The Utah grief author Kouri Richins has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after she was convicted of murdering her husband.
Richins, 35, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole during a hearing on Wednesday, May 13, according to NBC News.
She received her sentence after she was found guilty in March of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, fraud and forgery in connection to the death of her husband, Eric Richins, on March 4, 2022.
Following his death, Richins told investigators that she and her husband had been celebrating a business deal when she found him unresponsive in their home.
However, a medical examiner ultimately determined that he had five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system and that the drugs had been orally ingested. It was later concluded that Richins laced her husband’s beverage with fentanyl.
She addressed her three sons during the hearing, which came after they said in their victim impact statements that they would feel unsafe if she were to be released.
“I will never be angry at you for your feelings,” she said, adding that she had been trying to get into contact with them for years. “All I care about is you boys.”
Richins also accused her late husband’s family of being responsible for her lack of communication with her sons.
“You boys are my world, the reason I continue to wake up every day and fight to come home,” she said, per the outlet. “I promise you boys one day it will be over.”
Richins added that she has “done plenty of things I am not proud of” and told her children that “nobody is all good or all bad.” She continued, “We are not defined by our best or our worst moments.”
Additionally, she encouraged her children to always protect one another, to help others and to always prioritize their happiness. “Be like your dad,” she said through tears.
After he delivered the sentence, State District Judge Richard Mrazik said he struggled with what was best for Richins’ sons while making the decision.
“It is simply not possible for anyone, not even those young men, to know how their view of this case may evolve over the next several decades,” Mrazik said. “My hope is that every person affected by Eric Richins’ death will, over time, find their way to a state of peace.”
Richins’ attorneys added that they plan to file an appeal for a new trial, per NBC News.
Following her husband’s death, Richins became a local celebrity when she published a children’s book called Are You With Me? In the book, she opened up about her grieving process following the death.
