It has been two years since Kouri Richins last spoke to her three sons.
Shortly after she was arrested and charged with murdering her husband Eric Richins, the father of the three children, her in-laws blocked all communication between Kouri and the boys.
On Wednesday, Kouri and her in-laws met in court for her sentencing hearing, which ended with the judge ordering Kouri to serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Kouri spoke in court Wednesday — but unlike most defendants, she did not use her time to proclaim her innocence or lobby for a shorter sentence, and instead delivered a 45-minute-long message to her three sons.
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Dressed in a fluorescent yellow prison jumpsuit, Kouri began by expressing her love for her sons, while also detailing the measures she claims her in-laws have taken to sever her ties to them.
“The one thing I need you boys to know… I did not abandon you. I did not just walk out of your lives one day to never return. To never call. Never show up,” Kouri said. “Regardless of what anyone tells you, I would never, ever leave you boys.”
She claimed that for more than two years, every birthday gift, Christmas card and letter she sent to her sons was returned to her in jail. Her attempts to call the children were also rejected.
Kouri refrained from speaking ill of her husband’s family, and while continuing to claim she played no role in her husband’s death, she did admit to being a flawed person.
“I have done plenty of things I’m not proud of,” Kouri said in court. “I said things I shouldn’t have … there are things I can’t change, and long overdue apologies that I owe.”
She urged the boys to use those moments when they do make mistakes as opportunities to grow.
Kouri then spoke about her marriage, and the struggles she and Eric faced during his lifetime, saying:
“We failed at some things,” she said. “ But we never failed at loving you boys. Our love was enough to make our house a home.”
Kouri then looked to the future, and spoke about the kind of men she hoped her sons would one day become.
“Don’t take the easy way out. Always stand up for what’s right, even if you find yourself standing alone, or with a small group of people that love you. Believe in yourself and be brave. Never give up on your fighting,” she said through tears.
“You be loyal to one another, and you keep each other safe, and healthy, and happy,” she continued. “And you stay together no matter what. You have each other’s backs.”
Moments after Kouri ended her remarks, she learned her fate: life in prison without the possibility of parole. Her three sons had asked for the harshest sentence, saying they were “scared” their mother would “hurt” them if ever released from prison.
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.
The judge concluded his remarks by expressing his hope that everyone involved in the case would eventually “find their way to a state of peace.”
Kouri will now be transferred to a Utah state prison pending a stay as her defense team has already announced that they will be filing an appeal.
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