL (Emily Ashcraft), via East Idaho News, Oct. 16, 2026. (news report)
5. [Kouri Richins must pay nearly $1.4M](https://sltrib.com/news/2026/08/29/kouri-richins-must-pay-nearly-14m). The Salt Lake Tribune (Jordan Miller), Aug. 29, 2026. (news report)
6. [Kouri Richins ordered to repay $1.4M in murdered husband's life insurance (Spanish edition)](https://www.kpcw.org/enespanol/2026-08-28/kouri-richins-ordered-to-repay-1-4m-in-murdered-husbands-life-insurance). KPCW (Connor Thomas), Aug. 28, 2026. (news report)
7. [Kouri Richins' mortgage fraud case to resume in October](https://www.ksl.com/article/51604598/kouri-richins-mortgage-fraud-case-to-resume-in-october). KSL (Pat Reavy), July 31, 2026. (news report)
8. [Judge in Kouri Richins murder trial not found to be biased](https://www.kpcw.org/summit-county/2026-07-30/judge-in-kouri-richins-murder-trial-not-found-to-be-biased). KPCW (Connor Thomas), July 30, 2026. (news report)
9. [Kouri Richins' request for new trial denied](https://www.ksl.com/article/51604024/kouri-richins-request-for-new-trial-denied). KSL (Pat Reavy), July 30, 2026. (news report)
10. [Richins motion to disqualify judge, receive new trial denied](https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/summit-county/richins-motion-to-disqualify-judge-receive-new-trial-denied). FOX 13 News Utah (Jeff Tavss), July 30, 2026. (news report)
11. [Kouri Richins requests re-trial, claims irregularities by court](https://www.kpcw.org/2026-07-01/kouri-richins-requests-re-trial-claims-irregularities-by-court). FOX 13 News Utah via KPCW (Utah News Collaborative), July 1, 2026. (news report)
12. [Kouri Richins appeals aggravated murder conviction](https://www.kpcw.org/summit-county/2026-06-09/kouri-richins-appeals-aggravated-murder-conviction). KPCW (Connor Thomas), June 9, 2026. (news report)
13. [Kouri Richins sentenced to life in prison for husband's murder after emotional hearing](https://www.kpcw.org/summit-county/2026-05-13/kouri-richins-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-husbands-murder-after-emotional-hearing). KPCW (Connor Thomas), May 13, 2026. (news report)
14. [Kouri Richins sentenced to life in prison without parole for aggravated murder of husband](https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/kouri-richins-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-without-parole-for-aggravated-murder-of-husband). KUTV and Associated Press (via ABC News 4), May 13, 2026. (news report)
15. [Kouri Richins gets life without parole on what would have been Eric's 44th birthday](https://townlift.com/2026/05/kouri-richins-gets-life-without-parole-on-what-would-have-been-erics-44th-birthday/). TownLift, May 2026. (news report)
16. [Why did Kouri Richins want her husband dead?](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kouri-richins-utah-mom-husband-eric-richins-poison-childrens-book-48-hours/). CBS News, 48 Hours (Emma Steele), updated May 24, 2026. (news report)
17. [Author of book on grief convicted of murder in husband's 2022 fatal fentanyl poisoning in Utah](https://6abc.com/post/kouri-richins-verdict-author-book-grief-convicted-murder-husbands-2022-fatal-fentanyl-poisoning-utah-trial/18722838/). Associated Press (Hannah Schoenbaum), via 6abc, March 17, 2026. (news report)
18. [Summit County jury finds Kouri Richins guilty of murder in husband's death](https://www.kpcw.org/summit-county/2026-03-16/jury-finds-kouri-richins-guilty-of-eric-richins-murder). KPCW (Connor Thomas), March 16, 2026. (news report)
19. [Kouri Richins found guilty on all counts in murder of husband Eric Richins](https://townlift.com/2026/03/kouri-richins-found-guilty-on-all-counts-in-murder-of-husband-eric-richins/). TownLift, March 16, 2026. (news report)
20. [Lead investigator describes letter, journal entry in Kouri Richins murder trial](https://www.ksl.com/article/51460207/lead-investigator-describes-letter-journal-entry-in-kouri-richins-murder-trial). KSL (Emily Ashcraft), March 11, 2026. (news report)
21. [Day 10: Kouri Richins murder trial continues, Eric Richins' former business partner & PI testify](https://www.abc4.com/richins/day-10-kouri-richins-murder-trial-third-week/amp/). ABC4 Utah, March 9, 2026. (news report)
22. [Summit County jury hears from Kouri Richins' alleged drug dealers in trial's first week](https://www.kpcw.org/summit-county/2026-02-27/summit-county-jury-hears-from-kouri-richins-alleged-drug-dealers-in-trials-first-week). KPCW (Connor Thomas), Feb. 27, 2026. (news report)
23. [Housecleaner says she bought drugs Kouri Richins allegedly used to kill spouse](https://kvia.com/cnn-national/2026/02/26/housecleaner-says-she-bought-drugs-kouri-richins-allegedly-used-to-kill-spouse-please-tell-me-these-pills-were-not-for-him/). CNN (Nicki Brown), via KVIA, Feb. 26, 2026. (news report)
24. [Richins trial: First responders, medical examiner testify on 2nd day of murder trial](https://www.ksl.com/article/51452649/richins-trial-live-first-responders-to-testify-on-second-day-of-murder-trial-of-kamas-mother). KSL (Emily Ashcraft), Feb. 24, 2026. (news report)
25. [Kouri Richins murder trial starts, putting Utah in the true-crime spotlight](https://www.sltrib.com/news/2026/02/24/kouri-richins-murder-trial-starts). The Salt Lake Tribune (Jordan Miller and Samantha Moilanen), Feb. 23, 2026. (news report)
26. [Summit County amends charges in Kouri Richins murder case to align with judge's order](https://www.kpcw.org/summit-county/2025-10-10/summit-county-amends-charges-in-kouri-richins-murder-case-to-align-with-judges-order). KPCW (Jennifer Dobner), Oct. 2025. (news report)
27. [Kouri Richins charged with dozens of additional financial crimes](https://www.kpcw.org/summit-county/2025-06-27/kouri-richins-charged-with-dozens-of-additional-financial-crimes). KPCW (Connor Thomas), June 27, 2025. (news report)
28. [Utah Supreme Court rules in Richins murder case jury issues](https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/utah-supreme-court-rules-in-richins-murder-case-jury-issues). FOX 13 News Utah (Ben Winslow), April 24, 2025. (news report)
29. [High court rejects jury selection appeal in Kouri Richins murder trial](https://www.kpcw.org/summit-county/2025-02-19/high-court-rejects-jury-selection-appeal-in-kouri-richins-murder-trial). KPCW (Connor Thomas), Feb. 19, 2025. (news report)
30. [Utah mother and children's book author Kouri Richins to stand trial in husband's death, judge says](https://panow.com/2024/08/27/utah-mother-and-childrens-book-author-kouri-richins-to-stand-trial-in-husbands-death-judge-says). Associated Press (Hannah Schoenbaum), via paNOW, Aug. 27, 2024. (news report)
31. [Utah grief author Kouri Richins also tried to poison husband with Valentine's Day sandwich, prosecutors say](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/utah-grief-author-kouri-richins-also-tried-poison-husband-valentines-d-rcna145249). NBC News, 2024. (news report)
32. [Author accused of poisoning husband allegedly bought nearly $2M in life insurance](https://abc7news.com/kouri-richins-book-husband-utah-eric/13279899/). ABC News / Good Morning America (via ABC7), May 21, 2023. (news report)
33. [Kouri Richins charged with murder of husband after writing book on grief](https://cbsnews.com/news/kouri-richins-charged-murder-husband-author-book-grief-after-he-died). CBS News and Associated Press, May 9, 2023. (news report)