Kouri Richins addressed her three sons directly moments before a Utah judge sentenced her to life in prison without parole for murdering their father, Eric Richins, with a fentanyl-laced cocktail.
Theconvicted children's book authorspoke for nearly 40 minutes during Wednesday's emotional sentencing hearing, telling the boys to 'be like your dad' while continuing to insist she was innocent.
The hearing grew even more painful after victim impact statements revealed the children fear their mother and do not want her released. Judge Richard Mrazik ultimately ruled Richins was 'too dangerous to ever be free.'
Standing in handcuffs beside her attorneys, Richins repeatedly addressed her sons — now believed to be in the care of Eric Richins' family — as her 'sweet baby boys.'
'I would have never taken him from you,' she told them through tears, referring to their father, who died in March 2022 after ingesting a fatal amount of fentanyl inside the couple's Utah home.
NEW: Woman who murdered her husband and then wrote a book on how to deal with grief sits stone-faced as she is sentenced to life in prison.Kouri Richins was seen giving an emotional speech before sitting stonefaced as a judge read her the sentence."You took away my dad for no...https://t.co/1A3DM2FUgcpic.twitter.com/SS9JKQ1iM8
Richins also encouraged the boys to 'choose forgiveness and love,' 'take care of one another,' and 'be like your dad,' calling Eric someone who found peace outdoors and in the mountains.
At several points, she maintained that she did not murder her husband, despite a jury convicting her earlier this year on charges including aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, insurance fraud and forgery.
The couple's three sons did not attend the sentencing hearing, but statements written by the boys were read aloud by therapists and counsellors in court.
The children described lasting trauma after losing their father and said they were afraid Richins would harm them if she were ever released from prison. One child reportedly told the court he feared she would 'come after' him and his brothers, while another said he wanted her to 'go to prison forever.'
Source: International Business Times UK
