Life Without Parole — On His Birthday. The Kouri Richins Case, Explained

In March 2023, Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three, published a children's picture book called "Are You With Me?" — written, she said, to help her sons grieve their father, Eric, who had died at home a year earlier. Two months later, she was arrested and charged with his murder. Eric Richins, 39, died on March 4, 2022, in Kamas, Utah. The medical examiner found a toxic amount of fentanyl and listed the manner of death as undetermined. Prosecutors said Kouri gave it to him in a Moscow mule, after a first attempt on Valentine's Day. In March 2026, a Summit County jury found her guilty on all five counts. On May 13, 2026 — Eric's birthday — she was sentenced to life without parole. She maintains her innocence and is appealing. In this video: the book, the family and the money, the night of March 3–4, 2022, the toxicology, the Valentine's Day incident, the housekeeper's testimony, the debt, the insurance and the estate, the "Walk the Dog" pages, both sides at trial, the verdict and sentencing, and the October 2026 charges against two sheriffs. This video is based on court testimony, court records and reporting from the outlets that covered the trial. Quotes are as reported. There are no crime scene photos and nothing graphic. Reconstructions and illustrative footage are labeled on screen. The children are never shown; family photos are shown as published, with the children blurred by the source. AS OF THIS VIDEO (October 13, 2026): • Kouri Richins was convicted on March 16, 2026, of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, two counts of insurance fraud and forgery, and sentenced on May 13, 2026, to life in prison without parole. She maintains her innocence. Her appeal and her request for a new trial are pending. • She also faces a separate case with 26 felony counts (including mortgage fraud and forgery). On those charges she is presumed innocent. • On Oct. 5, 2026, a judge entered a wrongful death judgment of more than $55 million against her, in a suit brought on behalf of Eric's estate. • On Oct. 7, 2026, grand jury indictments were unsealed against Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby and former Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds on obstruction-related charges connected to an anonymous letter sent before the trial. Both pleaded not guilty and are presumed innocent. UPDATE: (we will add the new-trial ruling, the appeal and any developments here and in the pinned comment) CHAPTERS 0:00 She wrote a book 1:07 Before we begin 1:46 Chapter 1 · The grieving widow 2:54 Chapter 2 · The perfect life? 4:35 Chapter 3 · The last drink 6:36 Chapter 4 · The toxicology report 8:06 Chapter 5 · Seventeen days earlier 10:24 Chapter 6 · Follow the money 12:44 Chapter 7 · The letter 14:22 Chapter 8 · The verdict 17:02 Chapter 9 · The case isn't over 19:48 End SOURCES & CREDITS • Photos: Spenser Heaps / AP (Pool); Rick Bowmer / AP (Pool); Trent Nelson / The Salt Lake Tribune (Pool); David Jackson / The Park Record (Pool); Connor Thomas / KPCW; KPCW (book pages, April 2023 photo, family photos as published, children blurred by the source); Court TV pool feed via KPCW; KTVX / ABC4 (pool feed, 2023 TV interview, booking photo from the Summit County Sheriff's Office). • Reporting: KPCW (verdict, housekeeper testimony, appeal, $55M judgment, sheriff indictments, new-trial filings) · KSL (sentencing, "Walk the Dog" filing, the "fictional book" call, disqualification ruling) · CBS News (sentencing) · CNN (trial evidence) · NBC News (Valentine's Day, estate and trust, the book) · East Idaho News (medical examiner, forensic accountant, Valentine's Day testimony) · Fox 13 (defense rests) · KATU (closing arguments) · ET (book publication date, arrest date) · ABC News (sheriff indictments). • Stock footage: Pexels (marked "illustrative footage" on screen). Nothing shown is the actual house, glass, diner or pill bottle. • Music: original score made for this video. Prosecution claims and defense arguments are labeled as such. In memory of Eric Richins (1982–2022).