Utah Children’s Book Author Facing Additional Charges of Witness Tampering in Connection to Husband’s Death

A Utah children’s book author is facing additional charges of witness tampering in connection to the death of her husband.

Kouri Richins, a mother of three and author of a book about coping with grief, was arrested in June for the death of her husband, Eric Richins, at their home in Klamas, Utah. Richins had called authorities in the middle of the night in March 2022 to report that her husband was “cold to the touch” and unresponsive. A medical examiner later found that he had five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl in his system.

Now, according to recently filed court documents, Richins is accused of concocting a false narrative by requesting that her brother, Ronald Darden, tell defense counsel a specific story in an attempt to link her husband’s death to his alleged purchase of drugs.

Richins’ book, “The Grieving Garden,” was released last year to help children cope with grief a year after her husband’s death.

The case is ongoing and no further details have been released. Richins is currently being held in the Salt Lake County Jail without bail. It is unclear when her trial is scheduled to begin.