Mom Accused In Husband's Poisoning Death Secretly Took Out $2M Insurance Policy: Sources

KAMAS, UT — A Utah woman who was charged with her husband's murder after writing a children's book on grief is now accused of secretly taking out nearly $2 million in life insurance policies on him, NBC News reported Friday, citing a Thursday court filing.

Kouri Richins, 33, is charged with first-degree criminal homicide after prosecutors said she poisoned her husband, Eric Richins, with a lethal dose of fentanyl at their home in Kamas in March, according to court documents. She is also charged with multiple counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Between 2015 and 2017, without her husband's knowledge, Kouri Richins bought at least four life insurance policies on him totaling nearly $2 million, NBC News reported, citing the filing.

In September 2020, Eric Richins found out that his wife had obtained and spent a $250,000 home equity line of credit on their home in Kamas, had withdrawn at least $100,000 from his bank accounts, and spent over $30,000 on his credit cards, according to documents obtained by the outlet.

The filing states that the following month, Eric Richins consulted a divorce lawyer and an estate planning lawyer. At that time, unbeknownst to his wife, he changed his will, formed a living trust, placed his estate under the control of his sister Katie Richins-Benson, and designated the trust as the beneficiary of his $500,000 life insurance policy, according to NBC News.

The charges against Kouri Richins come months after she self-published "Are you with me?" — an illustrated storybook about a young boy wondering about his father's presence in his life after the father dies.

Eric Richins was found dead by authorities on March 4, according to a probable cause statement. Prosecutors said Richins called 911 after discovering her husband's unresponsive body was "cold to the touch."

According to prosecutors, Kouri Richins told investigators that around 9 p.m., she made Eric a mixed drink before bed to celebrate him selling a house. According to court documents, she went to soothe one of their children in the next room before finding her husband's lifeless body hours later.

An autopsy by a medical examiner later discovered the level of fentanyl in Eric Richins' system at the time of his death was approximately five times the lethal dosage, according to court documents. The autopsy also determined the drug was ingested orally.

According to court documents, authorities charged Kouri Richins after discovering text messages between her and an acquaintance on her phone. Authorities said the acquaintance sold Richins opioids and fentanyl multiple times, adding that Richins purchased $900 worth of fentanyl six days before her husband's death.

The document filed Thursday led to the postponement of Kouri Richins' detention hearing originally scheduled for Friday, NBC News reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.