“Book of Lies”: Dateline Reports on Kouri Richins Case April 24 2026

Dateline NBC returns on Friday, April 24, 2026, with Book of Lies, a report from Andrea Canning that examines one of Utah’s most watched murder cases. The episode focuses on Kouri Richins, whose public image as a grieving widow and children’s book author came under intense scrutiny after investigators alleged that her husband, Eric Richins, did not die of natural causes, but from fentanyl poisoning inside the family home.

What began as a story of loss turned into a criminal case built on toxicology findings, phone data, financial records, witness testimony, and evidence of strain inside the marriage. Book of Lies follows the path from Eric Richins’ death in March 2022 to Kouri Richins’ 2026 murder conviction, while also examining the unresolved sentencing phase that remained ahead after the verdict.

• Who Is Kouri Richins & Where Is She Now? 2026 Update & Profile
• Who Was Eric Richins & What Happened to Him? 2026 Update & Profile

A Dateline Episode About Image, Grief, and Suspicion

Book of Lies centers on the contrast that came to define this case. In public, Kouri Richins presented herself as a widow trying to help her three sons cope with the death of their father. She promoted a children’s book about grief and spoke about keeping Eric Richins’ memory alive for their family. That image drew wide attention because it suggested a family trying to recover from sudden loss.

Prosecutors later presented a very different account in court. They argued that the grief narrative masked a homicide and that the image of a devastated wife did not match the evidence recovered during the investigation. That divide between appearance and accusation became one of the most striking parts of the case and helped make it the subject of national coverage and a Dateline hour.

The Death of Eric Richins

Eric Richins was found dead in the couple’s bedroom during the early morning hours of March 4, 2022, at the family’s home in Kamas, Utah. According to the account later described in charging documents and news coverage, Kouri Richins told investigators that she had brought her husband a mixed vodka drink in bed that night after celebrating a business success. She said she then went to sleep with one of their children, who was having a night terror, and later returned to find Eric unresponsive and cold to the touch.

The autopsy changed the course of the case. Medical findings showed that Eric Richins died from a fentanyl overdose, with reports stating that he had about five times the lethal amount of the drug in his system. Prosecutors also pointed to phone evidence that they said undermined Kouri Richins’ account of what happened inside the house. While she told investigators she called 911 right after finding her husband, forensic analysis of her phone indicated it was unlocked several times in the minutes before the emergency call.

The Valentine’s Day Incident and the Prosecution Theory

The murder charge was not the only accusation. Prosecutors also alleged that Kouri Richins had tried to poison her husband weeks before his death. According to court records described in the reporting, Eric Richins became violently ill after eating a sandwich his wife had left for him on Valentine’s Day in 2022. He later told friends that he believed his wife had tried to poison him, and one friend recalled him saying, “I think my wife tried to poison me.”

That earlier episode became central to the prosecution’s argument because it suggested planning and escalation. The state’s theory was that the first attempt did not succeed, and that a later dose of fentanyl was stronger and fatal. Jurors ultimately found Kouri Richins guilty not only of aggravated murder in Eric’s death, but also of attempted aggravated murder tied to the earlier poisoning allegation. That gave the case a broader frame, with prosecutors arguing that the killing was the end point of a pattern rather than a single act.

The Evidence That Built the Case

A major part of the state’s case involved testimony from people who said they were connected to the drug trail. Reporting on the case described how a woman who cleaned Richins’ houses told investigators that Kouri Richins asked for pain pills and then for fentanyl in early 2022. Prosecutors said Richins wanted something stronger and cited testimony that included a request for “some of the Michael Jackson stuff,” a phrase the state used to argue she was seeking a deadly substance.

Digital evidence also carried major weight. Prosecutors said Kouri Richins deleted hundreds of text messages with the woman connected to the drug purchase and erased significant cellphone data from the period surrounding Eric’s death. After authorities informed her of the cause of death, investigators said her internet history showed searches related to police recovery of deleted data, life insurance, women’s prisons, and death certificate questions involving poisoning. The defense challenged the meaning of those searches and disputed parts of the drug evidence, but the state used the digital trail to argue knowledge, concealment, and consciousness of guilt.

Money, Debt, and the Alleged Motive

The prosecution argued that the case was also about money. According to court filings and trial coverage, Kouri Richins was under major financial pressure, with prosecutors describing her as facing severe debt tied to her real estate business and other obligations. They argued that Eric Richins had substantial assets, that his life insurance policies represented a path to financial relief, and that she believed she would benefit from his death.

The state also argued that the marriage had broken down and that Eric Richins had taken steps to protect his finances from his wife. Prosecutors said he met with a lawyer and changed estate planning documents, including removing her as a beneficiary on a $500,000 life insurance policy and placing control of his trust in other hands. They contended that Kouri Richins did not know the full extent of those changes and expected to gain access to money and property after his death. Trial coverage also referenced an extramarital relationship that prosecutors said formed part of the motive, with the state arguing she wanted both freedom and financial gain.

The Trial and the Guilty Verdict

Kouri Richins went to trial in 2026 after pleading not guilty to the charges. Prosecutors called more than 40 witnesses and built their case through toxicology evidence, witness accounts, financial records, cellphone data, and testimony about the alleged drug purchases. The defense sought to challenge the state’s theory, including attacking the credibility of witnesses and disputing whether prosecutors could prove fentanyl reached Kouri Richins through the chain they described.

In March 2026, the jury returned guilty verdicts after about three hours of deliberation. Richins was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, two counts of insurance fraud, and one count of forgery. The verdict marked the most important legal outcome in the case so far and confirmed that jurors accepted the prosecution’s view that Eric Richins was poisoned by his wife and that the killing was tied to financial deception as well as homicide.

What Comes Next After the Verdict

Although the trial ended with convictions, the case was not fully complete at the time Book of Lies was set to air. Sentencing was scheduled for May 13, 2026, which is Eric Richins’ birthday. After that date was set, Richins’ defense team asked the court to move the hearing to mid-June, saying they needed more time to prepare mitigation evidence and witnesses and citing scheduling and personal conflicts among defense counsel.

Prosecutors opposed the delay and argued that the family had already endured years of postponement. They also noted that the defense had agreed to the May 13 date when it was first set in court. As of the latest reporting included here, the judge had not yet ruled on whether sentencing would stay on Eric Richins’ birthday or be moved. That means the present outcome is clear on guilt, but not yet final on punishment. Richins faces either 25 years to life in prison or life without the possibility of parole on the most serious conviction.

Why Book of Lies Stands Out

This Dateline episode arrives with a case record that contains many of the elements that draw lasting public attention: a sudden death inside a family home, a widow who became the author of a grief-themed children’s book, evidence of financial turmoil, claims of deception, and a courtroom battle over motive and proof. The title Book of Lies reflects the prosecution’s claim that the public story told after Eric Richins’ death was false and that the evidence pointed to murder rather than mourning.

Book of Lies also stands out because the case is still moving through the court system even after the guilty verdict. The trial answered the central question of criminal responsibility, but sentencing remains the next major chapter. That leaves the Dateline broadcast in a strong position to look back at the death, the investigation, and the trial, while also showing that the legal consequences for Kouri Richins were still in the final stage at the time of airing.