Utah real estate entrepreneur Kouri Richins dreamed of turning an unfinished mansion into her biggest score. Instead, she was sentenced to life in prison for her husband’s murder.
On the night of March 3, 2022, Kouri and Eric Richins were supposed to be celebrating. After months of negotiations, Kouri had finally closed on the crown jewel of her real estate career — a massive, unfinished 20,000-square-foot mansion nestled on 10 acres near Park City, Utah. Eric raised a glass. A Moscow mule was poured. The couple went to bed.
By morning, Eric was dead.
“If you stay under budget, you could walk away with $12 million.” — Kouri’s mother, recalling an accountant’s projection
Kouri told investigators she found her husband of nine years unresponsive in their bed, calling it an accident. But prosecutors believed otherwise. A year later, she was arrested and charged with murder — accused of fatally poisoning Eric with fentanyl.
On May 13, 2026, a Utah judge sentenced Kouri Richins to life in prison without the possibility of parole, following a jury conviction in March on charges of murder and related crimes.
The Dream Deal
Friends and family describe Kouri as a driven, intelligent entrepreneur who built her home-flipping business from scratch. Marketing director Greg Hall put it simply: “She had both intelligence and common sense — she was a brilliant young lady.”
The Heber City estate was her most ambitious project. Originally constructed in 2017 but never completed, Kouri discovered the abandoned property in 2019 and made an offer of $3.9 million alongside a group of investors. Her attorney, Skye Lazaro, described her vision: to transform it into a “recreational hotspot” and sell at a significant profit, calling the area “probably one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
An accountant who reviewed the numbers with the couple was blunt about the upside — finish it on budget, and they could pocket $12 million.
A Husband Who Disagreed
But not everyone was enthusiastic. Eric’s family spokesman, attorney Greg Skordas, said Eric never supported the mansion deal: “I don’t think he was ever in favor of that.” Just days after Eric’s death, his family told investigators the couple had been arguing about the purchase.
Despite whatever tensions existed, the closing happened. The night of March 3 was framed as a celebration. And the next morning — the day after Eric died — Kouri signed the final papers on the property.
A Case That Shocked Utah
The case drew national attention not just for the crime, but for what came after Kouri’s arrest: she had written and published a children’s book about grief titled Are You There God? It’s Me, the Author, while under investigation — a detail prosecutors highlighted as evidence of her calculated nature.
When Kouri was arrested in 2023, the mansion project collapsed. The estate was put back on the market and eventually sold for $3.75 million — $150,000 less than the original purchase price, and a world away from the $12 million dream.
“This was kind of her dream when she got into house flipping — to be able to do properties like this.” — Defense attorney Skye Lazaro
Three young sons have now lost both parents to this case — their father to death, their mother to a life sentence.
Timeline of the Richins Case
- 2017Heber City mansion built but never finished.
- 2019Kouri discovers the property and makes a $3.9M offer with investors.
- Mar 3, 2022Kouri and Eric celebrate the mansion deal. Eric dies that night.
- Mar 4, 2022Kouri closes on the property the day after Eric’s death.
- 2023Kouri Richins arrested and charged with murder.
- Mar 2026Jury convicts Kouri of murder and related charges.
- May 13, 2026Kouri sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
