Kouri Richins Trial: The Psychology Behind Choosing Murder Over Divorce

Why kill when you could just leave? The Kouri Richins case demands we answer that question.

Prosecutors allege Richins poisoned her husband Eric with fentanyl—and that this wasn't her first attempt. She allegedly stood to collect nearly two million dollars in life insurance while pursuing an affair. Exit strategies existed. Divorce was available. But according to prosecutors, she allegedly chose murder instead.

Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins True Crime Today to examine the psychology of partners who allegedly cross this line. With over thirty years working with both victims and perpetrators of violence, Scott breaks down the internal logic that makes murder feel rational to someone in this mindset.

We analyze the language prosecutors allege Kouri used—feeling "stuck" and "trapped" in the marriage, believing it would be "better if Eric died." What does that tell us about how she perceived her options? Was it genuine hopelessness or calculated framing?

We examine the method of poisoning itself. It's not impulsive. It requires planning, patience, and watching suffering without intervening. Multiple alleged attempts mean multiple deliberate decisions. What kind of psychology sustains that?

And we look at what prosecutors allege came after: the children's book about grief, the television appearances, the public performance of widowhood. Forensic experts describe this as performing one role while enacting its opposite. How does that compartmentalization work?

Essential psychological analysis for understanding not just what allegedly happened in this case, but why.

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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.

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