Children's Book Author Accused of Killing Husband: Kouri Richins Will Stand Trial

Children's book author Kouri Richins will stand trial for the alleged murder of her husband, a judge decided on Tuesday. Kouri self-published a book about grief after her husband, Eric Richins, passed away in March of 2022, saying she wrote it to help her children process their feelings, but she was later accused of poisoning Eric. According to a report by The Associated Press , Kouri appeared stoic in court as Judge Richard Mrazik informed her that a jury would be assembled to determine her guilt or innocence.

Kouri's story has already been in the headlines for months due to its sensational nature, but the actual legal process has moved along slowly. This week, she pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges against her, and Mrazik decided that prosecutors had presented enough evidence to go to trial. Kouri has been held without bail since May of 2023, and her attorneys fought to avoid a trial altogether. The defense and the prosecutors will meet with Mrazik in September to discuss jury selection, and the trial is scheduled to begin on April 28, 2025.

Eric Richins doed in March of 2022 at the family home in a suburb of Park City, Utah. He was 39 years old. His autopsy showed five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system, but there is no evidence that he was a drug user. Instead, prosecutors argue that Kouri slipped the drug into her husband's evening cocktail.

Among the evidence investigators found was the account of Eric's illness two weeks earlier, which they believe was tied to a sandwich Kouri gave to him on Valentine's Day. They also presented evidence that Kouri had purchased fentanyl from the Richins family's housekeeper, which the defense acknowledged when her text messages were read in court. However, Kouri's lawyers pointed out that police did not find any fentanyl inside the home, and they have no way to prove that she used the drugs to poison her husband. During this exchange, Mrazik reportedly remarked: "These are great trial arguments."

As for the motive, prosecutors believe it came down to money. They presented evidence that Kouri had taken out a $2 million life insurance policy on Eric without his knowledge, and that she believed she would inherit his estate upon his death due to her misunderstanding of their pre-nuptial agreement. Eric discovered that life insurance policy before his death and changed the beneficiary without telling his wife. Due to her lack of funds, Kouri is now relying on court-appointed attorneys.

Of course, the reason this story caught so much attention in the beginning was Kouri's book. She was featured on the local news for her self-published children's book Are You With Me?, which was intended to help kids process their grief after a loss in the family. Once allegations against Kouri became public, Amazon and Kindle stopped selling the book.