On the night of March 15, 2023, Angela Craig She was urgently admitted to the University Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. It was the third time in less than two weeks that he had found himself in that situation. At 43 years old, mother of six children, Angela complained of dizziness, headaches and fatigue that weakened her day by day. But this time, the symptoms brought her to the brink of death. Three days later, she was declared brain dead and taken off life support.
her husband, James Craig, a well-known local dentist and respected in the community, seemed heartbroken. He cried in front of the doctors and in front of his business partners, but when James’ name came up in the police investigation, the story that emerged was one of manipulation, poison and betrayal.
The case began on March 6, 2023, when Angela Craig, a 43-year-old mother of six, began to feel unwell. He experienced dizziness, nausea and severe headaches. That morning, James had made her a protein shake, part of the couple’s daily routine. Hours later, Angela called him from home. His message was brief but disturbing: “My eyes can’t focus. “I feel drugged.”
Craig, in his role as concerned husband, took her to Parker Adventist Hospital. Doctors were unable to find an obvious cause and Angela was discharged.. But history repeated itself a few days later, when he again presented similar symptoms.
On March 15, after another protein shake prepared by Craig, Angela was admitted for the third time, but this time she did not come out alive. The doctors were baffled. James, meanwhile, tried to prevent an autopsy from being carried out, suggesting he had suffered enough. However, the Arapahoe coroner did not grant his request.
On March 15, Angela was admitted to University Hospital after her symptoms severely escalated. There she was connected to life support. James Craig remained with his wife for the first few days, but according to hospital records, he left the hospital during the night of March 15. The next dayAngela suffered seizures and her vital signs plummeted. He died on March 18, without doctors initially being able to determine the exact cause of his rapid deterioration.
Once the autopsy was performed, the forensic experts found lethal levels of cyanide and tetrahydrozolinea compound commonly found in eye drops. Besides, They detected arsenic in his bodysuggesting that Angela had been exposed to the poison for days or even weeks before her death.
The police investigation revealed a series of alarming searches on Craig’s computer in the weeks before Angela’s deterioration. Craig had researched “undetectable poisons” and “how many grams of pure arsenic kill a person”. In addition, he had seen videos titled “Top 5 poisons that leave no trace,” authorities reported.
The key discovery that triggered Craig’s arrest was a package that arrived at his dental clinic, Summerbrook Dental, just days before Angela’s final hospitalization. The package, marked as “potassium cyanide”was accidentally opened by an employee, who notified Ryan Redfearn, Craig’s business partner. Redfearn, bewildered by the content, immediately informed the authorities, according to official reports.
After Angela’s death, Craig asked that an autopsy not be performed. However, the forensic experts ignored this request and proceeded to carry it out, discovering the toxicological evidence that subsequently supported the murder accusation.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that Craig had an extramarital relationship with Karin Cain, an orthodontist from Texas. Craig and Cain met at a dental conference in Las Vegas, where they began a relationship that remained active until Angela’s hospitalization. Craig used an email under the pseudonym “Jim and Waffles” to exchange messages with Cain. Cain even traveled to Colorado to meet Craig while Angela was in the hospital, the investigation revealed.
Although Cain has stated that he had no knowledge of Craig’s plans, his emails reflect that he was aware of Angela’s serious condition. In one of them, Cain wrote: “I am praying for you and what you are going through. God will give you wisdom in these difficult times. I love you”.
In addition to the extramarital affair, prosecutors highlighted Craig’s debts as a possible motive. Summerbrook Dental had entered bankruptcy in 2020, with Craig facing more than $2 million in liabilities. Angela’s life insurance policy was valued at $3.4 millionwhich could have been a solution to Craig’s financial problems.
Craig’s defense has argued that the cyanide and arsenic were purchased with the intention to commit suicidenot to murder his wife. It has been revealed that Craig has a history of depression and had mentioned to a friend his intention to end his life using undetectable poisons. In addition, Craig would have confessed to Angela years before that he had sedated her during a mental health crisis to prevent her from stopping him in a previous suicide attempt, reported CBS.
A key element in defense strategy is the lack of direct evidence showing that Craig put poison in Angela’s smoothies. Laboratory tests conducted at the family’s home found no traces of cyanide or arsenic in the protein containers or containers used to prepare the shakes, the report said. CBS.
However, the dentist now faces new charges after being accused of plan from prison murder of one of the detectives who led the investigation against him. Craig, 45, allegedly tried to convince a cellmate to commit the crime. Prosecutors in the 18th Judicial District filed two additional charges: solicitation to commit first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, according to CNN.
The plot was discovered shortly after Craig pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife, Angela Craig, who died in March 2023. The prosecutor in the case has maintained secrecy about the details of the conspiracy, limiting himself to confirming the existence of evidence linking Craig to this attempted murder. Neither Aurora police nor prosecutors have revealed the name of Craig’s target detective, but the investigation is known to remain active, according to reports from CNN.
This new twist in the case occurred just one day after Harvey SteinbergCraig’s defense attorney, will request to withdraw from the defense. Steinberg argued that his client had insisted on actions that he considered “disgusting” y “contrary to their professional ethics”confirmed CNN. The lawyer’s withdrawal has put the case on hold, with the trial postponed indefinitely until Craig finds new legal representation.
