Kouri Richins Sentenced To Life In Prison No Parole For Murdering Husband w/ Fentanyl

A judge today sentenced an Utah woman to life in prison without parole for murdering her husband by slipping fentanyl into a cocktail she made for him. Judge Richard Mrazik said a person convicted of Kouri Richins' crimes "is simply too dangerous to ever be free." Mrazik could have sentenced Richins to 25 years in prison. He heard statements from Eric Richins' father, sisters and brother in law as well as statements from Richins' supporters and a 40-minute statement from Richins that she wrote for her three sons. 01:38 "The court hereby orders that the sentences on counts two through five shall run consecutively to each other and to the sentence imposed on count one. Moreover, the court exercises its discretion, chooses to impose no fines related to any sentence." 01:52 "Moreover, the court exercises its discretion, chooses to impose no fines related to any sentence." 02:08 "Ms. Richins, based on your conviction on count 5/3, degree felony forgery, the court hereby sentences you to an indeterminate prison term not to exceed five years. Based on your conviction on count four, second-degree felony insurance fraud, the court hereby sentences you to an indeterminate prison term of not less than one and not more than 15 years." "Based on your conviction on count three, second-degree felony insurance fraud, the court hereby sentences you to an indeterminate prison term of not less than one and not more than 15 years." "Based on your conviction on count two, first-degree felony attempted aggravated murder, the court hereby sentences you to an indeterminate prison term of not less than five years and that may be for life." 04:36 " But the potential impact on the survivors of the tragedy created by Kouri Richins, most importantly, Eric Richins' three sons, is more difficult to predict." "On one hand, if the court sentences Ms. Richins' life without parole, one or more of those young men may come to resent that the court eliminated any opportunity they might have in the future, decades into the future, to express an opinion as adults with substantial life experience about whether their mother should, for example, be allowed to die with dignity." "On the other hand, if the court sentences Ms. Richins to 25 to life, one or more of those young men may spend the next 30 years questioning why the court failed to protect them from the prospect of the person who murdered their father being released from prison at some time in the distant future, perhaps when they have families and children of their own." "The court's contemplation of how those young men may come to feel about today's decision some 30 years from now comes from a place of genuine concern for them and humility regarding the court's inability to predict the future sitting here today, it is simply not possible for anyone, not even those young men, to know how their view of this case may evolve over the next several decades." 06:20 "My hope is that every person affected by Eric Richins' death will, over time, find their way to a state of peace." And the bottom line is Ms. Kouri Richins was convicted unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt of attempting to murder Eric Richins, her husband and the father of their three children. And then having failed in her first effort, of 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. All for pecuniary gain." "A person of convicted of committing that sequence of acts in that way and for that reason, and who causes the absolute tragedy that has befallen Eric Richins' sons and family, a person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to ever be free." "Accordingly, Ms Richins, based on your conviction on count one first degree felony aggravated murder, the court hereby sentences you to life without parole. You have the right to an appeal."