Children's author Kouri Richins sends emotional message to sons before being sentenced to life without parole for murder

A beloved children's author who wrote a book on bereavement to help her children after their dad died, has officially been sentenced to life without parole for his murder.

Kouri Richins, 35, was formally sentenced on Wednesday May 13, after being found guilty of the crime last month.

Father-of-three Eric Richins, 39 was found dead at his family home in Utah on March 4, 2022, after his wife Kouri, then 31, had called the police to say that she had found him 'cold to the touch', after earlier serving him a Moscow Mule cocktail.

It later transpired that the cocktail had been laced with Fentanyl, a powerful opioid, which is the drug that caused her husband to overdose and tragically die.

Even more disturbingly, Eric had expressed concerns that his wife was trying to poison him and had even started to write her out of his will after some chilling incidents before his murder lead him to suspect that his days were numbered.

During the course of last month’s trial, prosecutors proved to the jury that Kouri had plotted her husband's death for some time, with the deeply indebted defendant opening $2 million in life insurances policies under her husband's name - without his knowledge, several years before his eventual demise.

Eric and Kouri Richins were married for nine years before his death in 2022 (Supplied)

Throughout the 13 day trial, Kouri refused to take to the stand and her defence called 0 witnesses to speak on her behalf - however at her sentencing, the mom of three did finally speak, but not to address her crime - only a message for her children.

“The one thing I need you boys to know is that I did not abandon you,” Richins said, becoming emotional. “Regardless of what anyone tells you, I would never ever leave you boys. And I am so sorry that even for one second you think that I did.”

She then went on to give them advice on everything from marriage and life through to the importance of supporting one another.

“Be like your dad,” she told them tearfully.

For the next half hour, her lengthy statement meandered through many topics, but it was only at the conclusion that she finally addressed her conviction and professed her innocence.

“I will appeal,” she said, “and fight the charges. No matter how long it takes.”

An emotional Richin broke down in tears during her sentencing hearing (Trent Nelson - Pool/Getty Images)

Jurors previously took just three hours to find her guilty of murdering her husband, Eric Richins. She was also found guilty of attempted aggravated murder, two counts of insurance fraud and one count of forgery.

Despite her plea towards her children, they were not open to any hint of reconciliation during her sentencing, with statements on their behalf expressing anger at their mother and a hope that she would never be released from prison.

And it appeared they got their wish, as 3rd District Court Judge Richard Mrazik weighed up all of her crimes and sentenced her to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole.

She intends to appeal her conviction.