Mum who wrote book on grief after husband's death charged with his murder

09 May 2023 , 10:27

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Kouri and Eric Richins. Kouri has been charged with his murder

A mother-of-three who wrote a book to help children cope with death of a loved one after her husband's sudden death has now been charged with his murder.

Kouri Richins was arrested on Monday in Utah and is accused in charging documents of poisoning her husband with a lethal dose of fentanyl at their home in Kamas, a small mountain town near Park City.

Her husband, Eric Richins, died at the family home in March 2022 of a suspected overdose.

Prosecutors allege that Richins called authorities in the middle of the night to report that her husband, Eric Richins, was "cold to the touch."

Are You with Me, the children's book on how to cope with grief written by Kouri Richins who has now been charged with her husbands murder

Richins told police that she had made her husband a mixed vodka drink to celebrate him selling a home and then went to soothe one of their children to sleep in their bedroom. She later returned and upon finding her husband unresponsive, called 911.

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A medical examiner later found five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl in his system.

Richins also faces charges involving the alleged possession of GHB - a narcolepsy drug frequently used in recreational settings, including at dance clubs in addition to the murder charge.

An "unnamed acquaintance" claims to have sold her the fentanyl, police have said.

Kouri Richins at the KPCW studio in Park City, Utah, April 12, 2023. Richins was arrested on Monday, May 8, in Utah and is accused in charging documents of poisoning her husband with a lethal dose of fentanyl at their home in Kamas, a small mountain town near Park City. (AP)

Following his death Richins wrote a book to help children cope with grief titled "Are you with me?". The mother-of-three appeared on local television in Utah just two months ago to promote the picture book.

For a segment entitled "Good Things Utah," Richins called her husband's death "unexpected" and described how it sent her and her three boys reeling. For children, she said, grieving was about "making sure that their spirit is always alive in your home."

"It's - you know - explaining to my kid just because he's not present here with us physically, doesn't mean his presence isn't here with us," she told the anchors, who commended her for being an amazing mother.

Eric Richins was described as a family man and devoted husband in his obituary which said: "He loved his family unconditionally, and was a devoted son, brother, and uncle."

"Eric was a family man, who always strove to be the absolute best father and husband. He was an attentive and loving father to his three children and a devoted husband to the love of his life, and wife of nine years, Kouri."

Richins' attorney, Skye Lazaro, declined to comment on the charges.

Laura Hill