Kouri Richins Goes on Trial; Prosecutors Say Utah Mom Poisoned Husband for $4 Million Estate
kouri richins is standing trial nearly four years after her husband, Eric Richins, was found dead in the couple’s bedroom, accused by prosecutors of slipping him a fatal dose of fentanyl. The case matters now because opening statements laid out sharply divergent narratives about motive, physical evidence and the timeline that ended in Eric’s death.
Charges Facing Kouri Richins and Initial Plea
Prosecutors have charged Richins with aggravated murder, attempted criminal homicide, making a false or fraudulent insurance claim and forgery. Nearly four years after Eric’s death, she has pleaded not guilty and is answering those charges in court. The case has attracted attention in part because Richins published a children’s book about grief after her husband’s death and later appeared on Dateline to proclaim her innocence.
Bradley Bloodworth’s Account of Motive and Text Evidence
Chief prosecutor Bradley Bloodworth told jurors the evidence will show Richins killed Eric for his money and to secure “a fresh start at life. ” Prosecutors say Richins was carrying significant debt at the time of his death, that she fraudulently took out life insurance policies on Eric and that she had attempted to poison him on multiple occasions. Bloodworth told the jury that Eric’s estate was worth $4 million and that Richins believed she would inherit it all. He also recounted a text exchange in which Richins’ boyfriend sent her an image of two people kissing; prosecutors say she replied “Love you” before preparing a drink for her husband.
Kathryn Nester Plays 911 Call and Questions Physical Evidence
Defense attorney Kathryn Nester opened by playing the 911 call in which Richins tells dispatchers Eric was not breathing; Richins can be heard crying on the call. Nester told jurors the scene began with a celebratory shot and a Moscow mule Richins made for her husband, saying neither couple finished their drinks and that law enforcement never tested the cups. She noted an empty pill bottle found by Eric’s body bore an expiration date of 2016. Nester urged the jury to consider the absence of direct proof about how fentanyl entered Eric’s system, saying: “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. ”
March 4, 2022 Timeline and Emergency Response
Richins told investigators she found Eric unresponsive on March 4, 2022, after the couple had taken celebratory drinks at home to mark her recent sale of a property. She said she made a Moscow mule for Eric in the kitchen, brought it to their bedroom where he drank it, then went to sleep in their child’s bedroom. When she later checked their room she said Eric was cold to the touch. Emergency personnel located him at the foot of the bed, administered CPR and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Forensic Findings: Medical Examiner and Fentanyl Details
The medical examiner concluded Eric, 39, had an illicit form of fentanyl in his system at approximately five times the lethal dose and that the drug had been orally ingested. That finding is central to the prosecution’s claim that fentanyl caused his death and underpins allegations of poisoning.
Family Portrait, Businesses and Broader Context
Family and friends have described the Richinses’ marriage as appearing “perfect. ” The couple shared three children; Richins operated a real estate company and Eric owned a stone masonry business. Prosecutors assert those outward signs of stability mask financial problems and a scheme to profit from Eric’s death. What makes this notable is the collision between the forensic finding of an illicit, orally ingested fentanyl dose and the absence of direct evidence showing how the drug entered Eric’s system—an evidentiary gap both sides have highlighted as they frame motive, opportunity and responsibility.
