Attorneys abandon Utah mother accused of poisoning spouse and penning children’s book on coping with loss

A Utah mother accused of killing her husband with fentanyl and then publishing a children’s book about loss and grief has been left without legal representation as her attorneys have withdrawn from the case.

Kouri Richins, 33, has been adamant in maintaining her innocence in the death of her husband, Eric Richins, who died after allegedly ingesting a lethal dose of fentanyl in a cocktail she made for him. Additional charges accuse Richins of attempting to poison him with fentanyl in a sandwich a month earlier.

The attorneys representing Richins cited an “irreconcilable and non-waivable situation” in their court filing requesting to leave the case. Utah district court Judge Richard Mrazik granted the request after a closed hearing on Monday, leaving Richins without legal representation.

Richins, a mother of three, self-published a children’s book titled “Are You With Me?” after her husband’s death, depicting a father with angel wings watching over his young son. Despite the positive reception of the book, Richins has faced scrutiny for allegedly profiting off her husband’s death.

Prosecutors accuse Richins of making secret financial arrangements and purchasing the illegal drug as her husband began to suspect her. The case has captivated true-crime enthusiasts over the past year, with Richins’s lead attorney, Skye Lazaro, arguing that the evidence against her client is dubious and circumstantial.

Eric Richins, 39, died amid marital discord over a multimillion-dollar mansion his wife purchased as an investment. Prosecutors allege that Kouri Richins opened multiple life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge, with benefits totaling nearly $2 million US. Richins had a negative bank account balance, owed lenders over $1.8 million US, and was facing a lawsuit from a creditor at the time of her husband’s death, according to court documents.