The Most Disturbing True Crime Verdict of 2026

In a case that captivated millions, a Utah jury convicted Kouri Richins of aggravated murder for poisoning her husband Eric with fentanyl in 2022 — and then writing a children's book about grief.

The jury needed just three hours of deliberation after a three-week trial featuring 42 witnesses. Richins was found guilty on all five counts, including attempted murder for a failed poisoning attempt on Valentine's Day, weeks before she finally killed him.

The Shocking Details

The prosecution painted a devastating portrait of calculated evil:

  • The Motive: Richins was $1.6 million in debt and believed she would inherit her husband's $4 million estate. She didn't know he had quietly cut her out of his will.
  • The Method: She asked her housecleaner for "the Michael Jackson drug" and spiked Eric's Moscow Mule with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl.
  • The Cover-Up: After his death, she self-published a children's book called "Are You With Me?" about coping with the loss of a parent, promoting it on local TV.
  • The Digital Trail: She searched for "luxury prisons" and "lethal dose of fentanyl" on her phone.

The Verdict

Eric's sister Amy wept in court as the guilty verdicts were read. "We got justice for my brother," she said. Richins faces 25 years to life in prison without parole. Sentencing is scheduled for May 13.