Children’s Book Author Convicted of Murdering Husband

A Utah jury delivered a swift and devastating verdict Monday, convicting children’s book author Kouri Richins of murdering her husband in a case that stunned the nation and exposed what prosecutors called a cold, calculated scheme fueled by greed and deception.

After a three-week trial, jurors needed only hours to find the 35-year-old mother guilty on multiple counts, including aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud, and forgery. The case has quickly become one of the most disturbing domestic crimes in recent years—especially given the image Richins projected to the public.

Authorities say behind that image was a carefully hidden motive.

Prosecutors told the court Richins poisoned her husband, Eric Richins, a 39-year-old father of three, with fentanyl inside their Utah home on March 4, 2022. According to testimony, she laced his drink—a Moscow Mule—with the deadly substance.

“This was not an accident. This was not a mistake,” lead prosecutor Brad Bloodworth told jurors. “This was a deliberate act driven by money and control.”

The courtroom heard that the fatal poisoning wasn’t her first attempt.

Just weeks earlier, on Valentine’s Day, Richins allegedly tried to kill her husband by spiking a sandwich with fentanyl. Eric survived that incident—but suffered a severe reaction, including hives and loss of consciousness.

Investigators say that failed attempt only set the stage for what came next.

At the center of the case was a financial crisis prosecutors described as spiraling out of control. Richins was reportedly drowning in millions of dollars of debt tied to failed real estate deals.

Rather than leave her marriage, prosecutors argued, she chose a more sinister path.

“She wanted out,” Bloodworth said. “But she didn’t want to walk away from the money.”

According to court testimony, a prenuptial agreement would have prevented her from accessing her husband’s wealth in a divorce. Prosecutors said that reality became the turning point.

They also revealed Richins was involved in a secret relationship with another man, identified in court as Robert Josh Grossman, a handyman and military veteran.

Grossman testified that shortly after Eric’s death, Richins asked him a chilling question: whether he had ever killed anyone.

The jury appeared unmoved by the defense’s arguments. Richins showed little emotion as the verdict was read.

But what shocked many Americans even more came after the killing.

Roughly a year following her husband’s death, Richins published a children’s book titled Are You With Me?, focused on helping kids cope with the loss of a parent. She promoted it as a tool to guide her own children through grief.

Prosecutors painted a very different picture.

They argued the book was part of an effort to maintain a carefully crafted public image—while hiding what they described as a calculated and premeditated crime.

The case has reignited national debate about trust, family, and the growing opioid crisis—particularly the deadly misuse of fentanyl, which continues to devastate communities across America.

Now, with President Donald Trump back in office in 2026 and renewed focus on cracking down on fentanyl trafficking and crime, cases like this are likely to draw even greater scrutiny.

Richins is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13. She faces 25 years to life in prison.

For Eric Richins’ family, the verdict brings a measure of justice—but not closure.

“This was a betrayal at the highest level,” one courtroom observer said. “A husband lost his life. Three children lost their father. And it all traces back to greed.”