DENVER — A high-profile murder trial is set to commence Tuesday, centering on a Colorado dentist accused of poisoning his wife with tainted protein shakes and plotting to eliminate the lead investigator in the case. James Craig, 47, faces charges including first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife, Angela Craig, two years ago in suburban Denver.
Craig allegedly used deadly substances, including cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, the key ingredient in some over-the-counter eye drops, to carry out the act. As Angela Craig, 43, exhibited troubling symptoms like dizziness and severe headaches, Craig is accused of having purchased arsenic and, upon initial attempts to poison her not succeeding, ordering potassium cyanide. Prosecutors have pointed to internet searches made by Craig, including queries about how to disguise murder as a heart attack and the detectability of arsenic during autopsies.
Surveillance footage captured Angela Craig expressing her distress to her husband after her first hospitalization, revealing her belief that he was manipulating medical staff into questioning her mental health. “It’s your fault they treated me like I was a suicide risk, like I did it to myself,” she told him, voicing her frustration over being dismissed.
Following his arrest in 2023, Craig was accused of attempting to orchestrate the murder of the lead investigator by soliciting a fellow inmate for $20,000. Prosecutors also allege he sought to bribe others to provide false testimony suggesting that Angela had intended to take her own life.
While James Craig has entered a not guilty plea to multiple charges, which include solicitation to commit murder and perjury, his defense team has raised concerns about the credibility of the inmate’s allegations and claimed that the police exhibited bias against him throughout the investigation. They also highlighted that tests conducted on the protein shake containers yielded no evidence of poison.
Financial troubles allegedly plagued Craig around the time of his wife’s death, and prosecutors have indicated that he may have been involved in an extramarital relationship with another dentist. As of now, no clear motive for the alleged crime has been presented.
Craig is currently being held in custody as the courtroom prepares for the opening statements, which will lay the foundation for what is expected to be a complex trial. The case has drawn significant public attention given the shocking nature of the accusations and the implications surrounding a trusted member of the community.