Kouri Richins' three sons have submitted statements to prosecutors asking that their mother be sentenced to life in prison after a jury convicted her of murdering their father with a fentanyl-laced drink.
The sons' filings came ahead of Richins' scheduled sentencing on May 13, the date prosecutors noted is the birthday their father would have turned, and they said they fear she would harm them if ever freed.
Prosecutors had earlier won convictions in March when a jury found Richins guilty of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, and multiple fraud and forgery counts tied to financial schemes and insurance policies, according to People.
At trial, the Summit County medical examiner testified that Eric Richins died after ingesting an amount of fentanyl described as several times a lethal dose and that the drug was ingested orally.
Prosecutors told jurors they believe Kouri Richins mixed fentanyl into a drink and earlier tried to poison her husband by spiking a sandwich on Valentine's Day, evidence jurors weighed during deliberations.
Court records show prosecutors linked Richins to attempts to obtain prescription pain pills and to financial motives, including life insurance policies and alleged mortgage and insurance fraud totaling large sums, the New York Times reported.
Defense attorneys maintained Richins' innocence during the trial, arguing the overdose could have been accidental and disputing the prosecution's theory about how fentanyl entered Eric Richins' system.
Richins, 35, faces a statutory sentencing range that includes 25 years to life or life without parole for the aggravated murder conviction, along with additional penalties for the other convictions.
Media reporting and court filings indicate defense lawyers sought a sentencing delay to assemble mitigation evidence, while prosecutors have opposed leniency given the jury's verdict and the victims' statements.
Sentencing is set for May 13 in Summit County District Court, where judges will hear victim impact statements, including the three sons' requests for life imprisonment, before imposing a final sentence under Utah law, as per NBC News.
