Utah Mom Accused of Fatally Poisoning Husband with Fentanyl Faces Murder Trial

Kouri Richins, who self-published a children's book on grieving after her husband's death, pleads not guilty to charges of aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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The murder trial of Kouri Richins, a Utah mom accused of fatally poisoning her husband Eric Richins with fentanyl, is set to begin with opening statements on Monday. Prosecutors allege Richins spiked her husband's cocktail with a lethal dose of fentanyl and also attempted to kill him with a fentanyl-laced sandwich two weeks earlier. Richins has pleaded not guilty and her attorneys say the public has been misled about the facts of the case.

Why it matters

This case highlights the growing opioid crisis in the U.S. and the devastating impact it can have on families. It also raises questions about potential financial motives and marital issues that may have contributed to the alleged crime. The trial will be closely watched as it involves a mother accused of murdering her husband, which is a rare and disturbing occurrence.

The details

Prosecutors allege that Kouri Richins was in financial distress due to debts in her realty business and believed she would benefit financially from her husband's death. They also claim she was having an affair and had expressed feeling 'stuck' and 'trapped' in her marriage. Richins is accused of purchasing illicit fentanyl before the alleged attempts to kill her husband, with the medical examiner determining the fentanyl that killed him was not medical grade. Richins also faces charges of fraudulently securing a life insurance policy for her husband and claiming the benefits after his death.

  • The murder trial is set to begin with opening statements on Monday, February 23, 2026.
  • Richins' husband Eric Richins died on March 4, 2022.
  • Richins was arrested in May 2023, about a year after her husband's death.
  • A month before her arrest, Richins appeared on a local TV segment to promote a children's book she had self-published about grieving.

The players

Kouri Richins

A 35-year-old Utah realtor accused of fatally poisoning her husband Eric Richins with fentanyl. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder.

Eric Richins

Kouri Richins' 39-year-old husband who died from fentanyl intoxication in March 2022.

Wendy Lewis, Kathy Nester and Alex Ramos

Kouri Richins' attorneys who say the public has been misled about the facts of the case and that she is a mother who wants to go home to her children.

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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' attorneys (Finger Lakes Daily News)

“What the public has been told bears little resemblance to the truth. We welcome the courtroom, where evidence is bound by rules, not sensational coverage. Kouri is a mother who wants to go home to her children. We are confident this jury will make that possible.”

— Wendy Lewis, Kathy Nester and Alex Ramos, Kouri Richins' attorneys (Finger Lakes Daily News)

“The world has yet to hear who I really am, what I've really done or didn't do. What I really didn't do is murder my husband.”

— Kouri Richins (ABC News)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Kouri Richins out on bail during the trial, which is expected to last up to five weeks.

The takeaway

This case highlights the devastating impact of the opioid crisis and the complex issues of financial pressures, marital problems, and alleged criminal behavior that can lead to tragic outcomes. The trial will be closely watched as it delves into the details and evidence surrounding the alleged murder of a husband by his wife, a rare and disturbing occurrence.