A Colorado dentist, James Craig, is accused of killing his wife, Angela Craig, by poisoning her protein shakes with cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, a substance found in over-the-counter eye drops, causing her death in March 2023. James Craig allegedly purchased poisons online just before his wife started experiencing mysterious symptoms that doctors could not explain. Police detective Bobbi Olson testified that Craig asked a fellow jail inmate to plant letters in his garage and truck to make it appear as though Angela Craig had written them to suggest suicidal thoughts. The inmate, who believed the letters were penned by Craig, was offered money for bail or free dental work in exchange for planting the letters but decided to contact law enforcement.
The defense argued that the jail inmate, who reported Craig’s solicitation to law enforcement, was not a credible witness. The inmate only contacted authorities after a hearing to review the evidence that was widely covered in the media last summer and could not accurately identify the color of Craig’s truck. Despite these objections, a judge found that there was enough evidence presented by prosecutors to also charge Craig with solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence. Craig had already been charged with first-degree murder and another count of solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence, to which he pleaded not guilty in November 2023.
In the lead-up to his wife’s death, Craig had searched online for information on whether arsenic is detectable in an autopsy and how to make a murder look like a heart attack. However, his defense may argue that the police rushed to arrest him, as he was charged with his wife’s murder just three days after her death. Craig had previously taught at the University of Missouri School of Dentistry for three years and had been practicing dentistry in the Aurora area since 2006. Neighbors of the family expressed shock over the situation, particularly for the children who lost both parents at the same time. Craig is scheduled to face trial on August 8 for the charges related to his wife’s death.
Despite the evidence presented by the prosecution, Craig’s lawyers maintain that there is no direct proof linking him to the poisoning of his wife’s protein shakes. They also accuse Detective Bobbi Olson of bias against Craig. The defense pointed out discrepancies in the inmate witness’s testimony, such as the timing of his contacting authorities and his ability to identify Craig’s truck accurately. However, the judge ruled that the prosecutors had provided sufficient evidence to proceed with the additional charge of solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence against Craig. The inmate’s identity was redacted from court documents to protect their privacy.
The case has garnered public attention due to the allegations of a husband poisoning his wife, which led to her death. The prosecution’s argument focuses on the circumstantial evidence, including Craig’s internet searches and the alleged solicitation to plant fake suicide letters. The defense, on the other hand, maintains that the case against Craig is weak and based on biases rather than concrete evidence. With the trial set for August, the legal proceedings are expected to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding Angela Craig’s death and the role her husband may have played in it. The community, including neighbors who knew the family, continues to express shock and concern for the children left behind after the tragic loss of both parents.
