Utah mom Kouri Richins, who wrote a popular children’s book about grief after allegedly killing her husband with fentanyl, has now been charged with serving him a poisoned sandwich on Valentine’s Day, just weeks before his death.
A month before he succumbed to a fentanyl overdose in March 2022, 39-year-old Eric Richins chillingly told a friend, “I think my wife tried to poison me,” according to new court documents filed on Monday.
Eric allegedly made the startling claim after taking a single bite of his favorite sandwich – left with a note in front seat of his truck on Feb. 14 – that made him break out in hives and black out, Summit County prosecutors alleged as they charged his widow, 33-year-old Kouri Richins, with several new criminal counts, including attempted murder.
His wife had bought the sandwich from a diner in the city of Kamas and left it for Eric, the documents stated.
After trying the food, Eric texted Kouri saying he was not feeling well and was considering going to the hospital. His wife, who was not home, allegedly told him he should take a nap, according to the filings.
Later that day, Eric contacted two of his close friends, telling one of them, “you almost lost me,” and describing how he had to stick himself with his son’s EpiPen and chug a bottle of Benadryl to counteract his severe allergic reaction, the documents stated.
“Eric Richins told Witness 1 that he had almost died,” according to the charging papers, referring to the friend. “Witness 1 could hear the fear in Eric Richins’ voice and tell that Eric Richins was scared.”
The victim, who had no known food allergies, also allegedly told his pals he felt like he was going to die and that his wife might be to blame.
Fentanyl can cause severe allergic reactions, including hives, according to the documents.
Kouri allegedly bought the sandwich for her husband of nine years the same week she purchased several dozen fentanyl pills, according to witness statements and deleted text messages that were recovered by cops.
The star witness for the prosecution, a housekeeper who claims to have sold the grief author the drugs, told the police that she gave Kouri the pills a couple days before Valentine’s Day.
Later that month, Kouri allegedly told the housekeeper that the pills she provided were not strong enough and asked her to find stronger fentanyl for her, according to the charging papers.
On March 4, 2022, Kouri called 911 in the middle of the night to report that she had found her husband “cold to the touch” at the foot of their bed, according to the police report.
Eric was pronounced dead, and a medical examiner later found five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl in his system.
“One or two pills might be accidental. Twenty — or five times the lethal dose — is not accidental. That is someone who wants Eric dead,” Summit County Chief Prosecutor Patricia Cassell said.
Kouri allegedly killed her husband with a fentanyl-laced Moscow mule cocktail. A year later, she published an illustrated book teaching children about grief, “Are You With Me?”
Around the time of his death, Kouri and Eric were allegedly having marital problems and squabbling about a multimillion-dollar mansion she purchased as an investment.
Years earlier, the mom-of-three opened numerous life insurance policies on Eric without his knowledge, with benefits totaling nearly $2 million, prosecutors alleged.
On Monday, she was charged with forgery, mortgage fraud and insurance fraud for allegedly falsifying loan applications and fraudulently claiming insurance benefits after her husband’s death.
Prosecutors argued that the cash-strapped Kouri mistakenly believed she would inherit her husband’s estate under terms of their prenuptial agreement. Newly released documents indicated she had a bank account balance in the red, owed lenders more than $1.8 million and was being sued by a creditor.
In October 2020, after he discovered that his wife made some major financial decisions without his knowledge, Eric met with a divorce attorney and an estate planner, the documents stated.
Under the couple’s prenup, Kouri could only profit off her husband’s successful stone masonry business if he died while they were still married.
Kouri has been jailed since last year on charges of first-degree aggravated murder and second-degree possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, which she has denied.
With Post wires
