Grief Author Tried Poisoning Husband with Valentine's Day Sandwich Before Murder: Prosecutors

Paramedics responded to the home of Eric and Kouri Richins on March 4, 2022 after getting a call about an unresponsive male. EMS attempted to revive Eric, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy then confirmed Eric died from a fentanyl overdose -- with the medical examiner saying the levels in his system were "five times the lethal dosage."

Kouri was later arrested and accused of killing her husband after allegedly procuring a fatal amount of fentanyl from an acquaintance. This week, she was hit with 10 additional charges -- including one count of attempted criminal homicide, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, two counts of mortgage fraud, two counts of insurance fraud and three counts of forgery.

The attempted murder charge comes as prosecutors say Eric claimed he broke out in hives and blacked out after taking a bite of his favorite sandwich, which Kouri allegedly got for him from a diner and left out with a note on Valentine's Day.

He said he used his son's EpiPen and "drank a bottle of Benadryl," before texting his wife, "I'm gonna go lay down for a bit if I don't start getting better I'm gonna head to the hospital." She responded by saying, "Geez, it's that bad? Need me to come home?" -- but didn't come home, saying she was "waiting for my cabinet installer guy." Per docs, she had texted a man prosecutors refer to as her "paramour" that same day, saying she was "headed that way."

After waking up later, Eric allegedly told one witness, "I think my wife tried to poison me." He told a friend "You almost lost me" and claimed he "almost died," with the witness saying they could "hear the fear in Eric Richins' voice" and could tell he "was scared."

Per prosecutors, a housekeeper claims to have sold Kouri fentanyl the same week of the incident -- before Kouri later said they weren't strong enough and she needed "some of the Michael Jackson stuff."

The docs also include a message Kouri sent a friend three and a half months after Eric's death, expressing her shock after hearing about the poison allegations, which were mentioned previously but for which she wasn't charged until now. In the text, she wrote, "It was Valentine's Day and Eric and I were both working from home that day and I ordered lunch from [the Diner]!!!!!!!! He never broke out in hives or used an epi pen!! I was f--king with him! … He said the sandwich hurt his stomach so he was going to take a nap! No hives, no epi pen!"

As for the "paramour" cited in the docs, the man also allegedly texted Kouri "a photograph of two people kissing that was captioned, 'love you,'" hours before Eric's death. She reportedly responded by writing, "love you" with a kiss emoji.

The attorney representing Eric's family told Fox News Digital "we always knew Kouri was having an extramarital affair," saying he believes the cheating "establishes another motive besides financial for her to want Eric out of her life."

"We have reviewed the State's Amended Information filed today. There is nothing in the document that affects Kouri's approach to defending whatever charges the State levies against her," Kouri's attorney also told the outlet. "She continues to maintain her innocence."

Prosecutors also allege she owed more than $1.8 million to lenders at the time of Eric's death and say she "mistakenly believed" she thought she would come into money thanks to his estate, as well as from insurance policies she took out on her husband.