PARK CITY, Utah — Kouri Richins, the Utah mother of three who wrote a children’s book about grief, will spend the rest of her life in prison for fatally poisoning her husband, a judge ruled on Wednesday.

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Judge Richard Mrazik ruled that the life sentence, which carries no possibility of parole, was what she deserved, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

He added that Richins, 36, was “too dangerous to ever be free.”

Richins was convicted in March of aggravated murder for putting five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in the Moscow mule cocktail she made for Eric Richins at their home near Park City in March 2022, according to the newspaper.

The sentencing came on the day that Eric Richins would have turned 44.

In addition to the murder charge, Kouri Richins was convicted of four other felonies, The Associated Press reported. A jury found her guilty of insurance fraud, forgery and attempted murder for trying to poison her husband weeks before his death, poisoning his sandwich with fentanyl.

She still has 26 ongoing charges, KSTU reported.

Defense attorney Kathryn Nester said that Kouri Richins will appeal the conviction, KUTV reported. She has maintained her innocence, calling the verdict “an absolute lie,” according to the AP.

In a written statement, the Summit County Attorney’s Office said the sentencing capped “a somber occasion,” according to KSTU. They argued during the trial that the defendant was millions of dollars in debt and was planning a future with another man.

“It is a day to remember and honor Eric Richins and all those who loved him and feel his loss,” the statement read.

During impact statements before the judge handed down his sentence, members of Eric Richins’ family -- and Kouri Richins -- all spoke to the court.

“This is not a situation where the idea of rehabilitation should be entertained,” said Eric’s sister, Katie Richins-Benson, according to the Tribune. “Please do not let my brother’s life be worth nothing more than a 25-year punishment.”

“A parole-eligible sentence is not a conclusion,” Amy Richins, Eric’s other sister, told the court. “It is an ongoing nightmare.”

Kouri Richins gave a 30-plus-minute statement to the court, the newspaper reported. It was the first time she had spoken publicly since she was charged with her husband’s death.

She directed her remarks toward her sons, who were not in court. She added that it was the only way she could communicate with them because their legal guardians -- Richins-Benson and Clint Benson -- had cut off all forms of contact while she was awaiting trial.

Kouri Richins gave them advice about marriage, life and the importance of supporting one another, the Tribune reported.

“Please just don’t give up on me,” she said tearfully. “Be like your dad.”

The boys’ therapists read statements on their behalf in court. Each of them said they wanted their mother to remain in prison.

“I will not feel safe if you are out,” one son said in his statement, adding that his mother “never apologized” for what she did.

Her middle son, now 11, said that his mother “took away my dad for no reason other than greed, and you only cared about yourself and your stupid boyfriends.”

Kouri was criminally charged in May 2023, months after she published a children’s book about grief. She arrested while promoting the book, which was about a boy coping with the death of his father, the AP reported.

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