At her sentencing May 13 — her late husband’s 44th birthday — Kouri Richins maintained her innocence. She said she will “not be blamed for something [she] didn’t do.”
“I will appeal and fight these charges no matter how long it takes,” Kouri Richins said. “Not because I have anything to prove to this court, to the state, to the Richins family or to the world, but I do have something to prove to you three.”
Richins addressed her statements to her three boys, who were thrust back into the public eye during the sentencing process.
Summit County prosecutors had argued against allowing Kouri Richins to seek parole out of concern for the children’s well-being.
Their counselors read statements from them May 13 in which the boys expressed concerns about being contacted or possibly harmed by their mom.
But Richins’ attorneys asked the court for 25 years to life in prison, with the possibility of parole, partly since the children might change their minds in the future.
In his ruling, 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik acknowledged the concern for the boys, who he thought might grow to resent whichever sentence he imposed.
He turned then to the attempted murder Kouri Richins was convicted of, when she tried to poison Eric Richins on Valentine’s Day in 2022.
“And then, having failed in her first effort … spending the next 17 days not changing course, but doubling down; preparing to try again; and ultimately completing the act through the administration of poison,” Mrazik said. “And for what? Money.”
The judge said someone convicted of those acts is “simply too dangerous to ever be free.”
“My hope is that every person affected by Eric Richins’ death will, over time, find their way to a state of peace,” Mrazik said.
The Summit County Attorney’s Office in a statement called May 13 a “somber occasion” to remember Eric Richins and the loved ones mourning him.
His family supports the life sentence without parole. They said as much in their emotional statements at the hearing, speaking about their grief and what Kouri Richins has done to them.
After the hearing, Eric Richins’ sister Amy Richins expressed appreciation for law enforcement, the various attorneys and family friends who helped them over the past four years.
“Today, we invite everyone to remember Eric and his generous spirit by performing a kind act for a stranger,” she said. “The world lost a wonderful man, and it will take all of us to embody his kindness.”
Kouri Richins’ friend Greg Hall said her side of the family is hurting, too. Many of them disagree with the guilty verdict.
“She's a wonderful, wonderful, good human being, and it's heartbreaking for those of us that truly know her,” Hall said outside the courthouse. “At the end of the day, I believe that justice will be served… I know the wheels will be turning for an appeal.”
Richins’ attorneys left the Summit County Justice Center without making a statement. But they told the judge they will ask for a new trial.
A Summit County jury convicted Kouri Richins of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, two counts of insurance fraud and forgery in March.
Although the murder sentence takes precedence, Mrazik sentenced her to prison on all counts. She must serve the time consecutively, meaning she cannot earn time for two crimes at once.
Summit County has asked for Kouri Richins to pay back $1.4 million in legal defense costs and $1.4 million in life insurance she collected after her husband’s death.
Mrazik is scheduled to decide on how much, if anything, she’ll need to repay, at a hearing July 31.
See complete coverage of the Kouri Richins case here, and a recap of the trial here.
