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Utah children’s author Kouri Richins pulls faces at her sentencing — as her kids reveal how she killed their pets

Nypost · · 631 words · By Priscilla DeGregory
Character Assassination Family Trauma criminal justice
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What to know about Character Assassination

Utah children’s author Kouri Richins pulls faces at her sentencing — as her kids reveal how she killed their pets Utah children’s book author Kouri Richins pulled incredulous faces as her relatives – including her young sons – begged a judge at her sentencing…

Claims checked 17
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Utah children’s author Kouri Richins pulls faces at her sentencing — as her kids reveal how she killed their pets Utah children’s book author Kouri Richins pulled incredulous faces as her relatives – including her young sons – begged a judge at her sentencing…

Why it matters

Richins – wearing a neon green jail t-shirt over a grey long sleeve shirt – continued to make astonished and outraged expressions as a handful of Eric’s kin emotionally spoke about how she ruined their lives with her “evil” deeds.

Common ground

The 35-year-old Kamas mother-of-three also gave skeptical looks and spoke to her lawyers as three social workers read statements from her boys, who were ages 5, 7 and 9 when their father was murdered.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Pity: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/13/us-news/utah-childrens-author-kouri-richins-pulls-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 95% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Pity 85% confidence
Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to pity helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 17 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 7
check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
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Claim 1: “her 39-year-old brother – who would have turned 44 Wednesday”
CORROBORATED
One source explicitly states Eric Richins was 39 at the time of his death, and another mentions the sentencing occurred on what would have been his 44th birthday, which aligns with the timeline.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — ERIC is an online library of education research and information, sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education.
https://eric.ed.gov/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — ERIC is the world's most widely used index to educational-related literature. Established in 1966, ERIC is supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvemen…
https://about.proquest.com/en/products-services/eric
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Eric is essentially a drama about dealing with the open wound that a missing person (particularly a child) leaves behind. In this respect it is a darkly comic watch because of the juxtaposition of the…
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16283824
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Claim 2: “The 35-year-old Kamas mother-of-three”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources identify her as a 35-year-old mother of three from Kamas, Utah.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — That night, Kouri had news to celebrate. She was closing in on a $2 million real estate deal — a 20,000-square-foot mansion she hoped to flip for $3 million. For a woman who had long felt overshadowed…
https://medium.com/crimes-by-mr-o/she-wrote-a-childrens-book…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Richins, a 35-year-old mother of three who wrote a children’s book about grief after her husband died, has maintained her innocence and waived her right to testify.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2026/03/16/kouri-richins-murder-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Kouri Richins, 35, was also found guilty of attempted murder , two counts of falsifying insurance claims and forgery yesterday.One year following Erin’s death, Richins published a children’s book, Are…
https://metro.co.uk/2026/03/17/woman-wrote-book-grief-husban…
help
Claim 3: “even once hit their dog over the head “as hard as” she could”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to corroborate or deny the claim about hitting the dog.
check_circle
Claim 4: “Kouri Richins... fatally poisoning husband Eric Richins”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (The Guardian, Independent, and others) confirm Kouri Richins was convicted of fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, with fentanyl.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 17 hours ago · Kouri Richins, a Utah woman convicted of fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, is set to be sentenced for murder on Wednesday. The 35-year-old mother of three, who self-published…
https://abcnews.com/US/utah-mom-kouri-richins-set-sentenced-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 17 hours ago · The Kamas mother, children's book author and real estate agent found guilty of murdering her husband, Eric Richins, will be sentenced on Wednesday.
https://www.ksl.com/article/51496745/watch-live-kouri-richin…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 17 hours ago · Kouri Richins – who published a children’s book about coping with grief following Eric Richins’ death – could be sentenced to life without parole.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/13/us/kouri-richins-murder-sente…
schedule
Claim 5: “Richins was convicted of aggravated murder for the March 4, 2022 slaying”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 6: “Amy Richins, said Eric’s murder wreaked such havoc and stress on the family that Amy miscarried twins”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence mentions Amy Richins (the sister) and her emotional state, but the specific detail about the miscarriage of twins is not present in the provided search snippets, although the claim is presented as a specific quote from her.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Prosecutors say Kouri Richins slipped five times the lethal dose of the synthetic opioid into a cocktail that he drank.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/17/utah-woman-k…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Eric’s sister, Amy Richins, told reporters Monday that the family were now turning their attention to caring for Kouri and Eric’s sons and honoring his memory. “Honestly I feel like we’re all in shock…
https://nypost.com/2026/03/17/us-news/heres-what-happens-nex…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Eric Richins' father Eugene remained stoic and bowed his head while the verdict was read out in court. Eric's family and friends clutched one another for comfort with his sister Amy silently dabbing t…
https://www.dailymail.com/crime-desk/article-15651831/kouri-…
schedule
Claim 7: “believing she would inherit his $4 million estate”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 8: “Kouri... killed Eric by dosing his Moscow Mule cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 9: “Kouri Richins pulls faces at her sentencing — as her kids reveal how she killed their pets”
SINGLE SOURCE
While web results confirm a sentencing hearing took place and that her sons asked for her to be locked up forever, the specific detail about her 'pulling faces' and the specific context of the kids revealing pet deaths during the sentencing is not corroborated by the provided evidence snippets, which only mention the sons' general request for a life sentence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — She reiterates that she just wants her house, and that the family won’t do anything until the autopsy report comes back. While discussing the autopsy, Knudsen says that if Kouri wanted to kill Eric, s…
https://www.abc4.com/richins/kouri-richins-murder-trial-boyf…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “She felt like she was frustrated in the relationship but also it would be difficult to leave – Eric would end up financially secure and her the opposite,” said Allison Wright, the wife of Eric Richin…
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/08/us/kouri-richins-trial-ke…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Share. Kouri Richins' sentencing hearing. Bored Panda. After Committing Chilling Crime, Children's Book Author's Sons Ask For Their Mother To Be Locked Up Forever. 5 hours ago. Save for later.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…
help
Claim 10: “She also threatened to kill their pet lizard”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to corroborate or deny the claim about the pet lizard.
info
Claim 11: “They said she failed to feed their chickens causing them to die”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence confirms the sons' statements and their request for a life sentence, but the specific detail about the chickens is not explicitly detailed in the provided search snippets.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Kouri Richins set to be sentenced for her husband’s murder on what would have been his 44th birthday. 7 hours ago.Kouri Richins' Sons Say They Fear She'd Hurt Them if Freed from Prison, Ask for Life S…
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Kouri Richins, 33, faces charges, including aggravated murder, in connection with the death of her husband, Eric Richins, 39, who was found dead at the foot of their bed on March 4, 2022, according to…
https://abcnews.com/US/woman-wrote-book-grief-husbands-death…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Kouri Richins, 35, was convicted on all charges after poisoning her husband Eric by lacing his cocktail with fentanyl.A year later after her husbands’s death, Richins wrote a children’s book to help t…
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/kour…
info
Claim 12: “The sons claimed Kouri was neglectful of their household pets, refusing to allow a cat into their garage causing it to be mauled to death”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence confirms the trial and the sons' general fear/statements, but the specific detail about the cat and the garage is not explicitly detailed in the provided search snippets.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Kouri Richins, a Utah woman accused of fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, who self-published a children's book on grieving following his death, has been found guilty of murder following a we…
https://abcnews.com/US/closing-arguments-murder-trial-kouri-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — Kouri Richins, a Kamas woman who wrote a children's book about coping with grief after her husband's death, became a national celebrity — but not for her book. Richins is …
https://www.abc4.com/richins/kouri-richins-complete-timeline…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Over the last two weeks, jurors in Kouri Richins' murder trial have heard wide-ranging testimony about troubles in her marriage, her secret affair and the millions of dollars she owed in debt ...
https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/08/us/kouri-richins-trial-key-re…
schedule
Claim 13: “faces 25 years to life in prison or life in prison without the possibility of parole”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 14: “claimed would lock him in his bedroom”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 15: “One of the boys said Kouri was “drunk almost daily””
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 16: “She also allegedly tried, unsuccessfully, two weeks prior to kill Eric by putting the same drug in his sandwich”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 17: “three social workers read statements from her boys, who were ages 5, 7 and 9 when their father was murdered”
CORROBORATED
The claim is explicitly corroborated by a cross-reference from the NY Post and supported by other reports regarding her children's ages and the use of statements during the proceedings.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 17 hours ago · Kouri Richins, a Utah woman convicted of fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, is set to be sentenced for murder on Wednesday. The 35-year-old mother of three, who self-published…
https://abcnews.com/US/utah-mom-kouri-richins-set-sentenced-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 17 hours ago · The Kamas mother, children's book author and real estate agent found guilty of murdering her husband, Eric Richins, will be sentenced on Wednesday.
https://www.ksl.com/article/51496745/watch-live-kouri-richin…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 17 hours ago · Kouri Richins – who published a children’s book about coping with grief following Eric Richins’ death – could be sentenced to life without parole.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/13/us/kouri-richins-murder-sente…
+ 1 more evidence source
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.