Utah Mother Who Wrote Children’s Book About Grief Accused of Husband’s Murder

A Utah mother who wrote a children’s book about how to cope with grief after her husband’s death last year is now accused of his murder.

Kouri Richins, 33, was taken into custody on Monday on charges of aggravated murder, and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

Summit County sheriff’s deputies responded to the home after Richins called 911 to report finding her husband, Eric Richins, unresponsive in their bedroom, according to a probable cause statement.

The statement alleges that Richins served her husband a celebratory Moscow Mule containing a lethal dose of fentanyl. Richins’ husband died at their Kamas home, about 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, on March 4, 2022.

“That is when the defendant called 911,” the documents state.

Richins is currently being held in the Summit County Jail without bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for April 15.

The case has shocked the small community of Kamas, where Richins and her husband had lived for several years. Richins had written a children’s book about how to cope with grief after her husband’s death, and had been active in the local community.

The investigation is ongoing, and no further information has been released at this time.