<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The sons of an </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="_blank" title="American"><span>American</span></a><span> woman sentenced to life imprisonment for the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/murder" rel="" target="_blank" title="murder"><span>murder</span></a><span> of her husband claim they are scared of her and claim they would feel unsafe if she were ever released from prison.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kouri Richins was </span><a><span>found guilty</span></a><span> in March of murdering her husband Eric Richins in 2022, after spiking his cocktail with fentanyl. Later tests showed Richins had five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A jury also found her guilty of four other felonies, including insurance fraud, forgery and attempted murder for trying to poison her husband weeks earlier on Valentine's Day with a fentanyl-laced sandwich.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>BREAKING NEWS:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/court-to-rule-on-coles-down-down-discounts/87c74739-1bf4-48da-8a61-9c4361392f1d" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Coles 'illusory' discounts misled shoppers, court rules</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A judge in Utah sentenced her to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and two of her children gave statements via social workers that claimed they were scared of her.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Her sons, two of whom are aged 11 and 13, said they would feel unsafe if their mother were ever released from prison. The children said Richins threatened to kill their animals and showed them videos of famished children in war zones when they refused to eat undercooked food.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You took away my dad for no reason other than greed, and you only cared about yourself and your stupid boyfriends," said the middle son, now 11. He described having to "be a parent" to his younger brother because his mother did not watch over them. Richins made the boy paranoid about sitting on his dad's side of the bed, saying he might die, too, he alleged.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/kouri-richins-sons-scared-mother-widow-book-grief-sentenced-life-murder-eric-richins-utah-usa/0c9a2fea-cc78-4018-b0d9-c652a468f443" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The oldest son, now 13, said he also felt like he had to take care of his siblings and noted that his mother often would lock him inside his room while she drank.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Richins stood at the podium in a lime green jail uniform as she asked her sons, who were not present in court, "Please just don't give up on me." She encouraged them to always "be like your dad."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>NATIONAL:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/vahid-reza-adib-excused-from-attending-first-court-appearance-on-rape-charges/2fc280c7-3aaa-4c99-8ddf-f9f0596a3773" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Ex-premier's partner skips first rape case court date</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Richins' case is notorious because of the book she wrote about grief after the death of her husband.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Called </span><em><span>Are You With Me?</span></em><span>, it follows the story of a child who has lost their father, but who is reminded that his presence still exists all around them, according to a description on Goodreads.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>During the trial, prosecutors showed the jury text messages between Richins and her lover in which she fantasised about leaving her husband and gaining millions in a divorce. Prosecutors also displayed the internet search history from Richins' phone, which included queries about the lethal dose of fentanyl, luxury prisons and how poisoning is marked on a death certificate.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prosecutors said Richins, a 35-year-old real estate agent with a house-flipping business, was millions in debt and planning a future with another man. She had opened numerous life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge and falsely believed she would inherit his estate worth more than US$4 million after he died.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-politics-live-updates-donald-trump-visits-china-iran-israel-middle-east-war-blog-rolling-updates/f2057ed4-dc11-410e-ac79-901ea855e9b4"><strong><span>Iran nuclear threat 'frighteningly close', claims White House</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The defence argued that Eric Richins was addicted to painkillers. Prosecutors countered by showing police body camera footage from the night of his death in which Kouri Richins tells an officer that her husband had no history of illicit drug use.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Judge Richard Mrazik said Richins is "simply too dangerous to ever be free" when handing down the sentence on the day that her husband would have turned 44.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Her attorneys said they will appeal the conviction and sentence. Richins has been adamant in maintaining she is innocent, saying that the verdict was "an absolute lie."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>Reported with Associated Press.</span></em><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></strong></em><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><p><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></p></li><li><p><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w"><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></p></li><li><p><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine"><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></p></li></ul></div></div>