Kouri Richins, the author of a children’s book about grief accused of fatally poisoning her husband last year, allegedly took out nearly $2 million in life insurance prior to his death, according to new county records.
The Summity County Attorney’s Office in Utah filed an amended complaint against Richins, a mother of three, Thursday.
The new complaint states that between 2015 and 2017, Richins purchased four different life insurance policies on her husband Eric Richins’ life totaling more than $1.9 million.
Eric “did not know” about the various life insurance policies, according to the new charging document.
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Shortly before his death, Eric took Kouri off his will and made his sister the beneficiary instead, according to investigators. His family told authorities he had been in fear for his life after Kouri allegedly tried to poison him once several years ago in Greece and again on Valentine’s Day 2022.
An obituary for Eric Richins describes him as an “avid outdoorsman and dedicated hunter.” He enjoyed helping his family’s cattle ranch and growing his “successful” masonry business. The obituary also describes him as a dedicated family man. (Facebook/ Kouri Richins)
On Valentine’s Day of 2022, Kouri allegedly made Eric a sandwich and left it on the seat of his truck with a “love note,” the new charging document states. Eric ate the sandwich and then broke out in hives and had trouble breathing. He was able to administer his son’s EpiPen to himself and survived.
Utah children’s book author Kouri Richins had a contentious relationship with her husband wrought with financial disagreements before she allegedly killed him with fentanyl. (TownLift, Will Scadden/Facebook)
Eric apparently thought the home was too expensive, his family told investigators.
Kouri, who owns a real estate company, is accused of poisoning Eric with a Moscow Mule spiked with fentanyl, an opioid that is lethal in small doses, while they were celebrating a home sale March 3, 2022.
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The next day, Kouri allegedly closed a deal on the Wasatch County mansion “alone,” after her husband was pronounced dead.
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That same day, she apparently hosted a “large party at her home where she was drinking and celebrating,” another warrant says. She also hired a locksmith that day to open Eric’s safe, which contained up to $165,000, according to the new charging document.
After Eric’s death, Kouri wrote a children’s book about death, “Are You With Me?”
A description for the book, which was listed on Amazon for $14.99, states that “Are You With Me?” is “a must-read for any child who has experienced the pain of loss, and for parents who want to provide their children with the emotional support they need to heal and grow.”