- Kouri Richins was sentenced to life without parole for her husband's murder.
- Her sons expressed fear of their mother in statements read during the sentencing hearing, and Eric Richins' family members talked about how his loss has impacted them.
- Kouri Richins shared advice to her sons, and her family members said they believe the jury's verdict was incorrect.
PARK CITY — Kouri Richins was ordered Wednesday to spend the rest of her life in prison without the possibility of parole for the poisoning death of her husband, Eric Richins.
Anyone who committed such acts as she did for financial gain "is simply too dangerous to ever be free," 3rd District Court Judge Richard Mrazik said in sentencing her.
Eric Richins would have turned 44 on Wednesday. His father, sisters and brother-in-law spoke at the sentencing hearing before Kouri Richins tearfully read aloud a lengthy letter she had written to their three sons.
She was convicted in March of killing Eric Richins on March 4, 2022. She was not arrested or charged until over a year after his death, and during that time, she hired a ghostwriter to help her publish a children's book about dealing with grief.
Her life sentence on Wednesday was for aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, but Kouri Richins was also ordered to serve consecutive prison time for attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; insurance fraud, a second-degree felony; and forgery, a third-degree felony.
Mrazik said his decision was based on "the best information available today," saying it is unknown what the potential impact will be on survivors. He mentioned her three boys, who may not know how their views might change over the next few decades. He said he hopes all affected by the death will "find their way to a state of peace."
Deputy Summit County attorney Brad Bloodworth said a person like Kouri Richins "should never again lurk among the rest of us. Her children should never worry that they may one day encounter her."
'If she got out, I would be so scared'
Statements from the Richins' three sons, read during the sentencing by their counselors, expressed fears of their mother.
Her oldest son, who was 9 when his dad was killed, said, "I'm afraid if she gets out, she will come after me and my brothers, my whole family. I think she would come and take us and not do good things to us, like hurt us. ... I miss my dad, but I do not miss how my life used to be, I don't miss Kouri, I will tell you that."
The boy claimed his mother threatened to kill his lizard, did not care for their animals, was always drunk and would lock him in his room.
"I think Kouri should get a life sentence because what she did is very sick," his statement read.
Her youngest son was also quoted as saying, "I want her to go to prison forever. If she got out, I would be so scared; really mad, and I wouldn't want to go with her anywhere. I'm worried that she would take me away from Katie and Clint. Once she is gone, I will feel happy, and I will feel safer and relaxed and trust people more."
The middle son's statement said Richins "took everything away" from the boys, and that he would feel safe and live a happy life if she were in prison.
"You took away my dad for no reason other than greed, and you only cared about yourself and your stupid boyfriends," he wrote.
Eric Richins' father, Eugene Richins, said the loss left a permanent hole in their family and the community. His son will not get to cheer his sons on from the sidelines as they grow up.
"He was a light to his sons, to the boys he coached and to our entire community — a light that was taken way too soon," Eugene Richins said.
He and Eric Richins' sisters asked that Kouri Richins never be allowed parole so her sons wouldn't have to be afraid.
'Kouri gave the boys permanent trauma'
The three boys are being cared for by Katie and Clint Benson, Eric Richins' sister and brother-in-law. Prosecutors asked the judge to order Kouri Richins not to contact any of the Richins family, and to pay their office over $1 million and another million in restitution to insurance companies, though the judge did not order any restitution to be made.
Katie Benson said her brother would anticipate his boys' needs and planned for them. She and Amy Richins both said they begged him to get divorced, especially after he believed his wife had attempted to poison him, but he stayed to protect his boys.
"They have to go through life without their dad because their mother planned and carried out his murder. She could not have done anything more selfish or more cruel to those boys. In the place of a stable, secure and loving home, Kouri gave the boys permanent trauma," she said.
According to Benson, the boys were awake that morning and knew something had happened to their dad — something no child should need to go through. She asked Mrazik not to leave those boys wondering whether their mother would track them down.
"There is nothing Kouri will not do and no one she will not hurt to achieve her own selfish ends. I am not the only one that is afraid, there are three little boys who instead of fearing those who love and adore them as Kouri would prefer worry constantly, constantly, that Kouri might show up one day and take them away. Eric's sons deserve so much better. They are not bargaining chips, they are not cash cows, they are not props for some twisted children's book about grief and loss. And yet that is what they've been reduced to by Kouri," she said.
Richins looked over at her attorneys and widened her eyes during multiple comments from Katie Benson and Amy Richins as Katie Benson accused her of threatening her daughters and of sending a threatening text from a burner phone.
'Worthy of mercy'
Defense attorney Kathryn Nester said all Richins has left is "love for her boys."
"Everything else she has ever held dear in her life has been stripped from her. It is her hope that in openly and honestly sharing her love and hopes and dreams for her boys with you that you will see what it is inside of her that is worth saving, that is worthy of mercy," Nester said.
Richins used her time before the court to share a message for her sons, saying she recognizes they don't want to speak to her now, but wants them to understand she did not abandon them.
"I will use any opportunity I can to get a message to you, even if that means sharing it publicly to the world, fully restrained, in my jail clothes in one of the most horrible situations possible. I don't care, and I'm not embarrassed or ashamed by any of it. All I care about is you boys. I will do whatever it takes for you to hear the truth from me and to come home to you," she said.
Her side of the family fought a "long, hard battle for custody," which was ignored, Richins said.
"I know that right now you may not believe me, that you believe I took dad from you, and that's OK. I still will always love you. I'm asking that you please just don't give up on me. I'm coming home, not today, not this year, but we're going to make this right. Our justice system will get this right, although this courtroom can't seem to," Kouri Richins said.
She told the boys that she and their father had hidden things from each other and had fallen in love with others, and warned them not to keep secrets and to put their spouses first.
"Marriage is hard. Marriage takes work. Marriage takes love, big love, deep love," she said. "Your love is all you need to ignore the noise, your love never fails. Sometimes your dad would want to throw in the towel in our marriage, but we never did. We always found our way back to each other. … Our love never failed."
Richins said she could not give the boys the answers they wanted because she did not have them.
"I will and have always prioritized your safety. I am your mother, and that is my job. And for anyone to scare you otherwise is just cruel and heartless. I'm sorry that eight people from a jury, who have never met you or me, or our family, have the right to determine our future. In a perfect world, there might be justice," she said.
Lewis argued that a sentence of life without parole is only for the most heinous crimes, saying only 72 inmates are serving that sentence now. She gave examples of murders she felt were more heinous, where the person convicted was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
She said Richins is different from her many other clients. This is the first time the attorney said a client was convicted who she believes is innocent. According to Lewis, giving a sentence that allows parole would give a "pathway for forgiveness."
"Don't allow their statements at age 9, 12 and 13 to become another tragedy, another trauma that they … may end up suffering as adults," she said about the boys' comments.
Kouri Richins' family maintains her innocence
Multiple people spoke on behalf of Richins, most through pre-written statements read by attorneys, including family, friends, investors who lost money after her arrest, people who worked with her at the jail and people who didn't know her but had personal experiences with sentences of life without parole. Some asked to have their names kept private.
"Kouri is more than the worst day of her life. She is a mother who has devoted herself to her children since the day they were born," her mother, Lisa Darden, said in a statement read by defense attorney Wendy Lewis.
The statement said she does not believe her daughter committed the crimes, or could have done so, and the jury's conclusion was wrong.
Richins was in tears as her brother, Ronnie Darden, said he misses her "constantly."
"We don't with 100% certainty know what happened to Eric, no one does, but we do know with 100% certainty that it wasn't caused by you. We know it, the police know it, the prosecution knows it and everyone watching this trial knows it. They cannot prove their theory," he said.
Mrazik found he did not have the authority to grant a continuous protective order in the case forbidding Richins from contacting her sons or Eric Richins' family members, as prosecutors requested, noting he didn't "like that result." He clarified that the juvenile court may be able to place restrictions on her contact with her children.
"It very well may be that this is not the result the Legislature intended, and I would encourage the Legislature … to fill this gap explicitly, but they haven't done it yet," he said.
Nester said they plan to file a motion for a new trial and to appeal the case.
Watch the sentencing here:
