Kouri Richins, a grief author from Utah, is facing an additional charge of attempted murder after allegedly drugging her husband, Eric Richins, with a Valentine’s Day sandwich laced with a fatal dose of fentanyl. She was initially arrested on charges of aggravated murder after authorities found Eric unresponsive in their home in Kamas, Utah, with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system. The medical examiner determined that the fentanyl was illicit and not medical grade.
According to charging documents filed on Monday, this was not the first time Kouri Richins had drugged her husband. On Valentine’s Day in 2022, Eric Richins fell ill after eating a sandwich his wife brought him. He texted her saying he was not feeling well and might need to go to the hospital, but she advised him to take a nap. Later that day, he reached out to friends and told them that he had almost died after eating the sandwich, experiencing hives and needing to use an EpiPen and Benadryl.
Prosecutors allege that opioids, including fentanyl, can cause allergic reactions like hives, but Eric Richins did not have any known food allergies. They also claim that Kouri Richins purchased illicit fentanyl before Valentine’s Day and again before his death. Additionally, she has been charged with two counts of mortgage fraud, two counts of insurance fraud, and three counts of forgery. Authorities believe that Kouri Richins was experiencing financial distress at the time of her husband’s death, leading her to commit these additional crimes.
An attorney for Kouri Richins has stated that they have reviewed the charging documents and that there is nothing in them that affects her approach to defending against the charges. The attorney also stated that Kouri Richins maintains her innocence. Currently, she remains in custody awaiting trial on these charges. The case has shocked the community and raised questions about the motives and actions of Kouri Richins in relation to her husband’s death.
Friends and family of Eric Richins have been deeply affected by these allegations, with one friend hearing fear in Eric’s voice as he described almost dying after eating the sandwich. The shocking nature of the allegations, coupled with the financial fraud charges, has cast a dark shadow over the once seemingly happy marriage of Kouri and Eric Richins. As the investigation continues and the case moves toward trial, more details may emerge about the events leading up to Eric’s death and the motivations behind these alleged actions by Kouri Richins.
