Who Is Kouri Richins? Author-Mom Accused Of Killing Husband Set to Stand Trial

Kouri Richins, the mother accused of killing her husband, Eric Richins, is set to stand trial starting Monday, 23 February. The 35-year-old author has been charged with killing her husband after allegedly spiking Eric's cocktail with fentanyl in March 2022.

Kouri and Eric were married for nine years and had three children. After Eric's death in 2022, Kouri published a children's book titled Are You With Me? According to her, the book was meant to help her sons cope with the loss of their father.

But in a shocking twist of events, Kouri was arrested weeks after the book came out. She was charged with murdering her husband.

Details of Prosecution Against Kouri

According to prosecutors, the 35-year-old killed her husband for financial gain and had plans to live a new life with another man. Kouri Richins has denied the allegations, according to a report from the Associated Press.

With her trial set to start, Richins is facing five felony charges. These are:

1. One count of aggravated murder
2. One count of attempted aggravated murder
3. Two counts of insurance fraud
4. One count of forgery

Despite these multiple charges, the legal team of Kouri Richins is confident about their chances in the case. They believe that once the jury hears the facts, the 35-year-old can return home to her children.

'Kouri has waited nearly three years for this moment: the opportunity to have the facts of this case heard by a jury, free from the prosecution's narrative that has dominated headlines since her arrest,' Richins' legal team stated. 'What the public has been told bears little resemblance to the truth.'

Kouri Richins Drowned in Debt

Although the legal team of Kouri Richins seem ready with the facts, the timeline leading to Eric Richins' death tells otherwise. The 35-year-old's financial problems were detailed and well-documented, an issue that dates back to 2020.

As detailed by The Salt Lake Tribune, it was when Eric discovered the abuse and misuse of finances by Kouri that appeared to have started it all.

The 39-year-old removed Kouri from his $500,000 (£371,000) life insurance policy while also transferring his home and company interest to his sister, Katie Richins-Benson.

With Eric resorting to these measures, Kouri tried to obtain loans in 2021. However, she used falsified bank statements, resulting in her inability to take out a loan.

Unable to obtain a loan to get her out of debt, Kouri Richins allegedly applied for a life insurance policy for her husband but named herself as the beneficiary in January 2022, according to charging documents. Eric had nothing to do with the policy and his signature was allegedly forged.

Kouri's Last Card

With efforts to get out of her financial hole proving futile, charging documents claim that Kouri resorted to poisoning her husband in 2022. The first incident happened on 14 February 2022, Valentine's Day.

Eric shared how he blacked out after eating part of the sandwich that Kouri left for him at a local restaurant. The 39-year-old had no food allergies, but prosecutors said that fentanyl could cause allergic reactions.

Ironically, this happened in the same week that Kouri allegedly purchased fentanyl pills from their housekeeper, Carmen Lauber. She admitted to giving Richins fentanyl, which she bought from a dealer just before Valentine's Day. No fentanyl pills were found at the Richins' home.

The defence and the prosecution are expected to debate the known facts of the case starting Monday. However, additional facts and evidence are expected to be brought up to determine what the future truly holds for Kouri Richins.