Utah Children's Book Author Kouri Richins Found Guilty of Fatally Poisoning Her Husband to Bail Herself Out of Debt and Run Off With 'Secret Lover'
Kouri Richins was convicted of killing her husband after a three-week trial.
March 17 2026, Published 11:35 a.m. ET
A Utah mom who authored a children's book about grief has been convicted of causing the very tragedy she claimed to help her kids overcome, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On Monday, March 16, Kouri Richins was found guilty killing her husband, Eric Richins, in a calculated plot prosecutors said was driven by financial desperation and a secret romance.
Guilty Verdict Delivered
Prosecutors said she used fentanyl to poison Eric Richins in 2022.
After a trial that spanned roughly three weeks, jurors reached a decision in just a few hours, convicting the 35-year-old on multiple counts, including aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud and forgery.
Kouri showed little reaction as the verdict was read, appearing subdued as she learned her fate.
Prosecutors argued she deliberately laced her husband's Moscow Mule with fentanyl on March 4, 2022, killing the 39-year-old father-of-three inside their Utah home.
The fatal incident wasn’t the first time she allegedly tried to harm him.
Jurors also found that Kouri attempted to poison her husband weeks earlier, on Valentine's Day, by giving him a sandwich tainted with fentanyl.
According to testimony, the incident left Eric seriously ill, causing a severe reaction that included hives and loss of consciousness.
The jury also found she attempted to poison him weeks earlier.
Money Troubles and Secret Relationship
Authorities say mounting debt played a key role in the alleged motive.
At the center of the prosecution's case was a financial motive. Authorities said Kouri was buried under millions of dollars in debt tied to her struggling real estate ventures.
Rather than walk away from the marriage and lose access to her husband’s wealth due to a prenuptial agreement, prosecutors argued she chose a far more sinister route.
"She wanted to leave Eric Richins but did not want to leave his money," prosecutor Brad Bloodworth told jurors, according to The New York Post. "Their prenup meant if she left him, she would also leave most of his money."
They claimed she planned to access his multimillion-dollar estate after his death while continuing a relationship with Robert Josh Grossman, identified in court as her secret lover.
Robert — a handyman and military veteran — testified that Kouri had asked him if he'd ever killed anyone shortly after her husband's sudden death.
Eerie Book Written After Husband's Death
Richins later published a children's book about grief after his death.
In a twist that shocked many observers, Kouri later published a children's book, "Are You With Me?," centered on coping with grief following the loss of a parent.
The book, released about a year after Eric's death, was framed as a way to help her young sons process their emotions.
Prosecutors pointed to the publication as part of a broader effort to maintain appearances while concealing what they described as a calculated crime.
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What Happens Next?
She faces 25 years to life in prison when she is sentenced in May.
Kouri now faces a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
She is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on May 13, where a judge will determine how much time she will ultimately serve.
Her defense team previously pushed for a mistrial over concerns about the prosecution’s closing arguments, but the request was denied.
