Kouri Richins, a grief author, convicted of killing her husband with poison to inherit his $4M estate after three hours of discussion.

Utah Author Convicted of Husband’s Murder

Cori Richens, a children’s author from Utah, was found guilty on Monday of poisoning her husband as part of a scheme to start anew with her handyman lover while absolving herself of significant debts totaling around $4 million.

After about three hours of deliberation, a jury in Park City delivered the verdict following a three-week trial. Prosecutors painted Richens as a self-centered individual who spiked her husband Eric’s Moscow Mule with a deadly amount of fentanyl on March 4, 2022.

Richens, a mother of three who had previously written a book addressing children’s grief caused by murder, appeared defeated as the guilty verdict was announced. She faced charges that included aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud, and forgery.

In addition to her husband’s murder, she was convicted of attempting to poison another man with a sandwich laced with fentanyl on Valentine’s Day, which resulted in the man experiencing hives and losing consciousness, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth argued vigorously that Richens concocted a malevolent plan to collect Eric’s fortune amidst her business’s financial turmoil, revealing that her house-flipping business was $4.5 million in debt at the time.

Richens, who resided with her family in Camas, adjacent to the upscale ski resort of Park City, presented herself as a successful entrepreneur, but Bloodworth described her as an “incompetent” business owner.

He stated, “The way forward” for her was through her husband’s death. Following the poisoning, Richens questioned her lover, Robert Josh Grossman, a 43-year-old Iraq war veteran, about whether he had ever killed anyone.

This inquiry came shortly after Eric’s unexpected passing in March 2022, as testified by Grossman. A year after the poisoning incident, Richens authored and promoted a children’s book titled “Are You With Me?” aimed at helping her sons cope with their father’s loss.

“She wanted to end her marriage to Eric Richens but was intent on keeping his money,” Bloodworth explained to the jury, adding that a prenuptial agreement would have left her financially vulnerable if they split up.

Throughout the prosecution’s closing arguments, Richens displayed a range of emotions, from furrowed brows and smiles to moments of panic as she engaged with her defense team.

Her attorney, Kathy Nester, sought a mistrial claim, arguing that the prosecution had made an error during closing statements, but Judge Richard Mrajczyk dismissed the motion.