Utah jury convicts Kouri Richins of murdering husband Eric Richins

In February 2026, in a packed courtroom in Summit County, Utah, chief prosecutor Brad Bloodworth laid out the state's case against Kouri Richins for the murder of Eric Richins, her husband and father of their three sons.

The evidence will prove that Kouri Richins murdered Eric for his money and to get a fresh start at life, Bloodworth told the court. Eric died on March 4, 2022, of a lethal dose of fentanyl that prosecutors say Kouri served him in a cocktail. She had spent nearly three years in jail awaiting trial.

More than anything, she wanted his money to perpetuate her facade of privilege, affluence and success, Bloodworth said.

Eric owned a contracting business. Kouri worked as a real estate agent buying and flipping houses. She faced murder charges along with counts of insurance fraud and forgery.

Greg Hall, a friend and former colleague of Kouri's, said she was convinced she would be found not guilty because she knew she did not do it.

Authorities initially thought Eric died from an accidental overdose. Investigators later concluded Kouri poisoned him for financial gain.

According to Greg Skordas, a spokesperson for Eric's family, Eric had raised concerns about Kouri to his relatives. They suspected she would take part in his death before it happened, Skordas said.

Kouri called 911 crying that her husband was not breathing and was cold. Prosecutors used the recording to question whether she tried to resuscitate him. A digital forensic analyst testified that phone sensor data showed she held the receiver to her ear instead of placing the call on speaker for CPR.

Jurors Laura and Eric, who asked that their last names not be used, said the call showed little effort at compressions. They also noted that Kouri's texts to a friend described screaming and beating on Eric's chest, which did not match the evidence.

Jurors found Kouri's behavior on deputy bodycam footage odd. She held her face with her hands and appeared to hide her emotions. Eric's sister Katie Richins Benson arrived hysterical and asked first about the children. Kouri stayed in place and did not comfort them.

Katie testified that hours after Eric died, Kouri said she planned to sell their house and close on a multimillion-dollar property known as the Midway Mansion. Prosecutors showed that Kouri's phone accessed GIFs that morning that appeared to celebrate coming into money.

The state's case centered on proving Kouri intentionally gave Eric fentanyl, either in a Moscow mule or a lemon drop shot. Investigators found a note in a kitchen cabinet that prosecutors said described how she killed him, including the line drink in bed. Kouri's written account of the night began with Eric drinking a cocktail she made at 9:15 p.m.

Housekeeper Carmen Lauber testified that Kouri asked her four times to buy illicit drugs. About two weeks before Eric died, Kouri asked for something stronger. Lauber said she obtained fentanyl pills from a dealer friend and Kouri told her to go ahead and get them. Hundreds of text messages between the two matched Lauber's account of the timeline, though the content had been deleted.

Prosecutors said Kouri also tried to poison Eric on Valentine's Day with a drug-laced breakfast sandwich. A forensic accountant testified that Kouri had nearly $8 million in liabilities from her house-flipping business. On the day Eric died, his estate was worth more than $4 million. Kouri took out an additional $100,000 life insurance policy on him a month earlier, and prosecutors said his signature was forged.

The state also presented evidence of Kouri's two-year affair with handyman Josh Grossman. Grossman testified that Kouri asked him if he had ever killed anyone and how it made him feel. She sent him a reservation for a romantic trip to Secrets St. Martin's Resort scheduled for a month after Eric's death.

After Eric died, Kouri searched terms including luxury prisons for the rich in America, how long life insurance companies take to pay, and if someone is poisoned what does it go down on the death certificate as.

Defense attorneys Kathryn Nester and Wendy Lewis argued there was no direct evidence that Kouri administered the fentanyl. They said the cups from the night were never tested. They challenged Lauber's credibility, noting she made a deal with investigators to avoid prison time on her own drug charges. They pointed to Eric's chronic pain, his use of marijuana gummies and pain medication, and an empty hydrocodone bottle found near him. They noted he had traveled to Mexico weeks before his death.

The defense said Kouri's debts were typical in house flipping and that wives often sign documents for their husbands. They argued investigators developed tunnel vision because of pressure from Eric's family.

On March 12, 2026, after three weeks and 40 state witnesses, the defense rested without calling any witnesses. Jurors said they were surprised and disappointed.

In closing, prosecutors described Kouri as a risk taker who needed Eric to die. The defense urged jurors to find reasonable doubt and acquit her.

Deliberations lasted about three hours. On March 16, 2026, the jury found Kouri guilty of aggravated murder, attempted murder for the Valentine's Day incident, two counts of insurance fraud and forgery.

Kouri was stunned by the verdict, according to her friend Greg Hall. Two months later, on what would have been Eric's 44th birthday, Judge Richard Mrazik sentenced her to life in prison without parole.

Eric's sister Amy told the court the crime happens every morning when the boys wake up and realize their father is gone. The three boys, now 9, 11 and 13, submitted statements through counselors asking for the harshest sentence. They described Kouri locking them in rooms, neglecting pets and failing to care for them when they were hurt.

Kouri's brother Ronnie asked the court for leniency. Kouri addressed her children directly, saying it was a lie that she murdered their father.

Greg Skordas said the true heartbreak belongs to the children, who now live with their aunt Katie.