The sons of Kouri Richins told a Utah judge Wednesday that they would feel unsafe if their mother were ever released from prison, with one boy revealing new details about the night his father died as prosecutors sought a life sentence for the convicted murderer.
Background
Kouri Richins was found guilty in March of killing her husband Eric Richins by lacing his cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl at their home near Park City, Utah, in March 2022. The 35-year-old former real estate agent faced a sentencing hearing Wednesday — the same day her husband would have turned 44.
Prosecutors alleged that Richins was millions in dollars in debt and planning a future with another man when she orchestrated her husband's death. They said she had opened numerous life insurance policies on Eric without his knowledge and falsely believed she would inherit his estate worth more than $4 million after he died.
"He told his family, 'If I die, you need to take a look at her because I think she's trying to kill me,'" family spokesman Greg Skordas told "48 Hours" in a February 2024 interview. Jurors also heard evidence that Richins allegedly tried to poison Eric weeks earlier on Valentine's Day with a fentanyl-laced sandwich that caused him to black out.
The Investigation
Richins was charged with five felony convictions, including aggravated murder, along with insurance fraud, forgery and attempted murder for the earlier poisoning attempt. Court documents obtained by "48 Hours" state prosecutors alleged that Richins had asked the family housekeeper to procure fentanyl in early 2022, and the housekeeper admitted to investigators she had sold fentanyl to her.
"He wasn't an opioid user...This doesn't smell right," Skordas told "48 Hours" of Eric Richins' cause of death. The defense team's strategy centered on claiming Eric's death was accidental, but jurors rejected that narrative after hearing extensive evidence from the prosecution.
Sons' Statements
The couple's three sons — who were ages 9, 7 and 5 when their father died — submitted statements to Third District Court Judge Richard Mrazik urging a harsh sentence. The oldest child, now 13, said he does not miss his mother and fears for his safety if she is ever released.
"I'm afraid if she gets out, she will come after me and my brothers, my whole family," the teenager wrote. "I think she would come and take us and not do good things to us, like hurt us."
The family's middle child, now 11, provided particularly compelling testimony about the night of his father's death. He refuted his mother's claim that she slept in his bedroom with him on March 4, 2022. The boy described unusual circumstances from that night — being put to bed early without a bath, his parents' bedroom door being locked and the television blaring from inside.
According to court records, the boy said his mother yelled at him after he used a broom handle to try reaching a key to their bedroom, where Richins later told a 911 operator she found her husband cold to the touch. The child expressed deep sadness about losing activities with his father.
"I am sad that my dad can no longer take me camping and fishing, coach me in sports or be there for my major milestones," his statement read. "With (her) in jail, I will be able to continue to feel safe and live a happy and successful life without fear of (her) hurting me or anyone I love."
The youngest son said he feels "hateful and ashamed" when people talk about his mother because "she took away my dad." He wrote that he would be "so scared" if she were released.
"Once she is gone I will feel happy and I will feel safer and relaxed and trust people more," the boy said in court documents.
Key Takeaways
- Kouri Richins was convicted of aggravated murder and four other felonies for killing her husband Eric with fentanyl at their Utah home in March 2022
- The middle child, now 11, refuted his mother's claim about where she slept the night of his father's death, describing locked doors and unusual circumstances
- All three sons submitted statements to Judge Richard Mrazik urging he keep their mother incarcerated for life
- Richins faces either 25 years to life or life without parole on the aggravated murder conviction alone
- Prosecutors also alleged emotional and physical abuse of one child supported by Utah Division of Child and Family Services findings in sealed documents
- A separate case involving more than two dozen money-related charges remains pending against Richins
What's Next
Judge Mrazik is expected to issue his sentence following the hearing. Richins' aggravated murder conviction carries a mandatory minimum of 25 years up to life imprisonment, or an alternative sentence of life without parole. Prosecutors did not pursue the death penalty. Her separate financial fraud case has not yet gone to trial.
The family has indicated they may continue to speak publicly about their experience as advocates for victims' rights following the sentencing.