2023-05-09 13:58:13
A Utah widow who wrote a children’s book regarding grief over her husband’s death was finally charged with his murder a year later.
Kouri Darden Richins, 33, a mother of three, was arrested on Monday for allegedly poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, at their home in Kamas on March 4, 2022, local broadcaster KUTV reports.
She is charged with aggravated first-degree murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, police officials said.
Eric Richins was found lying at the foot of the bed in the night around 3:20 a.m.
“Resuscitation maneuvers were attempted, but Eric Richins was pronounced dead at the scene,” according to court documents.
The woman allegedly told police that she had prepared an alcoholic cocktail for her husband, a Moscow Mule, and served him in bed to celebrate the sale of a house for his business. She then allegedly told investigators that she had fallen asleep with one of the children because he was having a nightmare.
“She said she woke up around 3am and came back to the master bedroom. She felt that her husband was cold to the touch. It was then that the now accused called 911,” the documents say.
She allegedly lied in a statement that she left her cell phone in the master bedroom, but phone records show the device was used multiple times in the child’s bedroom.
“Additionally, cellular data shows that messages were sent and received during this time. These messages have been deleted,” according to court documents, KSL-TV reports.
Her husband died of an oral overdose of fentanyl. He would have swallowed five times the fatal dose, according to the coroner in charge of the investigation.
Anonymous acquaintance
The police discovered multiple communications between her and an “anonymous acquaintance”. This acquaintance was also questioned, and she faces charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, among other things.
The woman allegedly first requested painkillers from this acquaintance “for an investor” between December 2021 and February 2022, which she allegedly bought from him.
On February 14, 2022, the couple hosted a Valentine’s Day dinner during which her husband “became very ill,” a probable cause statement cited by KUTV.
The man thought he had been poisoned. He even mentioned it to a friend.
A few weeks following her husband’s death, Kouri Darden Richins wrote a children’s book regarding grief. She even promoted it on a local TV channel.
The book was published on March 5 almost a year to the day following the death of her spouse, whom she even quoted in the dedication.
According to an obituary, the couple had been married for nine years and had three children.
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