Utah authorities charged a 33-year-old mother Monday on suspicion that she murdered her husband last year before writing a children's book about how to cope with grief.
Kouri Richins is accused of having poisoned her husband, Eric Richins, with a lethal dose of fentanyl on March 4, 2022, after she served him an alcoholic beverage at their Kamas home in Summit County.
Police said that Eric Richins was found on the floor at the foot of the bed after they responded to a 911 call from Kouri Richins, with lifesaving measures attempted to no avail.
Months later, Kouri Richins published "Are You With Me?" — a children's book that follows the story of a boy who lost his father but is reminded of his presence — to help her three boys process the loss.
"My kids and I wrote this book on the different emotions and grieving process that we've experienced in the last year, hoping it could help other kids deal with this and kind of find happiness some way or another," Richins told ABC's KTVX 4 in April.
"It's comforting for them that they're not living this life alone," she continued. "Dad is still here, but in a different way."
But Kouri Richins is now under suspicion by law enforcement after court documents claimed she asked an acquaintance for "some of the Michael Jackson stuff" — a reference to the pop star's lethal dose of propofol he received in 2009.
Investigators also found that Kouri Richins' cell phone had been unlocked and locked several times despite her claims that she left her cell phone in her bedroom and did not take it to her child's room, with text messages sent and deleted.
She was officially arrested on charges of aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, with her attorneys remaining silent on the matter.
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