Kouri Richins, the Utah children's book author accused of killing her husband, has been found guilty of murder
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Richins was accused of lacing her husband's drink with a lethal dose of fentanyl
A friend testified Richins said she "was feeling trapped" in her marriage before the murder
Kouri Richins, the children's book author accused of killing her husband Eric, has been found guilty of murder.
Richins, 35, was accused of lacing her husband's Moscow Mule with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in March 2022.
On Monday, March 16, Kouri was found guilty of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, as well as two counts of falsifying insurance claims and forgery, according toThe New York Times.
The verdict was read after the jury deliberated for three hours, which found that the attempted homicide was committed for financial gain. The weeks-long trial began on Feb. 23, and the prosecution called 40 witnesses, while her defense team did not call any,CBS Newsreports.
Richins now faces 25 years to life in prison. Her sentencing was scheduled for May 13, which would have been Eric's 44th birthday,The Salt Lake Tribunereports.
Prosecutors alleged the mother of three, who had started a house-flipping business, was millions in debt, per theAssociated Press. Believing she would be the beneficiary of life insurance policies on her husband that would cover her debt, Richins, who wrotea children's book about her husband's death, allegedly laced his drink with the opioid, prosecutors argued.
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During the trial, Richins friend Becky Lloyd testified that Richins told her less than three months before Eric died that "she was feeling trapped; she was feeling like there wasn't an easy way forward out of her marriage," per theSalt Lake Tribune.
Richins allegedly also said "in many ways, it would be better if he were dead," according to theTribune.
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Also testifying was Richins' ex-boyfriend Robert Josh Grossman, who told the jury that he began a romantic relationship with Richins in early 2020 after he moved to Utah for a job working with her. Richins allowed him to stay at a home she was flipping, he testified, perNBC News.
Prosecutors showed the jury texts between the former lovers.
In one text exchange prior to Eric's death, Richins allegedly texted Grossman, "If I was divorced right now and ask you to marry me tomorrow, you would?"
"Yes. In Love with Y O U! Of course I would," he responded, perKSL.
"If he could just go away and you could just be here! Life would be so perfect!!!" she allegedly texted a few days later.
Richins' search history allegedly showed she searched "what is a lethal.dose.of.fetanayl (sic)," "luxury prisons for the rich America" and "if someone is poisned (sic) what does it go down on the death certificate as," per a digital forensic analyst, according toAP.
Defense attorneys argued that Eric had access to drugs from a previous trip to Mexico and that there was no fentanyl found in the house, per theTribune.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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