Utah police have charged a widow who wrote a book on grief for children in the aftermath of her husband’s death with his murder.
Kouri Darden Richins, 33, of Summit County, was arrested Monday for allegedly poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, at their home on Willow Court in Kamas on March 4, 2022.
Richins has been charged with first-degree aggravated murder and three counts of second-degree possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
When police arrived at the home early in the morning of the day Eric died, they found him lying at the foot of the bed. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was declared dead.
Kouri told police she had made her husband a Moscow Mule, a mixed vodka drink, and served it to him in bed to celebrate the sale of her business. She also said she fell asleep in another room with one of their children who was having a nightmare.
The autopsy revealed that Eric had died of an oral overdose of fentanyl, which was five times the lethal dosage. Police also found multiple communications between Kouri and an unnamed acquaintance. The acquaintance reportedly told investigators that Kouri had asked for prescription pain medication for an investor.
Kouri also allegedly purchased fentanyl pills from the acquaintance on February 26, 2022. This was less than two weeks before Eric was found dead.
Kouri later wrote a book entitled “Are You With Me?” which was published a year after Eric’s death. The book was intended to help children cope with the death of a loved one.
In the book, Kouri dedicated it to her husband and wrote “to reassure children that although your loved one is not present, their presence always exist and they walk through life with you as if they were here.”
The couple had been married for nine years and had three children, according to an obituary. It stated that Eric had done everything he could to provide his family with opportunities to learn, grow and have fun.