Kouri Richins on trial as kouri richins faces allegations over husband's death

kouri richins is facing a high-profile criminal trial nearly four years after her husband, Eric Richins, was found dead in their Utah home. Prosecutors say the case — which has drawn attention after she published a children’s book about grief following his death — centers on allegations that she poisoned him for money.

Kouri Richins’ charges and the timeline of Eric Richins’ death

Nearly four years after Eric Richins died, Kouri Richins is on trial on charges that include aggravated murder, attempted criminal homicide, false or fraudulent insurance claim and forgery; she has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say what began as a quiet celebration at the couple’s Utah home in 2022 ended hours later with Eric dead in their bedroom after ingesting a fatal dose of fentanyl.

Prosecutor Bradley Bloodworth lays out motive and alleged scheme

Chief prosecutor Bradley Bloodworth told jurors the evidence will prove that Kouri Richins murdered Eric for his money and to get a fresh start at life. Bloodworth said Kouri was in debt at the time of Eric’s death and that Eric’s estate was worth $4 million, which she believed she would inherit.

Bloodworth also told the jury that Kouri’s boyfriend had texted her an image of two people kissing; she replied, "Love you, " before making her husband a drink, he said. Court documents allege Kouri had significant debt, fraudulently took out life insurance policies on her husband and had attempted to poison him multiple times.

Defense attorney Kathryn Nester plays 911 call and questions the evidence

Defense attorney Kathryn Nester began her opening statement by playing a 911 call Kouri made saying Eric wasn’t breathing; Kouri appeared to be crying on the call. Nester said, "Those were the sounds of a wife becoming a widow. " She told jurors the couple had taken a "celebratory shot" of alcohol and that Kouri made a Moscow mule; the drinks were not finished, and law enforcement never tested the cups for evidence, Nester said.

Nester also told the jury an empty pill bottle with an expiration date of 2016 was found by Eric’s body and argued there is no evidence showing how fentanyl entered his system. Nester told jurors, "Between 9 p. m. and 3 a. m., somewhere in that time, Eric Richins died. Somewhere in that time, he ingested a fatal dose of fentanyl. What you will never hear, after four years of investigation... is how that fentanyl got inside of him because there is zero evidence of that. "

How emergency crews and the medical examiner described the scene and cause

Kouri told investigators she found her husband unresponsive in the couple’s bedroom on March 4, 2022, after they had celebratory drinks at home to mark her recent sale of a property. She said she made him a Moscow mule in the kitchen, brought it to the bedroom, then slept in a child’s bedroom; when she woke and went to her room, she said Eric was cold to the touch.

Emergency personnel found Eric at the foot of the bed, administered CPR and pronounced him dead at the scene. A medical examiner determined Eric, 39, had five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl in his system, that the fentanyl was illicit rather than medical-grade, and that the drug had been orally ingested, court documents say.

Family life, businesses and public attention on the case

Family and friends have said the couple appeared to have a "perfect" marriage and seemed to have it all. The pair shared three children; Kouri had a real estate company and Eric owned a stone masonry business. The case drew national attention after Kouri published a children’s book about grief following her husband’s death and later publicly proclaimed her innocence.