Utah Realtor Faces Murder and Mortgage Fraud Charges, Trial in 2026

Kouri Richins, a Utah real estate agent, is facing pretrial hearings for murder and mortgage fraud charges. She is accused of fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, with a lethal dose of illicit fentanyl in 2022 and attempted to kill him two weeks earlier by lacing a sandwich with fentanyl. Prosecutors allege she had financial motives, including fraudulently securing a life insurance policy on her husband and facing significant debts related to her realty business. Eric Richins was found dead with fentanyl levels five times the lethal dose, as confirmed by the medical examiner. Separately, Richins faces over two dozen charges related to mortgage fraud, including falsified bank statements, money laundering, and issuing bad checks. She has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges and is yet to enter a plea for the mortgage fraud case. Both hearings are scheduled for Friday, with the murder trial set for February 2026. Since her 2023 arrest, Richins has remained in jail after bail denial. This case illustrates intersections between criminal allegations, financial fraud, and insurance claims, with potential implications for underwriting and regulatory compliance in life insurance and mortgage lending sectors.