Kouri Richins Case: Prosecutors Outline Chilling Timeline in Poisoning Death to Her Husband

Kouri Richins, a 35-year-old real estate agent and children's book author, was convicted in March 2026 of first-degree aggravated murder, among other charges, in the poisoning death of her husband, Eric Richins. The prosecution's timeline laid out in court painted a chilling portrait of premeditation, motive, and attempts to conceal the crime.

​Kouri was convicted of aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder, and two counts of falsifying insurance claims and forgery.

Motive: Debt, Insurance, Extramarital Plans

​On 4 March 2022 at around 3:22 a.m., authorities responded to a 911 call from Kouri Richins saying that her husband Eric was unresponsive in their bedroom inside their home in Kamas, Utah. Paramedics pronounced Eric dead shortly before 4:00 a.m. An autopsy later revealed that Eric had five times the lethal level of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, in his system, which had been ingested orally.

​Kouri is accused of lacing Eric's cocktail, reportedly a 'Moscow mule,' which she had prepared, with the drug on the night of his death. During the start of Kouri's trial in February 2026, prosecutors argued that the alleged killing was driven by multiple motives, per People.

​They said that Kouri rekindled a past relationship with her ex, Robert Josh Grossman, while facing marital problems with Eric, accusing her of carrying out the murder for financial gain tied to her substantial debt amounting to $4.5 million (£3.38 million), per ABC 11. Grossman, however, has not been accused of having any involvement in the case.

Behaviour Pattern, Prior Attempt

In addition to the fatal poisoning, prosecutors outlined what they called a prior attempt to harm Eric in February 2022. They allege Richins gave him a fentanyl-laced sandwich on Valentine's Day, which resulted in Eric developing hives and knocking him unconscious, but not enough to kill him. The alleged attempt was presented as part of a broader plan.

​They also pointed to acquired substances and phone data suggesting Kouri obtained illicit fentanyl in the weeks before March 2022. Prosecutors argued that deleted texts supported a pattern of furtive behaviour around the time of the alleged poisoning.

​The case has drawn public interest because Kouri Richins self-published a children's book about coping with the loss of a parent in 2023, a year after her husband's death. Prosecutors argued the book and public appearances were part of an attempt to craft a grieving, sympathetic persona to disguise what they described as her calculated actions, per AP News.

Prosecutor Says She Wanted to Leave Her Husband, Not His Money

During closing arguments, Summit County prosecutor Brad Bloodworth said Richins wanted to maintain an affluent lifestyle without her husband. He said to the jurors, 'She wanted to leave Eric Richins but did not want to leave his money.'

​However, defence attorney Wendy Lewis contended that the case was riddled with reasonable doubt, partly due to what she described as a flawed investigation in which authorities failed to pursue evidence that could have pointed to Kouri's innocence, according to The New York Post.

​Lewis said, 'The investigation in this matter was nothing but sloppy," Lewis said. "It was driven by bias. Speculation, conjecture — not proof. Every fact that the state has put forward ... has another reasonable explanation.'

Richins faces a possible sentence of 25 years to life in prison, and has pleaded not guilty to the crimes. Her sentencing was scheduled for 13 May 2026, Eric Richin's 44th birthday.