Children’s book author Kouri Richins sentenced to life in prison without parole in fatal poisoning of husband

Kouri Richins, a Utah mother who wrote a children’s book on grief after her husband’s death, was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without parole for his murder.

Judge Richard Mrazik handed down the life sentence – the most severe penalty Richins faced for her aggravated murder conviction – on what would have been her late husband’s 44th birthday.

After a weekslong trial earlier this year, an eight-person jury convicted Richins, 36, of aggravated murder for fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, in March 2022. She was also found guilty of attempted aggravated murder for trying to kill him weeks before his death, on Valentine’s Day, and insurance fraud and forgery related to his life insurance coverage.

“A person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to ever be free,” Mrazik said during the sentencing. He ordered her to serve consecutive prison sentences for her convictions on the other charges.

Richins shot a look at her defense attorney and raised her eyebrows as the judge handed down the sentence.