ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. – A judge has determined that there is more than enough evidence to charge James Craig—an ex-Aurora dentist suspected of poisoning his wife in 2023—with a crime. Prosecutors also claim that Craig sought out the murder of the lead detective overseeing the case while in prison.
Judicial Outcome and Future Actions
The judge on Friday’s preliminary hearing stated that Craig’s attempted letters he tried to submit as his deceased wife’s were a convincing piece of evidence for the prosecution. In addition, she also noted the details in the letters, the background information, and Craig’s actual contact with the inmate he tried to involve.
Not guilty pleas were made by Craig for the new indictments, which are:
- Solicitation to commit murder
- Solicitation to commit perjury
Pre-trial hearings are scheduled for June 27 at 8:30 a.m., and jury selection will take place July 10-11. The trial will last from July 14 to August 1.
Wife Murder Poisoning Allegations
Craig was the owner of the Summerbrook Dental Group and was charged a few days post the death of Angela Craig on the 18th of March 2023. The autopsy suggests her being poisoned by cyanide as well as the other active compound in lethal drops for the eyes.
As mentioned in the 52-page arrest affidavit, Angela’s unexplained signs of sickness during the early and mid-March of 2023 were a clear-cut case of some pathology. The patient in question was hospitalized multiple times, but the doctors could never figure out what her problem was.
One of the many significant pieces of information that came out of the investigation was when one of the hospital workers received an instruction that Angela may have been poisoned. She was put in an intensive care unit but by the 16th of March, 2023, doctors were already firm in their decision that there were no signs of brain activity. She was declared brain dead on the 18th of March at 4:29 p.m.
Information from Search Warrants
Later, officials searched for Craig’s dental clinic and discovered internet queries about poisons such as:
“Is it possible to kill a human with arsenic in grams?”
“Can arsenic be discovered in an autopsy?”
He also attempted to search for chemical dealers in Aurora and watched videos on YouTube concerning poisons such as “Top 5 Undetectable Poisons That Show No Signs Of Foul Play.”
Moreover, police found messages between Craig and another woman with whom they exchanged messages that had elements of “intimacy and sexual suggestiveness.” These conversations contained details of the journeys which made the investigators suspicious that Craig could be cheating.
These orders for arsenic and cyanide also served as supporting evidence against his suspicions of being guilty of Angela’s death.
Doubts Concerning the Poisoned Protein Shakes
One witness told the police that Angela and Craig used to train together, and before the sessions, Craig would make protein shakes for Angela. After consuming them, she often reported feelings of dizziness and faintness. The investigators are working under the assumption that Craig poisoned the shakes, which is what resulted in her death.
Prison Sentencing Claims of Murder for Hire
Initially, Craig was charged with first-degree murder, but after some months, in November of 2023, Craig was charged with even more severe allegations when the prosecutors discovered a supposed murder-for-hire scheme.
From October 19, 2023, to November 15, 2023, Craig allegedly attempted to solicit another inmate at Arapahoe County Jail to murder an Aurora police detective who was handling his case.
In May 2024, the lead case investigator, Detective Bobbi Olson, testified that she saw Craig approach the inmate offering him free bail money or dental work in return for him placing some suspicious letters in his house that would purportedly make it seem that Angela was suicidal due to his affair.
But instead of aiding Craig, the inmate informed the authorities.
Other Claims
Prosecutors now also claim that Craig attempted to solicit other inmates to help him find women who would lie on the stand and claim that they had affairs with him, which he could then use to argue that Angela tried to frame him out of jealousy.
