Shivangi Sinha
In March 2022, Kouri Richins called 911 in the middle of the night. She told them that she had found her husband, Eric Richins, passed out and cold to the touch in their bedroom at their house in Kamas, Utah. She performed CPR, but it was too late, and responding officers pronounced him dead. It was initially believed to be an aneurysm, but when an autopsy was performed, it revealed that he had died from fentanyl poisoning. About a year later, in May 2023, Kouri was arrested on homicide charges and accused of killing her husband. In CBS’ ‘48 Hours: The People v. Kouri Richins’ and NBC’s ‘Dateline: Book of Lies,’ the timeline of the case and the various accusations against her have been examined in detail.
Kouri Richins Had Made Eric Richins a Moscow Mule a Few Hours Before He Passed Away
Kouri Darden was born in 1990 and grew up in Oklahoma. Her father was a successful engineer, and because of his work and that of her mother, Lisa Darden, the family moved around frequently. Kouri and her two brothers, Roney and DJ, lived in as many as 17 states. However, when Kouri was just six years old, things changed for the family after her father was involved in a drunk driving accident in which a police officer passed away, leading to his imprisonment. Her parents eventually divorced, and around 2000, her mother, brothers, and she moved to Utah. She said that her mother allegedly had a gambling addiction and there was a lot of instability in the house. She later attended college and worked at Home Depot to support herself.
It was in 2009, while she was in college, that Kouri met Eric Richins for the first time. He was working in construction and would often come to the store where she worked. They eventually started talking, and the relationship turned serious. In 2013, the couple got married, and their home soon grew with their three sons: Carter, Ashton, and Weston. Kouri had always wanted a family life, and her family said she was very happy to have it. Eventually, Eric started his own stone masonry business, while Kouri launched her own real estate company. She planned to buy, flip, and sell houses, and for a time, the couple appeared to be doing well for themselves. However, Kouri later said that around 2018, she allegedly found out her husband was having an “emotional affair.”
By 2020, Kouri was having an affair with a man named Robert Josh Grossman. On March 4, 2022, Kouri called the police and Eric was found dead in their bedroom, and their three children were still in the house. She said that on the evening of March 3, she and her husband had been celebrating the sale of one of her houses. She claimed she made him a Moscow Mule, and because Ashton was getting scared, she went to sleep in his room. She said she returned to her bedroom around 3 am, and that was when she noticed that Eric was cold and not responding. Her family said that she was inconsolable and very emotional.
Kouri Richins Published a Children’s Book About Her Husband’s Passing Before She Was Arrested
A few days later, an incident took place in the house involving a safe that allegedly contained between $125,000 and $165,000 in cash, according to Eric Richins’ family. Kouri Richins had tried to open the safe, but Eric’s sister, Amy Richins, attempted to stop her, and Kouri allegedly punched her, leading to charges. Soon after, when the autopsy report revealed that Eric had died from a fentanyl overdose, his family began pointing fingers at his wife. Kouri’s family also claimed that Eric allegedly used THC gummies and suggested they could have been accidentally laced with fentanyl, though his family rejected this explanation. Things remained tense between families and Kouri stayed in the house with her kids. In March 2023, she published a children’s book titled ‘Are You With Me?’ about a boy who loses his father, and said it was a way for her to cope with her loss.
However, on May 8, 2023, Kouri was arrested on charges of aggravated murder and controlled-substance offenses. According to documents filed by prosecutors, she had been in contact with a woman who cleaned her house, Carmen Lauber, also referred to as CL. Carmen, who was on probation on drug charges at the time, said that Kouri had asked her to obtain fentanyl several times. According to her account, Kouri first approached her in early February 2022, claiming it was for a client’s back injury. Eric’s family said that on Valentine’s Day that year, Eric had eaten a sandwich made by Kouri and broke out in hives, which they found to be suspicious.
Carmen added that Kouri contacted her again, asking for stronger fentanyl and claimed she was paid in cash both times. However, Kouri’s defense has argued that there are no text messages or concrete proof showing any such contact between the two women. On May 18, prosecutors added additional charges related to fraud. These stemmed from the fact that life insurance policies worth $2 million had been taken out in Eric’s name, with Kouri as the sole beneficiary. There were also claims of financial discrepancies and credit card debt in his name. However, Kouri’s defense maintained that, as a real estate professional, it was common for her to take on credit and pay it off later, and that her husband was fully aware of these dealings.
Kouri Richins is Awaiting Her Sentencing in Utah Today
In September 2023, prosecutors also sought to file witness tampering charges against Kouri Richins after a letter she had written to her family surfaced. The letter, titled “Walk the Dog,” was described by her family as instructions on how to care for her pet, but prosecutors alleged that it also contained directions related to testimony for her brothers. However, the judge did not allow those charges to be filed. In March 2024, Kouri faced additional charges of attempted murder linked to the Valentine’s Day 2022 incident. She is also facing two civil lawsuits from Eric Richins’s sisters regarding his estate, which are ongoing.
Kouri’s trial started in March 2026, during which many people were called to testify. Some friends claimed that she had expressed her desire to get out of the marriage and said that it was not going to be easy. In addition to the financial motives, the prosecution was also able to show evidence of Kouri’s long-standing desire to leave her husband; it strengthened their case. She was found guilty of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud, and forgery. She is awaiting her sentencing, which is scheduled to be held in May 2026.
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