Eric Richins’ first wife was Julie Ann Jorgenson, a Utah graduate student who died at age 26 on January 6, 2011. Eric married Julie in 2005, and she passed away in 2011. Her name is sometimes spelled “Jorgensen” in news reports.
Eric Richins was a Utah stone mason and father of three. He became widely known after his death in March 2022, when his second wife, Kouri Richins, was charged with his murder. Searches for the Eric Richins first wife often lead people to Kouri, but she was his second wife. This article covers the first one, Julie Jorgenson, and what is publicly known about her life and death.
Who Was Julie Jorgenson, Eric Richins’ First Wife?
Julie Ann Jorgenson was 26 when she died, and she was a graduate student at Westminster College. Her exact date of birth and hometown have not been published in the sources we reviewed. Her education is the clearest detail about her early life. A woman in graduate school at 26 was working toward a professional future.
Eric was born on May 13, 1982, in Bountiful, Utah. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of Utah. That makes him around 23 in 2005, when the couple married.
Julie Jorgenson’s Career and Professional Life
Julie’s professional career is not publicly documented. News reports describe her only as a graduate student, so she was likely still in school when she died. No net worth or earnings have been reported, and we won’t guess. She was a private person, and most of what the public knows comes from reports about her death.
How Did Eric Richins and Julie Meet?
The couple’s courtship has never been told in public. We know the timeline only through the dates they were married. They wed in 2005. One account says Eric divorced his first wife in 2009. A true-crime podcast also notes that Eric’s first marriage ended in divorce before he met Kouri Darden.
There is no public record of an engagement story or how they met. Anyone claiming those details should be treated with caution.
Marriage and Wedding Details
Julie and Eric were married for about four years, from 2005 to 2009. The location and wedding details haven’t been published.
Their divorce gets more attention than their wedding. When Eric married Kouri on June 15, 2013, it came with a prenuptial agreement. That has led some writers to link the prenup to his earlier divorce. This is a reasonable reading, but it is an interpretation, not a confirmed fact.
What Happened to Julie Jorgenson? The 2011 Crash
Julie’s death happened two years after the divorce, and it was unrelated to Eric. On a Thursday morning, a pickup truck hit her car at 500 South and 300 East in Salt Lake City, and her vehicle caught fire. Police said she was stopped at a red light when a truck traveling about 70 mph hit her from behind, and they said the driver showed no sign of braking. The driver, Shane Roy Gillette, was booked for investigation of manslaughter or negligent homicide. In late 2012, a judge ruled he would stand trial. We did not find the outcome of that trial.
It’s worth saying clearly: Julie’s death has no connection to the 2022 death of Eric Richins.
Children and Family Life
There are no public reports of children from Eric’s first marriage. His three sons, Carter, Ashton and Weston, are from his marriage to Kouri. His obituary lists them as ages 9, 7 and 5 at the time of his death. Julie’s own family has not spoken publicly in the sources we found.
Julie Jorgenson on Social Media
No verified social media accounts for Julie Jorgenson are known, and she died in January 2011. Be careful with accounts or “tribute” pages claiming to be hers. We found nothing that confirms them.
Eric Richins’ First Wife: Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Julie Ann Jorgenson (also spelled Jorgensen) |
| Date of Birth | Not publicly reported |
| Nationality | American (Utah resident) |
| Profession | Graduate student, Westminster College |
| Married to | Eric Richins |
| Marriage Year | 2005 (divorced 2009) |
| Date of Death | January 6, 2011, age 26 |
| Children | None publicly reported |
| Net Worth | Not publicly reported |
FAQ: Eric Richins’ First Wife
Q: What was Eric Richins’ first wife’s name?
A: Eric Richins’ first wife was Julie Ann Jorgenson. Some reports spell her surname Jorgensen.
Q: How old was Julie Jorgenson when she died?
A: She was 26 when she died on January 6, 2011. Her birth date hasn’t been published.
Q: What did Julie Jorgenson do for a living?
A: She was a graduate student at Westminster College. No other career details are public.
Q: When did Eric Richins and Julie get married?
A: They married in 2005. Reports say they divorced in 2009.
Q: Did Eric Richins and Julie have children?
A: No children from this marriage have been reported. His three sons were born during his marriage to Kouri.
Conclusion
Julie Jorgenson, Eric Richins’ first wife, was a young Utah woman whose life ended far too soon. She is a footnote in a much larger case, but she was her own person: a graduate student, a wife and a victim of a tragic crash. Anyone searching for the Eric Richins first wife should know she and Kouri Richins are two different women, and Julie’s story has no link to the later case. Out of respect, the best approach is to stick to the facts that are actually on record.
