A high-profile murder trial is set to begin Monday in Colorado, where prosecutors are accusing a local dentist of poisoning his wife’s protein shakes with cyanide while secretly plotting a new life with his lover. James Toliver Craig, 47, is charged with first-degree murder after deliberation in the March 2023 death of his wife, Angela Craig, a mother of six. The trial, expected to last about three weeks, has drawn significant public attention due to the shocking nature of the alleged crime.
According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Angela Craig began experiencing mysterious symptoms, including dizziness, vomiting, and severe headaches, in March 2023. Her condition worsened between March 6-16, 2023, leading to blurred vision, feeling ‘drugged,’ seizures, and a rapid medical decline. She was hospitalized several times before slipping into a coma and being declared brain-dead on August 18, 2023. The official cause of death was determined to be acute poisoning by cyanide and tetrahydrozoline.
The trial’s proceedings were further complicated by the involvement of James’ dental colleague, Ryan Redfearn, who reported to authorities that James may have poisoned his wife. Redfearn alleged that James had ordered potassium cyanide, a substance not used in dentistry. Once hospital staff learned of the allegations, they alerted the Aurora Police Department Major Crimes Homicide Unit. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Aurora Police Department for comment, but no additional information has been provided yet.
Court documents reveal that Craig allegedly left a chilling digital footprint, including his use of a secret email account to search for undetectable poisons and to purchase arsenic and cyanide. He also allegedly watched YouTube videos about how to kill without leaving a trace. The digital evidence has raised questions about his intent and the sophistication of his plan to eliminate his wife and start a new life with his lover.
James’ alleged affair with Karin Cain, a Texas orthodontist, came to light through emails obtained via search warrants. These emails revealed intimate conversations and plans for trips, which coincided with Angela’s severe illness in the hospital. Authorities said that James appeared to want to deliberately conceal his relationship with Cain, using a secret email address, ‘[email protected],’ which he created on February 27, 2023, to communicate with her. This email was not found on his phone, laptop, or Angela’s phone, but was only accessed on the clinic computer in dental exam room No. 9.
After allegedly learning of Angela’s condition, Karin wrote to James, expressing her sorrow for what he was going through and stating her desire to be there for him, but not to mix in with his family and pretend to be only a friend. The emails were described as ‘intimate in nature’ and ‘contained sexually explicit conversations.’ The planned trips coincided with Angela’s hospitalization, raising further concerns about the potential motives behind her poisoning.
Prosecutors argue that James wanted to eliminate his wife, with whom he shared six children, and start a new life with Cain. Their marriage was already strained before her death, with Angela having told her sister, Toni Kofoed, that she planned to leave her husband multiple times over the past 16 years. James is accused of drugging his wife about five years earlier due to his plan to die by suicide and not wanting her to stop him, according to Kofoed.
James was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, solicitation to commit murder, solicitation to commit perjury, and two counts of solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence. He allegedly offered a fellow inmate $20,000 to kill Detective Bobbi Olson, the lead investigator in his case, through jailhouse conversations recorded and reported by other inmates. Prosecutors said Craig also tried to fabricate a false suicide narrative for Angela, directing inmates to plant fake suicide letters suggesting she took her own life. He allegedly promised free dental work in exchange for cooperation, as well as money or other benefits.
James’ trial was delayed in November 2024 when attorney Harvey Steinberg withdrew from the case, citing concerns about the legal strategy James was pursuing, which he believed was unethical, possibly illegal, or fraudulent. The court granted a continuance to allow James to hire new legal counsel and for the new attorneys to review the case. The trial was rescheduled and officially begins with jury selection on Monday, July 14, and is expected to run through August 1.
This case has captured public attention due to its shocking nature and the complexity of the charges against Craig. The trial has underscored the seriousness of the alleged crime, the sophistication of his plan, and the potential implications for the legal system and the personal lives of those involved.