WorldA Utah mother who published a children's book about grief after the death of her husband will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole for his murder, a judge ruled Wednesday.Her children indicated they would feel unsafe if their mother released from prison in futureThe Associated Press · Posted: May 13, 2026 5:10 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 13Listen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Kouri Richins, seen sitting with her lawyer Wendy Lewis, left, in a Park City courtroom on Wednesday, has been handed a life sentence for the murder of her husband. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/The Associated Press)A Utah mother who published a children's book about grief after the death of her husband will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole for his murder, a judge ruled Wednesday.Kouri Richins was convicted in March of aggravated murder for lacing her husband Eric Richins' cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl at their home near Park City in 2022. 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.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.Her attorneys said they will appeal the conviction and sentence. Richins has been adamant in maintaining she is innocent, saying Wednesday that the verdict was "an absolute lie."Judge Richard Mrazik is seen in the courtroom on Wednesday. (Trent Nelson/Getty Images)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."Prosecutors said Richins, a 35-year-old real estate agent with a house-flipping business, was millions of dollars in debt and planning a future with another man. She had opened numerous life insurance policies on her husband, Eric Richins, without his knowledge and falsely believed she would inherit his estate, worth more than $4 million US, after he died.Eric Richins' father, Eugene Richins, had urged Mrazik to impose a life sentence without the possibility of parole to protect his grandsons, who were nine, seven and five when their father died."This sentence is important so Eric's three sons never have to live with the fear that the person responsible for taking their father could ever harm them again," he said.Woman who wrote a book on grief after husband's death found guilty of murdering himLawyers drop Utah mom accused of poisoning her husband, then writing a kids' book about griefThe case captivated true-crime enthusiasts when Richins was arrested in 2023 while promoting her children's book about a boy coping with the death of his father.Richins' sons "are not props for some twisted children's book about grief and loss, and yet that is what they've been reduced to by Kouri," said her sister-in-law Katie Richins-Benson, who now has the boys in her care.Court hears letters from sonsLetters from the sons were read in court. They all said they would feel unsafe if their mother was 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."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.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."I will and have always prioritized your safety," Richins said in court after hearing her sons' statements.The trial was scheduled for five weeks but ended early when her defence team rested its case without calling any witnesses. Her attorneys said they were confident that prosecutors had not produced enough evidence to convict her of murder.The jury deliberated for just under three hours before finding her guilty on all counts.