What Did Kouri Richins Say After Her Own Children Asked a Judge to Lock Her Up Forever?

True Crime Today

14 May 2026

Three boys — ages nine, eleven, and thirteen — had their words read into the record by therapists because they couldn't face the woman convicted of killing their father. One described being locked in his room so often he can't remember which side the lock was on. Another described becoming a parent to his younger brother because their mother was drunk or gone. The youngest said hearing Kouri's name makes him feel "hateful and ashamed." Every one of them asked the judge for the same thing: keep her locked up so they can finally feel safe. Then Kouri Richins stood up for forty minutes and responded. Not with remorse. Not with acknowledgment. She told her sons they've been manipulated into believing what happened to their father. She attacked the family raising them. She told them to "ignore the noise" — meaning the truth they finally feel safe enough to speak. And she repeated "be like your dad," over and over, about the man a jury found she poisoned for money. Judge Richard Mrazik sentenced Kouri to life without the possibility of parole on what would have been Eric's forty-fourth birthday. He called her "simply too dangerous to ever be free." Every remaining count runs consecutive. Tony Brueski examines the psychological gap between what those boys said and how Kouri responded — the selective empathy, the narrative control, and the post-conviction message to an "admirer" that proves the performance isn't over. It's just moved to a smaller stage. Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice. #KouriRichins #EricRichins #RichinsSentencing #HiddenKillers #LifeWithoutParole #TrueCrime #ParkCityUtah #TrueCrimePodcast #RichinsAllocution #JusticeForEric