A dentist arrested in the murder of his wife and mother of his six children is said to have searched for toxins undetectable in an autopsy before dousing his wife’s protein shakes with arsenic and cyanide to start a new life with his lover.
James Toliver Craig, 45, of Aurora, Colo., used a shared computer at his workplace to conduct several online searches for poison before his wife Angela, 43, died in hospital this week, according to the warrant.
Searches on YouTube and Google included “how many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human.” ‘Is arsenic detectable in the autopsy?’ “Top 5 Undetectable Poisons That Show No Signs of Foul Play,” “How To Make Poison,” and “Top 10 Deadliest Plants (They Can Kill You).”
Craig simultaneously exchanged “intimate” and “sexually explicit” emails with an Austin, Texas orthodontist and flew the woman to him while his wife fought for her life in the hospital before doctors turned off her life support.
The affidavit said Craig plans to: “End his wife’s life by finding ways to kill someone undetected, providing her with poisons consistent with her hospital symptoms, and working to start a new life.” begin [his lover].’
James Toliver Craig was arrested for murder on Sunday after detectives found his wife Angela Craig, 43, had been fatally poisoned
James and Angela Craig pose for a family photo with their six children, aged eight to 20
The dentist allegedly ordered the arsenic online on February 27 and received a package at home on March 4, said police, who arrested him on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Angela soon developed symptoms of dizziness and a headache and visited a hospital several times before being admitted for the last time on Wednesday March 15, but doctors could not determine the cause of her illness and family members thought it was a sinus infection.
Craig reportedly told an office manager on March 6 he was expecting a package and would not open it, the affidavit said.
He reportedly gave Angela “extra protein” before practice that morning “because she felt sluggish,” but it landed her in the hospital.
“After training, Angela became weak and dizzy, and eventually James took Angela to the hospital,” the affidavit reads.
Angela returned to the hospital on March 9th and was discharged on March 14th as the cause of her symptoms was a mystery.
Craig’s second package arrived at work on March 13, and when a worker opened the box, she found a biohazard label and a canister marked “potassium cyanide.”
She googled the chemical compound and found that the symptoms of cyanide poisoning were similar to the symptoms Angela was experiencing.
When the clerk heard that Angela had been hospitalized again on March 15, she told Craig’s business partner of her shock discovery, and he then told a nurse during a visit to check on her.
The nurse called the police and her death was investigated by Major Crimes Homicide detectives, who determined that she was poisoned.
“As duty reporter, the nurse called the police and an investigation followed,” the affidavit reads.
Angela’s condition deteriorated rapidly when she began to suffer from seizures and at 2pm on March 16 she was put on a ventilator in intensive care.
Craig told investigators that his wife had intentionally overdosed on opioids since filing for divorce in December 2022.
Police searched his home and business and confiscated protein powder, shakers, a computer tablet, phones and two Ziploc bags of powdered substances.
Craig was a practicing dentist and part of the Summerbrook dental practice in Colorado, which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2021
Craig’s internet history showed that he placed an Amazon order for “Arsenic Metal 99.9999% Crystalline Metalloid 10 Grams for Element Collection” among other poisons he ordered online
Analysis of data from his devices revealed the chilling searches he’d conducted online, including a $13 Amazon order for “Arsenic Metal 99.9999% Crystalline Metalloid 10 Grams for Element Collection.”
When police combed his e-mail account [email protected], they found more poison purchases, according to the affidavit.
On March 9th there was an order from Midland Scientific for Sigma 207810-25G, which is the technical term for potassium cyanide.
Emails between Craig and a Midland Scientific employee requesting additional information for the order show that the dentist claimed he was a surgeon performing craniofacial reconstruction.
Craig also attempted to purchase 3 oleandrin 1mg worth $330 from AdooQ Bio Science but the police intercepted the order.
Angela was pronounced dead at 4.29pm on March 18 after doctors decided to turn off her life support.
Craig flew the woman with whom he exchanged sexually explicit messages from Texas to Colorado while Angela was on life support.
“It appears that James flew this woman to Denver while his wife and the mother of his children were dying in the hospital,” police said.
Craig had told the vendor of the poison that he was a surgeon and intended to use the potassium cyanide in a medical procedure.
He gave the seller his dental license number and work email to order the poison.
Text messages Craig sent to his wife Angela while she was in the hospital after he allegedly poisoned her
A person close to Angela Craig’s family told the Daily Beast that she is a “phenomenal woman, outgoing, and the best mom anyone could ask for.”
“She was very supportive of her husband and even worked in his practice when he was in financial difficulty.”
Craig and his practice, Summerbrook Dental, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2021, according to court filings.
The couple had been married for more than 20 years and are parents to six children – five girls and one boy – ranging in age from eight to 20.
The person who spoke to the beast said, ‘One of her brothers who lives in Salt Lake went out to be with her.’
Until she was admitted to the hospital, there was no reason to suspect third-party negligence.
But after Angela was hospitalized, James apparently made himself scarce.
“He hadn’t been around the family much in the past few days,” which “has raised some suspicion,” the source said.
In a 2021 press release, Craig described himself as “happily married” to Angela.
The press release went on to say that the couple “have six children and all enjoy the outdoors, particularly camping, snowboarding, fishing, hiking, rock climbing and mountain biking.”
“They also enjoy visiting theme parks and often travel to Disney, Universal and Sea World.”
It was also noted that James Craig volunteered with WE CAN HELP, an anti-bullying program sponsored by the Denver Police Department.
Poisoning is a rare murder method. According to studies, poisoning accounts for less than 0.5 percent of cases.