Utah mom and grief book author Kouri Richins is suing the estate of her late husband, whom she allegedly killed — claiming she deserves money and physical assets outlined in their prenuptial agreement.
In the civil lawsuit she filed June 9 against Eric Richins’ estate, the 33-year-old murder suspect is seeking half the equity in the couple’s home, which is estimated to be worth “at least $1.9 million,” according to the filing cited by CNN.
The legal title to the home — which the couple bought in 2012 for $400,000 — was in Eric’s name, but mortgage payments were made from their joint account, the lawsuit states.
“Kouri is entitled to half of all equity in that Family Home,” according to the filing, which makes no mention of the charges she faces.
The prenup, which the couple signed on June 15, 2013, outlined several financial agreements for their marriage.
Richins also is seeking about $2 million in proceeds from the sale of Eric’s share of a stone masonry business after his death.
The agreement stated that “co-mingled marital funds may from time to time be spent on the business,” but that this would not give Kouri a right to own Eric’s half of the business, C&E Stone Masonry, LLC, ABC4 reported.
The only way she could claim ownership or rights to the company is if “[Eric] should die prior to [Kouri] while the two are lawfully married,” according to the lawsuit, the news outlet reported.
The prenup states that in the event of Eric’s death, Kouri would receive his partnership interest in C&E Stone Masonry — but prior to his death, he reportedly assigned his ownership of the business to the Eric Richins Living Trust, according to ABC4.
This interest was sold to Eric’s business partner, Cody Wright — and the proceeds of about $2 million reportedly have been put on hold by a court. Kouri claims that although Eric transferred the business interest to the trust, it does not diminish her rights to it.
Kouri also argues she is entitled to assets from Eric’s trust because it was created on Nov. 3, 2020, to provide for her and their three sons, the outlet reported.
Included in the trust were the following assets: $10 in cash, the couple’s home, C&E Stone Masonry, Eric’s interest in Fox Lake Investments, and all of his tangible personal property, according to ABC4.
Kouri claims her husband placed their home in the trust without her authorization or knowledge.
She says in her filing that even though Eric created the trust, the prenup remains in effect.
“We executed a prenuptial agreement on June 15, 2013, which has not been revoked or amended,” she reportedly states in the lawsuit.
The filing also claims that Eric’s will required that all of his estates be given to the trust and administered under the terms of the trust.
“This will complies with the prenuptial agreement my wife and I signed on June 15, 2013,” Eric reportedly said in his will, according to the news outlet.
Kouri wrote the tear-jerker “Are You With Me?” a year after she allegedly killed Eric Richins, 39, with a fentanyl-laced Moscow Mule.
He had suspected that she was carrying on an extramarital affair, family attorney Greg Skordas has said.
Eric had previously told a friend he believed Kouri was trying to poison him after he became sick following a Valentine’s Day dinner the month before his death.
He died a day before she closed on a $2 million deal to buy a 22,000-square-foot home — a deal for which he had allegedly refused to pay.
Kouri is charged with first-degree aggravated murder and multiple counts of second-degree possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
