Author’s Grief Book: A Sinister Cover-Up?

A grieving children’s author allegedly poisoned her husband with fentanyl in a Moscow Mule, then penned a book exploiting her own kids’ loss to mask a money grab.

Story Snapshot

Kouri Richins faces murder trial for lacing husband’s drink with lethal fentanyl dose in 2022.
Self-published grief book “Are You with Me?” months later, promoted as heartfelt while hiding alleged scheme.
$4.5 million debt, secret $2 million life insurance policies fuel prosecution’s financial motive.
Trial underway in Summit County, Utah; no fentanyl found in home challenges prosecutors.
Multiple poisoning attempts alleged, including Valentine’s Day sandwich incident.

Eric Richins Dies After Moscow Mule Celebration

Eric Richins collapsed in his Summit County home on March 4, 2022. Kouri Richins dialed 911 before dawn, reporting her husband stopped breathing. Prosecutors claim she spiked his Moscow Mule cocktail with five times a lethal fentanyl dose that night. The couple argued over a $2 million mansion flip deal hours earlier, though Kouri insisted they toasted success. Autopsy confirmed massive fentanyl levels in Eric’s system. This death launched a probe into her actions.

Prior Poisoning Attempt on Valentine’s Day

February 2022 marked the first alleged attempt. Prosecutors say Kouri laced Eric’s sandwich with fentanyl, triggering hives, blackout, and hospitalization. Eric recovered then but grew suspicious of her intentions. No charges followed immediately, yet this incident bolsters the premeditation case. Kouri maintained innocence throughout investigations. Eric’s painkiller dependency emerged later as defense counterpoint. Timeline reveals calculated steps toward his demise.

Financial Motive Drives Prosecution Case

Kouri Richins drowned in $4.5 million debt, facing creditor lawsuits and negative bank balances. She secretly bought life insurance policies on Eric totaling $2 million without his knowledge. Prosecutors argue she eyed his $4 million estate to sustain her lavish Park City facade. Texts to affair partner Robert Josh Grossman revealed dreams of divorce riches and remarriage. Summit County DA Brad Bloodworth calls it a money-fueled murder for fresh start. Facts align with classic greed-driven homicide.

Housekeeper Carmen Lauber testified she sold fentanyl to Kouri multiple times. Her supplier’s recanted story—claiming only OxyContin sales—weakens this link. No fentanyl residue appeared in the Richins home despite repeated alleged uses. Defense highlights Eric’s opioid requests to Kouri, suggesting accidental overdose. These gaps demand jury scrutiny on common-sense proof burdens.

Grief Book Emerges as Cover-Up Evidence

Months after Eric’s death, Kouri self-published “Are You With Me?” A children’s tale on loss and healing, starring her three sons as protagonists. She pitched it on local TV and radio as therapeutic response to tragedy. Prosecutors deem it calculated deception to craft sympathetic image amid mounting suspicions. This irony underscores exploitation of family pain for reputation and sales. Publishing grief narratives demands ethical vetting, especially under legal clouds.

Trial opened February 24, 2026, in Summit County courtroom packed with camped-out spectators. Bloodworth vowed evidence proves monetary murder. Defense attacked witness credibility and evidence voids. Kouri’s mother Lisa Darden proclaims total faith in innocence. Expected wrap by March 26 tests circumstantial claims against hard facts. Children bear heaviest toll amid public glare.