Utah Mother Charged with Murdering Husband After Publishing Book About His Death

Kouri Richins faces nearly three dozen counts, including aggravated murder, after her husband's death in 2022

Feb. 21, 2026 at 9:26pm

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A Utah mother of three, Kouri Richins, is on trial for the murder of her husband, Eric Richins, just weeks after she self-published a children's book about coping with his sudden death. Prosecutors allege Richins killed her husband by slipping fentanyl into his drink, motivated by financial troubles and an affair. Richins has pleaded not guilty, and her defense team says the public has been misled about the facts of the case.

Why it matters

This chilling case has captivated true-crime enthusiasts, as a once-respected local author stands accused of profiting off her own violent crime. The book she published to help her sons cope with the loss of their father has now become a key piece of evidence in the prosecution's case against her.

The details

Prosecutors say Richins killed her husband, Eric Richins, at their home in March 2022 by slipping fentanyl into a cocktail that 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. The prosecution's star witness, the family's housekeeper, claims she provided Richins with the fentanyl pills used to kill her husband.

  • In March 2022, Kouri Richins called 911 to report that she had found her husband, Eric Richins, '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, on Valentine's Day 2022, 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.

The players

Kouri Richins

A 35-year-old mother of three in Utah who is on trial for the murder of her husband, Eric Richins, after she self-published a children's book about coping with his sudden death.

Eric Richins

Kouri Richins' husband, who died in March 2022 with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system.

Carmen Lauber

The family's housekeeper who claims to have provided Kouri Richins with the fentanyl pills used to kill her husband.

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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' legal team (Instagram)

“I think my wife tried to poison me.”

— Eric Richins (Written testimony)

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 has raised questions about the line between tragedy and crime, as a mother's attempt to help her children cope with loss has now become central evidence in a murder trial. The outcome will have lasting implications for the Richins family and the community.