Kouri Richins sentenced to life without parole for fatally poisoning husband with fentanyl

Kouri Richins, a Utah girl convicted of fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, was sentenced to life with out parole for homicide on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old mom of three, who self-published a kids’s e-book on grieving following her husband’s loss of life in 2022, was discovered responsible on all counts in March following a weekslong trial. The Summit County jury reached a verdict after about three hours of deliberations.

Eric Richins, 39, was discovered lifeless in mattress on March 4, 2022. An post-mortem decided that he died from fentanyl intoxication, and the extent of fentanyl in his blood was roughly 5 occasions the deadly dosage, based on the charging doc.

Kouri Richins was discovered responsible of aggravated homicide, with prosecutors saying she killed him for monetary acquire by spiking his drink with a deadly dose of fentanyl that she bought illicitly after asking two folks for the “Michael Jackson drug.”

She was additionally discovered responsible of tried aggravated homicide, with prosecutors saying she gave her husband a sandwich laced with fentanyl on Valentine’s Day two weeks earlier than his loss of life in an preliminary, failed try and kill him.

She was moreover discovered responsible of insurance coverage fraud for taking out a $100,000 insurance coverage coverage on her husband’s life along with his cast signature and for submitting a declare following his loss of life.

‘Just too harmful’

Earlier than handing down the sentence, Decide Richard Mrazik famous that he had a selection between 25 years to life in jail or life with out parole. He stated the potential influence of both sentence on the three kids was tough to foretell.

As an grownup, considered one of them might come to “resent” a sentence of life with out parole, he stated. With a sentence of 25 years to life, however, “a number of of these younger males might spend the subsequent 30 years questioning why the court docket failed to guard them from the prospect of the one who murdered their father being launched from jail at a while within the distant future, maybe after they have households and youngsters of their very own,” Mrazik stated.

“The court docket’s contemplation of how these younger males might come to really feel about right this moment’s resolution some 30 years from now comes from a spot of real concern for them and humility concerning the court docket’s incapability to foretell the longer term,” he continued.

Based mostly on the knowledge at hand right this moment — that Richins was convicted of making an attempt to kill her husband, after which “doubling down” to attempt once more and succeeding, all for cash — he stated he sentenced her to life in jail.

“An individual convicted of committing that sequence of acts in that manner, and for that cause, and who causes absolutely the tragedy that has befallen Eric Richins’ sons and household — an individual convicted of these issues is just too harmful to ever be free,” he stated.

He imposed no fines, and the sentences on her 4 lesser counts will run consecutively to one another.

Kouri Richins addresses court docket

Kouri Richins, who didn’t testify throughout her trial, addressed the court docket previous to her sentencing in what the protection stated can be an “unusually lengthy” allocution.

She spoke on to her three kids, referring to them as her “candy child boys,” saying she has been unable to contact them since early 2024 so “will use any alternative I can to get a message to you — even when which means sharing it publicly to the world, totally restrained in my jail garments, in one of the horrible conditions doable.”

“I do not care, and I am not embarrassed or ashamed by any of it,” she continued.

Whereas surrounded by her attorneys on the podium in lime-green jail clothes and handcuffs throughout her practically 40-minute remarks, she stated her kids are her cause for residing and “I’m so sorry for even one second you thought that I did for even one second you thought that I did not love you.”

“I do know that right this moment you do not wish to converse to me, have a relationship with me,” she stated. “You might assume you hate me, and that is okay. I’ll by no means be offended at you in your emotions. When the day comes that you just’re prepared, I will likely be right here for you, ready for you, and loving you.”

She instructed them she is “not good.”

“I’ve succeeded and I’ve failed as an individual, as a spouse, as a mum or dad — all of us do,” she stated.

Relating to her and her husband, she stated, “We failed at some issues, we by no means failed at loving you boys.”

She acquired emotional, telling them that they are going to at all times have their brothers.

“You’ve gotten one another’s again,” she stated.

Kouri Richins repeatedly instructed them to “be like their dad” and serve their neighborhood, be beneficiant, love the outside and be a “noble son.”

“Be the pal everybody desires to be associates with, the dad that everybody needs they’d,” she stated.

She apologized for them being in the course of “absolute chaos.” On her conviction, she stated, “I am sorry that eight folks from a jury who’ve by no means met you or me or our household have the fitting to find out our future, they usually did that in lower than three hours.”

She stated she’s “damaged” with out her kids and husband, and that the thought that she murdered their dad is an “absolute lie.”

“The considered that’s nonetheless as absurd right this moment because it was 4 years in the past,” she stated.

“I’d have by no means taken him from you, from us,” she continued.

She stated she’s going to enchantment her conviction and combat the costs “irrespective of how lengthy it takes” and requested her kids not to surrender on her.

“I can’t be blamed for one thing I didn’t do,” she stated. “I want you boys to know the reality, and due to that, I’ll by no means give up or quit on this combat for justice, the reality and coming residence to you.”

Requires life with out parole

Prosecutors requested Decide Mrazik handy down a sentence of life with out the potential of parole, saying she “murdered Eric within the presence of their kids, utilizing poison, and for cash.”

“Such an individual ought to by no means once more lurk among the many remainder of us,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed forward of Wednesday’s listening to. “Her kids ought to by no means fear that they could sooner or later encounter her.”

The memo included statements from the couple’s three boys, who have been 9, 7 and 5 years previous when their father was murdered.

The eldest son, recognized by his initials as C.R., needed the court docket to know that “my dad was a superb individual and really considerate and sort and helped whoever wanted assist,” the submitting acknowledged.

Prosecutors stated that the Utah Division of Little one and Household Companies supported a discovering of emotional and bodily abuse by Kouri Richins in opposition to C.R. following the loss of life.

“I am afraid if she will get out, she’s going to come after me and my brothers, my entire household. I believe she would come and take us and never do good issues to us, like harm us,” the submitting acknowledged. “I miss my dad, however I don’t miss how my life was, I do not miss Kouri, I’ll let you know that.”

The center little one, A.R., was a “materials witness” to the homicide, based on prosecutors, as Kouri Richins instructed police that she had gone into his room earlier than returning to mattress and discovering her husband lifeless. Had he taken the stand through the trial, “A.R. would have testified at trial that the Defendant didn’t sleep in his room with him the night time she murdered his father,” prosecutors acknowledged.

A.R. stated he would not need his mom out of jail “as a result of I can’t really feel secure,” the submitting acknowledged. The youngest son, W.R., additionally stated he would really feel “so scared” if his mom ever acquired out, and that she “makes me really feel hateful and ashamed.”

The statements have been learn on their behalf by advocates through the sentencing listening to.

Protection legal professional Wendy Lewis requested that the court docket not contemplate the state’s sentencing memo, arguing through the listening to that it contained “unsworn allegations untested by cross-examination” and was a “not-so-subtle try” to make public proof that they held again or have been unable to current in court docket as a result of Kouri Richins didn’t testify.

Lewis disputed a number of factors within the memo, saying that the Utah Division of Little one and Household Companies made an preliminary discovering of emotional and bodily abuse primarily based on stories, sending the case to juvenile court docket, which she stated discovered “no fault” — “in different phrases, that the youngsters wanted intervention, however as a consequence of no fault of Kouri Richins.”

Lewis additionally stated that upon Kouri Richins’ arrest a 12 months after the loss of life, A.R.’s statements to police on the time have been in line with hers, that “Kouri had gone to sleep in his room” that night time.

Decide Mrazik finally denied the protection’s request to strike parts of the state’s sentencing memo.

‘Everlasting trauma’

The three boys at the moment are within the care of considered one of Eric Richins’ sisters, Katie Richins-Benson, and her husband, based on the submitting.

Richins-Benson urged the court docket handy down a sentence that ensures Kouri Richins will stay in jail for the remainder of her life for the “everlasting trauma” she’s inflicted on the youngsters.

“The mere thought that somebody who has so little regard for human life or decency would possibly sooner or later stroll free is horrifying,” she stated whereas delivering a sufferer influence assertion in court docket on Wednesday. “I fear concerning the security of Eric’s boys, my daughters, my sister and myself. There may be nothing Kouri won’t do and nobody she won’t harm to realize her personal egocentric ends.”

A number of different members of the family delivered emotional sufferer influence statements through the listening to, held on what would have been Eric Richins’ forty fourth birthday, whereas additionally asking for the utmost sentence doable.

Along with the utmost sentence, prosecutors requested that Kouri Richins be ordered to pay restitution to 2 insurance coverage corporations totaling greater than $1.3 million.

Protection says she’s not a ‘monster’

Protection legal professional Kathryn Nester argued through the sentencing listening to that Kouri Richins just isn’t the “monster” portrayed by the prosecution, whereas asking the decide to contemplate conduct displayed over the course of her life.

Nester described Kouri Richins as a “human being, a mom, a daughter, a sister, a pal, an individual that has made errors,” but in addition an individual who has “accomplished acts of kindness and love and care towards others, an individual who’s contributed to her neighborhood, an individual who even within the darkest time of her life, reached out to assist others who have been incarcerated alongside her, an individual who unselfishly tried to ease the ache her household and associates skilled because of this case.”

Lewis learn in court docket a letter written by Kouri Richins’ mom, throughout which she requested the court docket handy down a sentence that displays accountability but in addition “permits the potential of a future.”

Her mom additionally referred to as the conviction a “profound injustice.”

“I don’t imagine Kouri is able to committing a homicide,” she wrote.

Different letters by members of the family and associates in assist of Kouri Richins have been learn on their behalf or delivered in court docket. She could possibly be seen crying as her brother addressed the court docket.

“I miss your loved ones, I miss our household,” her brother, Ronnie Darden, instructed the court docket. “We do not, with 100% certainty, know what occurred to Eric, nobody does, however we do know, with 100% certainty, that it wasn’t attributable to you.”

Lewis requested for a sentence of 25 years to life, saying, “While you put apart the entire media, the entire curiosity, and also you take a look at the crime she is convicted of, that is an applicable sentence.”

“A sentence of 25 to life just isn’t a sentence that ensures the discharge of Kouri Richins,” Lewis continued. “It isn’t saying that she even ought to be launched. What it’s saying is that the choice whether or not she ought to be launched is a call for another person to make on one other day — a day that will likely be on the minimal 25 to 30 years sooner or later, a future that might look very totally different than right this moment.”

Prosecutors argued that Kouri Richins was having an affair and needed a “recent begin” and to depart her husband — however did not wish to depart his cash. They stated she was in “monetary desperation” as a consequence of her home flipping enterprise’ money owed and wanted a major inflow of money instantly.

In line with prosecutors, she believed she would have financially benefited from her husband’s loss of life — with out realizing that his belongings have been in a belief overseen by considered one of his sisters, Katie Richins-Benson.

The protection, in the meantime, stated the case was “sloppy” and “pushed by bias” and argued that the state did not show the allegations past an affordable doubt. The protection referred to as no witnesses.

Kouri Richins additionally faces greater than two dozen fees in a separate case filed final 12 months, together with allegations that she dedicated mortgage fraud in 2021. The charging doc alleges she submitted falsified financial institution statements in assist of mortgage mortgage purposes for her realty enterprise, dedicated cash laundering and issued dangerous checks. 

The fees within the case additionally allege she murdered her husband for monetary acquire as she “stood on the precipice of whole monetary collapse.”

She has not but entered a plea to these fees.