A Utah woman is now facing another attempted murder charge for allegedly drugging her husband weeks before fatally poisoning him in 2022. Kouri Richins, accused of killing her husband with a lethal dose of fentanyl in their mountain town near Park City, has been charged with an earlier attempt on his life on Valentine’s Day.
According to newly filed charging documents by Summit County prosecutors, the months leading up to Eric Richins’ death were fraught with suspicion as he navigated his wife’s secretive financial transactions and illicit drug purchases that were later discovered in his system.
The case of the once-beloved author who published a children’s book about grief has captured the attention of true-crime enthusiasts. Richins self-published “Are You With Me?” – an illustrated storybook about a father watching over his son with angel wings after his death. The book, once praised for helping children cope with loss, now serves as evidence in the prosecution’s argument of a premeditated murder plot.
Attorney Skye Lazaro, representing Kouri Richins, has not yet commented on the new charges. Lazaro previously argued that the evidence against her client was weak and circumstantial during early court hearings.
The prosecution alleges that Richins attempted to poison her husband the month prior to his death, and details of the suspected murder plot have emerged. Witness statements and deleted text messages suggest that she purchased fentanyl pills while also buying a sandwich for her husband that led to a severe allergic reaction on Valentine’s Day.
Further investigations reveal a troubling pattern of suspicious behavior leading up to Eric Richins’ death, with financial irregularities and life insurance policies opened without his knowledge. Charges of mortgage and insurance fraud have been issued against Kouri Richins for allegedly forging documents and misappropriating funds posthumously.
The case has taken a sinister turn with suspicions of potential involvement from Kouri Richins’ mother in orchestrating Eric Richins’ death. Lisa Darden, the mother, is under scrutiny for her proximity to suspicious deaths in the past, raising questions about her possible role in the alleged murder plot.
As the investigation unfolds, no charges have been brought against Lisa Darden, leaving a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the tragic events that led to Eric Richins’ untimely death.