Court Moment: Kouri Richins was seen laughing as her sister-in-law cried, only to lose control emotionally 5 minutes later

Richins will spend the rest of her life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of her husband Eric Richins, in March 2022

“Today is a somber occasion,” a spokesperson for the Summit County Attorney’s Office (SCAO) said after the sentencing hearing. “It is a day to remember and honor Eric Richins and all those who loved him and feel his loss.”

The spokesperson then said that the SCAO would be making no additional statements at this time.

Kouri Richins.

East Idaho News/YouTube

The judge openly debated whether or not to sentence Kouri to 25 years to life or life without parole in court, ultimately determining that he would sentence her to life without the possibility of parole for the sake of her three sons, who had asked for the harshest sentence.

She also received a sentence of five years to life for attempted murder, one to 15 years for each count of insurance fraud and up to five years for felony forgery, with those four sentences to run consecutively.

He said that his wish is that everyone involved in the case would eventually “find their way to a state of peace.”

Prosecutors argued at trial that Kouri murdered her husband for his money, believing she would come to inherit his multimillion-dollar estate along with approximately $2 million in life insurance.

Kouri had collected $1.39 million in insurance payouts following Eric’s death, but prosecutors are now asking the court to order her to pay restitution to those companies equal to the amount she received. In the sentencing memo filed with the court, prosecutors also said that Kouri still has life insurance policies on her three sons

Among the victim impact statements read in court ahead of Kouri’s sentencing were three written by her sons.

Many in the courtroom could be seen wiping away tears as the sons spoke about losing their father — and the fear they have of their mother and what she might do to them if released from prison.

Kouri sat largely emotionless as her sons’ statements were read, and yet when others delivered their statements — often through tears — Kouri could be seen making animated faces in the background.

Prior to that, she was seen laughing as her former sister-in-law spoke about losing her job and suffering a miscarriage amid her grief from Eric’s death.

Kouri did, however, shed tears later when her brother spoke on her behalf, and as she addressed the court for 45 minutes. During her address, she spent the entire time reading a message she had written specifically for her three sons.

The defense announced that they would be filing a motion for a new trial immediately after the sentence was read, and asked for a 30-day extension to do so. The judge ordered the lawyers to file a formal motion regarding their request for an extension of time in the next 14 days, at which time he would consider the matter.

Kouri was then remanded to the Utah prison system and escorted from the courtroom.