Eric Richins Obituary, Death – Kouri D. Richins was arrested Monday by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office for the murder of her husband, Eric Richins. The 33-year-old faces one first-degree felony count of aggravated murder and three second-degree felony counts of possession with intent to distribute a dangerous drug. According to a police search warrant, Eric Richins died of a Fentanyl overdose on March 4, 2022. The Richins family is one of Summit County’s oldest and largest. Sheldon Richins was a famous member, and the Summit County Richins Building in Kimball Junction is named after him. Kouri informed deputies that she and her husband were planning a celebration the night of March 3. She stated that Eric took a shot of wine and a THC gummy. Kouri stated that she went to bed in their children’s room that night and returned to Eric at 3 a.m. When she noticed he was cold and wasn’t breathing, she dialed 911.
However, Eric’s family members told detectives shortly after his death that they suspected Kouri of murdering him. The warrants state that “he warned them that if anything happened to him, she was to blame.” Kouri claimed to have given CPR to Eric, but fire and EMS personnel believed that was implausible due to blood coming from his mouth. When asked where Eric’s drugs were during CPR, warrants allege she stated she didn’t know since “the maid just puts medications in random places.” Kouri stated her spouse had a pain pill addiction in high school but has since had no substance misuse problems. Friends and family told police they saw no signs of drug usage, and no pain relievers were located in the family’s house.
Investigators acquired search warrants that outline the unusual circumstances surrounding the killing. One of Eric’s two sisters informed investigators that he called her from Greece a few years ago. While on vacation with Kouri, a drink she served him made him terribly ill. Eric, according to his sister, believed Kouri tried to kill him. Eric and his business partner Cody Wright have a shared life insurance coverage. C&E Stone Masonry was run by the two men. According to the warrant, Kouri modified the two men’s life insurance policy in January 2022. She withdrew them as each other’s beneficiaries and made herself the lone beneficiary of the policy.
When the insurance company informed the guys about the change, they were able to reverse it. According to court documents, Eric had an allergic reaction after supper with Kouri on Valentine’s Day 2022. After using his son’s EpiPen and ingesting Benadryl, he broke out in hives, couldn’t breathe, and passed out. When Eric awoke, he called Wright to inform him of what had occurred. According to court documents, Kouri acquired $900 in fentanyl pills from a friend a few days before their supper. Two weeks later, she requested another $900, and Eric died of an overdose shortly after.
Eric changed the beneficiary of his will and power of attorney before his death, replacing Kouri with his sister. According to the warrant, he didn’t tell Kouri about the change because he feared Kouri would “kill him for the money” and wanted their children to be financially secure. According to the warrants, he intended to file for divorce, but he died before the proceedings could begin. According to the warrants, Kouri discovered she had been left out of the will during a party at the family home on March 5, a day after Eric died. The couple had a falling out over a $2 million home that Kouri, a realtor, wanted to buy. According to the warrants, she intended to “flip” it, but Eric thought it was too pricey.
Eric was going to tell Kouri they weren’t buying the house, according to family members. But it was that same purchase, according to Kouri, that the couple was celebrating the night he died. The day after Eric’s death, Kouri closed on the house. On the same day, she brought friends to her home for what a search warrant described as “a large party at her home where she was drinking and celebrating.” According to the warrant, she “assaulted” Eric’s sister, who arrived at the house. “Up until that point, according to the family, Kouri had no idea she had been replaced in the will, and Eric’s sister was put in charge of his estate, including the home, which made her financially unstable,” according to the warrant.
Kouri sued Eric’s sister for control of his estate on March 28, just a few weeks after his death. She says the money, family home, and other assets are hers under their prenuptial agreement. In her response to Kouri’s complaint, Eric’s sister references a pending homicide prosecution. It is unclear how a criminal case will effect civil procedures, although Utah does have a Slayer statute that prohibits murders from benefitting from their crimes. On March 7, almost a year to the day after Eric’s death, Kouri released a children’s book called “Are you with me?”
A few weeks later, she contacted KPCW to arrange up an interview to promote the book, which she described as “designed to offer comfort and solace to young minds.” It depicts Eric with angel wings and a halo, guarding their youngest child as they grow up. In April, she told KPCW that the song “Are you with me?” was inspired by her own children’s inquiries. “You know, ‘Is dad with us?'” she wondered. “Because they’re dealing with the sadness of knowing he’s not here right now.” During the conversation, she revealed plans to release sequels. “Mom, how far away is heaven?” was the next title in the works, as well as a book for teenage girls dealing with loss and husbands who had lost their wives.
Kouri shared a photo clip of herself and Eric on Facebook on Friday. “Life is so damn difficult without you here!” “The cards I’ve been dealt just seem like a game that can’t [sic] be played,” read the caption. Kouri Richins is being jailed without bond in 3rd District Court on state criminal charges. A detention hearing has been scheduled for May 19 by Judge Richard Mrazik. It will assist the judge decide whether Kouri should be imprisoned while her case is being heard in court.
