Kouri Richins: The widow turned children’s author… and accused murderer

For over a year, 33-year-old Kouri Darden Richins has appeared to be a wife and mother grieving the devastating loss of her husband, and even penned a book to help children struggling with losing a father — but now, she’s been charged with murdering him, according to the arrest warrant.

Kouri faces three charges of second-degree possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and one charge of first-degree aggravated murder for the March 3, 2022 death of her husband, Eric Richins, the warrant says.

Police and EMS responded to the family home at 3:22 a.m. that morning after a call came in about an unresponsive male, the warrant states. They found Eric on the floor at the foot of his bed, and pronounced him dead after life saving measures were attempted.

Kouri allegedly told police that she and Eric were celebrating the closing on a house for her business at about 9 p.m. that night, the warrant says. She claimed she made a Moscow Mule in the kitchen, then brought it to Eric, who drank it while sitting in bed. The couple was at home with only their children.

According to the warrant, Kouri told police she went to bed, then went to sleep with one of the kids, who was having a night terror. She claimed to have woken at about 3 a.m., and upon returning to Eric, found him to be cold to the touch and called 911.