Current:Home > ScamsColorado dentist accused of killing wife with poison tried to plant letters to make it look like she was suicidal, police say -Elevate Capital Network
Colorado dentist accused of killing wife with poison tried to plant letters to make it look like she was suicidal, police say
View
Date:2025-04-14 22:17:11
A dentist accused of killing his wife by putting poison in her protein shakes asked a fellow jail inmate to plant letters to make it look like his wife was suicidal, police say.
James Craig asked the inmate to put the letters in Craig's garage and truck at his home, Aurora police detective Bobbi Olson testified Wednesday at a court hearing on the new allegation against Craig, KMGH-TV reported. The inmate believed the letters were written by Craig but meant to appear as if his wife, Angela Craig, had written them, said Olson, the lead detective in the case.
Angela Craig, a 43-year-old mother of six who was married to her husband for 23 years, died in March 2023 of poisoning from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, the latter a substance found in over-the-counter eye drops, according to the coroner.
Craig is alleged to have bought poisons online just before his wife began to experience symptoms that doctors could not find a cause for. But his lawyers have argued there is no direct evidence that he put poison in his wife's shakes and have accused Olson of being biased against him.
According to Olson, Craig offered money to pay for the bond for the inmate to be released from jail or perform free dental work in exchange for planting the letters but the inmate decided not to take him up on the offer, the detective testified.
The inmate instead contacted law enforcement, she said.
The defense argued that the inmate was not a credible witness.
One of Craig's lawyers, Andrew Ho, pointed out that the inmate only contacted authorities after an initial hearing to review the evidence in the case last summer, which was widely covered by the media, and that the inmate could not accurately identify the color of Craig's truck.
However, a judge agreed prosecutors had presented enough evidence for Craig to also be tried on the new charge involving the inmate, filed last month, of solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence. The inmate's name was redacted from the document.
"Is arsenic detectable in an autopsy?"
Craig was already charged with first-degree murder and another count of solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence. He pleaded not guilty to those two charges in November 2023.
Last July, a police detective testified that Craig searched online for answers to questions such as "is arsenic detectable in an autopsy?" and "how to make murder look like a heart attack" a few weeks before she died.
Skye Lazaro, an attorney familiar with cases involving poison, told "48 Hours" contributor Natalie Morales that Craig's defense might argue that police rushed to arrest him. "It's essentially a three-day investigation," she said of the time it took police to charge him with his wife's murder.
According to a work bio and video posted online, Craig taught as an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Dentistry for three years and has been practicing dentistry in the Aurora area since 2006.
Neighbors of the family told CBS Colorado they were stunned.
"I keep praying for the kids because they lost both parents at the same time," said neighbor Karen Lucero.
Craig is scheduled to face trial on Aug. 8.
- In:
- Colorado
- Murder
veryGood! (4885)
Related
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- WWE WrestleMania 40 details: Time, how to watch, match card and more
- Many allergy sufferers rely on pollen counts to avoid the worst, but science may offer a better solution
- Alabama lottery, casino legislation heads to conference committee
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Oklahoma prepares to execute Michael DeWayne Smith for 2002 murders
- The Best Tinted Sunscreens for All Skin Types, Get a Boost of Color & Protect Your Skin All at Once
- Jack Smith argues not a single Trump official has claimed he declared any records personal
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Suits’ Wendell Pierce Shares This Advice for the Cast of Upcoming Spinoff
Ranking
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- '9-1-1' stars Angela Bassett, Jennifer Love Hewitt can't believe the 'crazy' 100th episode
- Pickup rollover crash kills 3, injures 5 in northern Arizona
- South Carolina governor undergoes knee surgery for 2022 tennis injury
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- Warren Sapp's pay at Colorado revealed as graduate assistant football coach
- Horoscopes Today, April 3, 2024
- Wolf kills a calf in Colorado, the first confirmed kill after the predator’s reintroduction
Recommendation
Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
Judge refuses to delay Trump's hush money trial while Supreme Court weighs presidential immunity
Sarah Paulson Shares Her Take on the Nepo Baby Debate
Courageous K-9 killed while protecting officer from MS-13 gang members during Virginia prison attack, officials say
Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
Customer points gun on Burger King employee after getting a discounted breakfast, police say
As more storms approach California, stretch of scenic Highway 1 that collapsed is closed again
Without Lionel Messi, Inter Miami falls 2-1 to Monterrey in first leg of Champions Cup