ANGELA CRAIG: Colorado vs. Dentist James Toliver Craig for poisoning murder wife, mom to 6

Colorado dentist accused of poisoning wife and mom of 6 after ‘heinous, complex and calculated’ crime leaves her brain dead​

March 20, 2023
A 45-year-old dentist in Colorado faces charges of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, a mother of six children, after severe headaches left her brain dead, investigators said over the weekend.

According to the Aurora Police Department, James Toliver Craig was taken into custody early Sunday morning, days after he allegedly drove his 43-year-old wife to the hospital.

Shortly after arriving at the hospital, the wife’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and she was placed on a ventilator in an intensive care unit. She was declared medically brain dead a short time later.” further investigation revealed that the victim’s sudden death was linked to poison.

Although authorities did not immediately identify the victim, a since-removed website for Craig’s Summerbrook Dental practice said her name was Angela. A Law&Crime search of the Wayback Machine-archived version of that website shows that Dr. Jim Craig called himself and Angela “the proud parents of six great kids”:

Colorado dentist accused of poisoning wife and mom of 6 in 'heinous, complex and calculated murder'

A Colorado dentist is accused of murdering his wife, a mother of six children, after severe headaches linked to poison left her brain dead, investigators say.

lawandcrime.com

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Colorado dentist charged with poisoning wife who was declared brain dead days after hospitalized for headaches​

Colorado dentist charged with murder in ‘complex and calculated’ poisoning death of his wife​

There was evidence to suggest James Toliver Craig, 45, was “working on starting a new life” with another woman, a police affidavit says.

Colorado dentist is accused in wife's poisoning death

There was evidence to suggest James Toliver Craig, 45, was “working on starting a new life” with another woman, a police affidavit says.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Guess Who]

Of course he did. Plead not guilty I mean. Basically all do.

waiting for his attorney to start screaming about botched investigation any time now and how prosecution didn't do this or that for them, etc.

 

[GrandmaBear]

waiting for his attorney to start screaming about botched investigation any time now and how prosecution didn't do this or that for them, etc.

Yeah, that's a normal expectation these days without a doubt.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Defense attorney wants key evidence tossed in Aurora dentist | News | denvergazette.com

Defense attorneys want key evidence tossed in murder trial of Aurora dentist​

Less than three months before the start of a first-degree murder trial of an Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife, an Arapahoe County district judge is deciding whether or not to admit some key evidence in the case.

On Tuesday, James Craig's attorneys argued to suppress Google searches found on the dentist's work computer for several poisons and whether or not they were detectable. Those queries were discovered by detectives through searching the hard drive of an office computer but made from an account called jimandwaffles@gmail.com. The account was a new one, created on Feb. 27, three weeks before Angela Craig died.

During their search, detectives also played a YouTube video accessed through jimandwaffles@gmail.com which showed The top 5 undetectable poisons showing no signs of foul play, according to the arrest affidavit.

Some of these searches, the defense said, were discovered illegally by investigators whom they contend went “beyond the scope” of what they asked for in the search warrant.

But Deputy District Attorney Michael Mauro called that defense a “strawman argument,” contending that Craig’s attorneys were using “hypertechnical construction of the language in the warrant." He argued that the search complied with the warrant.

Prosecutors say that some the searches were originally done on a computer in a back room, based on an eyewitness who said she saw Craig using it after-hours.

Sunnybrook Dental Group's office manager, Caitlyn Romero, told police that she saw Craig in a dark back examination room "doing something" on computer #9 March 6, "the day Angela became sick," which she said was "odd," according to the arrest warrant. Thirty minutes after he left, she said that Craig texted her and asked her not to open a personal package which would be delivered to the office.

March 13, the package arrived and was and opened by an employee despite Craig’s direction that the parcel remain intact. In the package was a cylinder labeled Potassium Cyanide.


Eighteenth Judicial District Judge Shay Whitaker did not rule on the motion to suppress the searches, but said she would make an order soon.

Craig's trial is set for April 23, with jury selection starting April 19 and it could last until at least May 7.

 

[GrandmaBear]

waiting for his attorney to start screaming about botched investigation any time now and how prosecution didn't do this or that for them, etc.

Where ARE YOU? Haven't seen you on any case threads in some time. I hope all is okay.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Witness illness postpones trial for dentist accused of poisoning his wife

James Craig's defense team also challenged multiple pieces of electronic evidence.

www.9news.com

Witness illness postpones trial for dentist accused of poisoning his wife​

The Aurora dentist accused of killing his wife by poisoning her with cyanide and Visine will not go to trial until late summer after the judge granted a motion to continue it Friday morning.

James Craig's trial was set to begin next month but will now begin on Aug. 8. Attorneys for Craig said a key witness to their case suffered a stroke earlier this year and is currently unable to testify as he recovers.


Craig is next due in court on April 16 for a motions hearing. He's being held on a $10 million cash-only bond.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Aurora dentist accused of fatally poisoning wife faces new charges of asking daughter to help cover up crime

Investigators allege James Craig bought arsenic and cyanide days before his wife was poisoned to death, searched online about how to poison someone, was having an affair and faced financial difficu…

www.denverpost.com

Aurora dentist accused of fatally poisoning wife faces new charges of asking daughter to help cover up crime​

Prosecutors on Wednesday outlined two new charges against Craig — two counts of solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence — in an amended complaint filed in Arapahoe County District Court. The charges will become official once a judge approves the amended complaint.

In addition to first-degree murder, he is now also accused of attempting to persuade one of his daughters to tamper with physical evidence in order to facilitate a crime between March 18, 2023, and March 31, 2023, the amended complaint states.

He is also accused of attempting to persuade a second person to cover up evidence between March 18, 2023, and June 15, 2023, the complaint states. The document does not include any additional detail on the nature of the requests, and the second person’s connection to Craig was not immediately clear.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

DA: Aurora dentist accused of killing asked inmate to plant evidence in exchange for free dental work

An Aurora dentist accused of killing his wife by poisoning her protein shakes allegedly asked a fellow inmate to plant evidence in exchange for free dental work.

www.denver7.com

DA: Aurora dentist accused of killing asked inmate to plant evidence in exchange for free dental work​

An Aurora dentist accused of killing his wife by poisoning her protein shakes allegedly asked a fellow inmate to plant evidence in exchange for free dental work.


The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office filed a motion on April 10 to add a third count against Craig — an additional solicitation to tamper with physical evidence charge. Craig appeared in court Wednesday to discuss that third charge.

The sole witness called was Aurora Police Detective Bobbi Olson, the lead detective on the case. Olson testified that she spoke with an inmate who was incarcerated alongside Craig.

According to the detective, Craig told the other inmate about the charges he faces and asked the inmate to place letters in his garage and truck at his home. Olson testified that the letters were written from inside the jail and were meant to appear as if Angela had written them.

According to Olson, the letters were supposed to convey that Angela was not happy with life, was suicidal and had learned about her husband's affair. The intent was for law enforcement or defense attorneys to find the letters, Olson testified.

The inmate was allegedly under the impression that Craig wrote the letters. According to the detective, in exchange for placing the letters, Craig offered the inmate free dental work or money for bond. The inmate did not take Craig up on the offer, Olson said, and instead contacted law enforcement.

Defense attorneys argued that the inmate is not a credible witness.

Andrew Ho went through a line of questioning, showing the inmate did not accurately identify the color of Craig's truck and was given a deferred judgment and sentence from the district attorney's office. Ho also pointed out that the inmate only contacted authorities after Craig's initial preliminary hearing when there was ample media coverage surrounding the case.

Craig's defense argued the inmate is unreliable evidence and violates Craig's due process rights. However, the judge ruled the prosecution established probable cause and met their burden of proof.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

'Most damning evidence' yet against Aurora dentist in wife's murder case

The case against a former Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife in March 2023 has grown darker. In motions filed last month, prosecutors revealed text messages between James Craig and a woman they referred to as his "mistress"as “the most damning evidence” against the father of six so far.

denvergazette.com

'Most damning evidence' yet against Aurora dentist in wife's murder case​

The case against a former Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife in March 2023 has grown darker.

In motions filed last month, prosecutors revealed text messages between James Craig, 45, and a woman they referred to as his "mistress" as “the most damning evidence” against the father of six so far.

Craig is accused of first-degree murder, among other charges, in the high-profile alleged murder of his wife, Angela Craig. The case has received national media attention.

According to court documents, in the months leading up to Mrs. Craig’s death, her husband asked a woman with whom he appeared to be romantically involved to help him kill her.

On Feb. 2, 2023, he wrote Carrie Hageseth: "Do you know anyone who can help me with my problem down here? I can pay handsomely. I want to be with you.”

The next day, Craig suggested that “hitting up a homeless person actually sounds like the only choice right now.” He added: “I feel so trapped,” according to court documents.


In the numerous text message exchanges, Craig described himself as being “not suicidal” and "frustrated," but he never mentioned his wife’s name, according to the documents obtained by The Denver Gazette.

Craig told Hageseth he had plenty of money and knew that she needed cash to raise her children, according to the prosecution’s motion.

“I feel completely stuck and hopeless and helpless, especially when I think about how you can’t feed your kids, and you are on the brink of homelessness. I hate that!”

Hageseth was approached Feb. 21, 2024 by Olson and a Fort Collins police officer whom she trusted after attending a hearing of her own in Larimer County.

She interviewed with them that day at the courthouse and at the Fort Collins police station, according to a defense motion which accused investigators of coercing the interrogations and unlawfully downloading her cellphone information.

During the four-hour police station interview, Hageseth said that at first James Craig joked with her, which she liked, but then in late November or early December of 2022, he started talking about how he “wanted to get rid” of his wife by injecting an untraceable substance “with potassium in its name,” according to the prosecution’s motion.

In the texts, he repeatedly referred to “his problem.” On Valentine's Day 2023, he wrote Hageseth four times asking for help and maintained "It should NOT be this hard!" On Feb. 15, 2023, he wrote, "I want to bless your life."

Hageseth told investigators that Craig had several phone numbers, including Google Voice numbers, and brought up killing his wife “at least five times,” the motion stated, and mentioned that Craig had bought a car for her daughter.

Eighteenth Judicial District Attorney John Kellner denied that the interviews were coerced, noting in his motion that Hageseth spoke with detectives voluntarily.

 

[Kimster]

'Most damning evidence' yet against Aurora dentist in wife's murder case

The case against a former Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife in March 2023 has grown darker. In motions filed last month, prosecutors revealed text messages between James Craig and a woman they referred to as his "mistress"as “the most damning evidence” against the father of six so far.

denvergazette.com

'Most damning evidence' yet against Aurora dentist in wife's murder case​

The case against a former Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife in March 2023 has grown darker.

In motions filed last month, prosecutors revealed text messages between James Craig, 45, and a woman they referred to as his "mistress" as “the most damning evidence” against the father of six so far.

Craig is accused of first-degree murder, among other charges, in the high-profile alleged murder of his wife, Angela Craig. The case has received national media attention.

According to court documents, in the months leading up to Mrs. Craig’s death, her husband asked a woman with whom he appeared to be romantically involved to help him kill her.

On Feb. 2, 2023, he wrote Carrie Hageseth: "Do you know anyone who can help me with my problem down here? I can pay handsomely. I want to be with you.”

The next day, Craig suggested that “hitting up a homeless person actually sounds like the only choice right now.” He added: “I feel so trapped,” according to court documents.


In the numerous text message exchanges, Craig described himself as being “not suicidal” and "frustrated," but he never mentioned his wife’s name, according to the documents obtained by The Denver Gazette.

Craig told Hageseth he had plenty of money and knew that she needed cash to raise her children, according to the prosecution’s motion.

“I feel completely stuck and hopeless and helpless, especially when I think about how you can’t feed your kids, and you are on the brink of homelessness. I hate that!”

Hageseth was approached Feb. 21, 2024 by Olson and a Fort Collins police officer whom she trusted after attending a hearing of her own in Larimer County.

She interviewed with them that day at the courthouse and at the Fort Collins police station, according to a defense motion which accused investigators of coercing the interrogations and unlawfully downloading her cellphone information.

During the four-hour police station interview, Hageseth said that at first James Craig joked with her, which she liked, but then in late November or early December of 2022, he started talking about how he “wanted to get rid” of his wife by injecting an untraceable substance “with potassium in its name,” according to the prosecution’s motion.

In the texts, he repeatedly referred to “his problem.” On Valentine's Day 2023, he wrote Hageseth four times asking for help and maintained "It should NOT be this hard!" On Feb. 15, 2023, he wrote, "I want to bless your life."

Hageseth told investigators that Craig had several phone numbers, including Google Voice numbers, and brought up killing his wife “at least five times,” the motion stated, and mentioned that Craig had bought a car for her daughter.

Eighteenth Judicial District Attorney John Kellner denied that the interviews were coerced, noting in his motion that Hageseth spoke with detectives voluntarily.

Yikes! Did the alleged girlfriend call LE BEFORE his wife died - I hope? I guess not, or she would be okay today.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Trial delayed for dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife with potassium cyanide

An autopsy found Angela Craig died in March 2023 after ingesting lethal amounts of cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient commonly found in Visine.

www.9news.com

Trial delayed for dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife with potassium cyanide​

The trial for a dentist accused of killing his wife by poisoning her with potassium cyanide and Visine eye drops has been pushed back several months.

The new dates were set when James Craig appeared in court Friday morning. Instead of going to trial next month, he's now set for trial in early December in connection with the death of his wife, Angela Craig.


Months after James Craig was arrested, prosecutors added a felony count of solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence. He was set to appear in court next Tuesday for a preliminary hearing related to that charge to determine if there was enough evidence to move to trial. That hearing has been pushed back to Aug. 15.

His trial for the other charges, including first-degree murder, is now set to begin on Dec. 2. James Craig's trial was previously delayed because a key witness was ill.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Aurora dentist's perjury charge hearing rescheduled in poisoning trial

James Craig, a dentist accused of poisoning his wife Angela with potassium cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, had his trial delayed until September 11. Craig is facing a fourth count of perjury after he allegedly tried to get another inmate to lie for him. Angela Craig died after being rushed to the...

denvergazette.com

Aurora dentist's perjury charge hearing rescheduled in poisoning trial​

An evidentiary hearing in the ongoing case of an Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife last year was delayed Thursday. James Craig is on trial for allegedly murdering his wife, Angela, by slipping her lethal doses of potassium cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient commonly found in eye drops.

Earlier this week, 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner amended a fourth count against Craig, which which was a solicitation to commit tampering with evidence charge, to perjury. The filing indicated that the former dentist tried to get another inmate, William Walbon, to lie for him.

Craig’s attorney Harvey Steinberg argued that the motion to amend the charge was filed two days ago, which didn’t give him enough time to prepare.

Judge Shay Whitaker agreed and set a new date for the preliminary hearing on the fourth charge of perjury for Sept. 11 in Arapahoe District Court.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Colorado dentist's murder trial put on hold after defense 'suddenly quit' prior to jury selection

A Colorado judge has delayed the trial for an Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife to death after the defense attorney suddenly quit during jury selection.

www.foxnews.com

Colorado dentist's murder trial put on hold after defense 'suddenly quit' prior to jury selection​

The murder trial for a Colorado dentist accused of poisoning his wife to death has been put on hold after the defense attorney "suddenly quit" during jury selection.

The trial has been delayed before and was set to begin Thursday with jury selection, KDVR reported. However, on Thursday morning, the defense counsel moved to withdraw from the case due to a "professional conflict," according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

The judge allowed the withdrawal under the Rule of Professional Conduct, and Craig declined to represent himself, delaying the case.


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 Nov. 2023.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 16.

 

[GrandmaBear]

WTH. He quits DURING jury selection and never knew of a professional conflict prior...? And is that even a conflict of inteest or just some conflict he has with jobs or some such?

Yet the judge allows it under the code of Professional Conduct so did he do something wrong...? Pretty vague.

And how nice of him to leave the entire case basically back at square one with trial delayed again and probably a long time before another atty will be up to speed.

Perhaps they shoud not have allowed the other delays then this wouldn't have happened.

Unless of course it was a plan and intentional. Seems though like there's probably more to it...