Kouri Richins sentenced in husband's fentanyl-laced cocktail murder

Kouri Richins , the Utah mother found guilty of murdering her husband with a fentanyl-laced cocktail, was sentenced on Wednesday, his birthday, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Richins, 36, notoriously wrote a children's book about grief after her husband's death in 2022. Utah district court Judge Richard Mrazik handed down the sentence after presiding over Richins' criminal trial. The prosecution consistently sought a sentence of life without parole, mainly leaning on the argument that Richins' three children "should never worry they will one day encounter her." The defense, conversely, pushed for a sentence with the possibility of parole. Richins, who did not testify during her trial, spoke for roughly 30 minutes on Wednesday, mainly addressing her children. "I know today you don't want to speak to me and you hate me. That's OK. When you are ready, I will be here for you," she said. Richins was convicted in March of multiple felony charges, including aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder. Prosecutors said she served her late husband, Eric Richins, a Moscow Mule cocktail she had laced with a lethal dose of fentanyl in March 2022 at their home just outside of Park City. Court filings showed the drink contained nearly five times what is considered a deadly amount of the opioid. …