Utah Mom Accused of Killing Husband After Writing Book to Help Kids Cope

Kouri Richins faces murder charges weeks after publishing a children's book about grief

Feb. 21, 2026 at 11:18am

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A year after her husband Eric Richins died, Kouri Richins self-published a children's book called "Are You With Me?" that she said helped her three sons cope with the sudden loss. Weeks after the book's publication in 2023, Richins was arrested and charged with her husband's murder, accused of slipping a fatal dose of fentanyl into his drink. Prosecutors say Richins was deep in debt and killed her husband for financial gain, while planning a future with another man she was seeing on the side. Richins has pleaded not guilty, and her defense team says the public has been misled about the facts of the case.

Why it matters

The chilling case of a once-respected local author accused of profiting off her own violent crime has captivated true-crime enthusiasts. The book Richins wrote to help her children process grief has become a key piece of evidence for prosecutors arguing that she carried out a calculated killing.

The details

Prosecutors say Richins killed her husband Eric at their home in March 2022 by slipping fentanyl into a cocktail he drank. They allege she was deep in debt and killed him for financial gain, while planning a future with another man she was seeing on the side. A month earlier, Eric Richins told friends he broke out in hives and blacked out after taking a bite of a sandwich Richins had left for him, and he believed she had tried to poison him. Richins' defense team says the public has been misled about the facts of the case and they are confident the jury will rule in her favor.

  • In March 2022, Kouri Richins called 911 to report that she had found her husband Eric 'cold to the touch' at the foot of their bed. He was pronounced dead, and a medical examiner later found five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system.
  • A month earlier, in February 2023, Eric Richins told friends he broke out in hives and blacked out after taking one bite of a sandwich that Richins had left for him.
  • In October 2020, Eric Richins met with a divorce attorney and an estate planner, a month after discovering his wife had made major financial decisions without his knowledge.

The players

Kouri Richins

A 35-year-old mother of three in Utah who self-published a children's book called "Are You With Me?" to help her sons cope with the sudden death of her husband Eric Richins. She was later arrested and charged with his murder.

Eric Richins

Kouri Richins' husband, who died in March 2022 with a fatal dose of fentanyl in his system. He had previously believed his wife tried to poison him a month earlier.

Carmen Lauber

The Richins' housekeeper who allegedly sold Kouri Richins fentanyl pills that she used to kill her husband, according to prosecutors.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Wendy Lewis, Kathy Nester and Alex Ramos, Kouri Richins' defense attorneys

“If he could just go away ... life would be so perfect.”

— Kouri Richins

“I think my wife tried to poison me.”

— Eric Richins

What’s next

The 12-person jury is set to decide Kouri Richins' fate in a monthlong trial that starts on Monday.

The takeaway

This case highlights the complex and disturbing intersection of domestic violence, financial motives, and the exploitation of grief and loss. It raises difficult questions about how we support families coping with tragedy and the challenges of the criminal justice system in addressing such charged and emotional cases.