Kouri Richins, a Utah mother facing charges for allegedly murdering her husband and subsequently penning a children’s book addressing her kids’ grief, was driven by her ambitions and the financial strain from her failing business, prosecutors argued fervently during closing statements on Monday.
Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth depicted the 35-year-old Richins as both “intensely ambitious” and “unhappy” in her marriage to Eric Richins, with whom she had three young sons. Her home-flipping enterprise was drowning in $4.5 million of debt, and she allegedly sought to inherit Eric’s $4 million estate to begin a new life with her handyman lover, Bloodworth told the jury.
Residing in Kamas, Utah, a suburb of the affluent ski destination Park City, Kouri Richins is accused of poisoning Eric by lacing his Moscow Mule cocktail with fentanyl on March 4, 2022. A year later, she authored a children’s book titled “Are You With Me?” aimed at helping their sons cope with the loss, which she actively promoted through media appearances.
“She wanted to separate from Eric Richins but had no intention of leaving his wealth behind,” Bloodworth stated, highlighting that their prenuptial agreement significantly limited her financial gain in the event of a divorce.
Bloodworth further illuminated Kouri’s feelings of resentment, attributing them to a challenging upbringing marked by her father’s incarcerations due to alcohol issues and her mother’s gambling habits that kept her occupied in casinos.
The prosecutor explained that Kouri felt “aggrieved” because of her troubled upbringing — with her drunk dad landing in jail and her hard-gambling mom spending her time in casinos.
She also felt insecure about her social standing because of her time as a housecleaner for rich people.
So she “carefully curated the facade of a privileged, affluent, successful business owner,” Bloodworth argued.
But “behind the facade, Kouri Richins was incompetent,” the prosecutor alleged. “She took tremendous risks. She borrowed money by any means necessary at exorbitant rates. She gambled other people’s money and lost. Her business was imploding.”
“She was a risk taker,” Bloodworth said. “There was a way forward. Eric had to die.”
Kouri has been on trial for the past three weeks on charges of aggravated murder and related crimes for which she faces up to 25 years behind bars.
She’s pleaded not guilty.
