A Utah grief author charged with spiking her husband’s drink with a fatal dose of fentanyl faces an additional charge of attempted murder after authorities said she allegedly drugged him with a Valentine's Day sandwich in an attempt to kill him.
Kouri Richins was arrested last year on charges that included aggravated murder after authorities said she killed her husband, Eric Richins, at their home in Kamas, about 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, on March 4, 2022.
Eric Richins, 39, was found unresponsive in the home after having a drink to celebrate his wife's business deal. A medical examiner said he had five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system and that it was "illicit" and not medical grade.
Charging documents filed Monday allege that was not the first time Kouri Richins slipped her husband drugs. On Valentine's Day 2022, authorities said Eric Richins nearly died after his wife brought him a sandwich.
The documents state that Eric Richins texted his wife and said he was not feeling good and that if he did not feel better soon he was going to the hospital. His wife, who was not home at the time, told him he should take a nap, according to the documents.
That afternoon Eric Richins reached out to two of his close friends and said his wife had left him his favorite sandwich from a local diner with a note, according to the documents.
He told one friend, "you almost lost me" and described breaking out in hives after taking a bite from the sandwich. He said he had to use his son's EpiPen and take Benadryl, prosecutors said in the documents.
"Eric Richins told Witness 1 that he had almost died," the charging documents state. "Witness 1 could hear the fear in Eric Richins’ voice and tell that Eric Richins was scared."
Eric Richins told the other friend he thought his wife had tried to poison him, prosecutors allege.
The documents state that opioids, including fentanyl, can cause allergic and pseudoallergic reactions, including hives. It also notes that Eric Richins did not have any food allergies.
Prosecutors said in the charging documents that Kouri Richins purchased illicit fentanyl before the Valentine's Day meal in 2022 and again before his death.
Kouri Richins was also charged Monday with two counts of mortgage fraud, two counts of insurance fraud and three counts of forgery. Prosecutors allege that she was in financial distress at the time of her husband's death and forged loan applications and fraudulently claimed insurance benefits after he died.
An attorney for Kouri Richins said they have reviewed the charging documents and "there is nothing in the documents that affects Kouri's approach to defending whatever charges the State levies against her."
"She continues to maintain her innocence," the attorney said in a statement.
Kouri Richins is currently in custody awaiting trial.