Kouri Richins, a widow from Utah, is facing a lawsuit from her late husband’s estate. The court filings reveal that the lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, accuses Kouri of various crimes, including theft, wrongful death, misappropriation, and fraud. The estate is seeking damages amounting to over $13 million, presented in 18 separate claims.
Kouri is currently under charges of murder and drug-related offenses, with allegations suggesting that she caused her husband’s death by administering a fatal dose of fentanyl through a drink. As of now, she has not entered a plea and remains in custody.
In a previous development, Kouri had sued Eric’s estate to acquire the proceeds from his business and their family home, as stated in court documents.
The lawsuit against Kouri claims that she unlawfully used Eric’s likeness and identity in a children’s book about grief she authored following her husband’s passing. The estate argues that Kouri has not shared any proceeds from the book’s sales with them.
According to the recently filed documents, the estate accuses Kouri of embezzling funds from Eric’s masonry company to address debts related to her real estate business, KRR. The lawsuit provides details of Kouri’s alleged actions, including taking money intended for taxes, fraudulently obtaining a secret loan worth $250,000, and making substantial charges on her late husband’s credit card.
Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that Kouri secretly acquired multiple life insurance policies on Eric over several years, amounting to $1.5 million in coverage, with herself named as the sole beneficiary.
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Eric, who was 39 years old, was discovered dead at the foot of the couple’s bed in March 2022. An autopsy and toxicology report indicated that he had approximately five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system, according to a medical examiner.