Kouri Richins Sentenced To Life Without Parole For Eric Richins’ Fentanyl-Laced Cocktail Murder

Kouri Richins was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of her husband, Eric Richins, in Park City, Utah, with Judge Richard Mrazik ruling Wednesday that she would serve the term for aggravated murder.

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Prosecutors said Richins, a 35-year-old real estate agent with a house-flipping business, convicted in March, laced Eric Richins’ cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl at their home near Park City in 2022.

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The sentencing came on what would have been Eric Richins’ 44th birthday, and Mrazik said Richins was “simply too dangerous to ever be free” when handing down the sentence.

Richins told the court she was maintaining her innocence, saying the verdict was “an absolute lie,” and she asked her sons, who were not present in court, “Please just don’t give up on me.”

In explaining the sentence, Mrazik said Richins was convicted unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt of attempting to murder Eric Richins and then “doubling down, preparing to try again and ultimately completing the act,” and he added that “a person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to ever be free.”

Richins’ attorneys said they will appeal the conviction and sentence, and defense attorney Kathryn Nester told the court she anticipated filing a motion for a new trial and appealing the conviction and sentence.

ABC News

KOMO and NewsNation both described the judge imposing the maximum sentence after the March aggravated murder conviction, while NewsNation quoted Mrazik’s reasoning that Richins’ actions caused “the absolute tragedy that has befallen Eric Richins’ sons and family.”

Richins addressed her sons during the sentencing hearing, telling them “I did not abandon you,” and she also said, “all I care about is you boys,” while prosecutors argued her children “should never worry they will one day encounter her.”

Eric Richins’ father, Eugene Richins, urged the judge to impose life without parole to protect his grandsons, saying, “This sentence is important so Eric’s three sons never have to live with the fear that the person responsible for taking their father could ever harm them again.”

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Statements read during sentencing described the sons’ fears of release, including the oldest boy, now 13, saying, “I’m afraid if she gets out, she will come after me and my brothers, my whole family.”

The Guardian reported that prosecutors’ memo said the sons would feel unsafe if their mother was ever released, and it also said Richins’ trial ended early after she waived her right to testify and her legal team rested without calling any witnesses.

Richins’ sentencing also included consecutive terms on other counts as described by the sources, with ABC News saying she was sentenced to life without parole and with the Salt Lake Tribune noting the judge sentenced her to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.