DENVER, CO - A dentist who has been accused of killing his wife by poisoning her protein shakes has now been charged with allegedly trying to get a fellow inmate to kill one of the detectives that is investigating the murder case he is the suspect of.
According to ABC News, prosecutors have filed two new charges against James Craig — solicitation to commit murder and solicitation to commit perjury. The charging documents do not state the name of the person Craig was trying to have killed, but a spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department (APD), Joe Moylan, confirmed that the alleged intended victim was a detective for the department.
As of Thursday, November 28th, online court records did not list an attorney that would be representing Craig. A judge allowed Craig's latest lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, to withdraw from the case on November 21st, after he cited a professional conflict. This happened just as Craig was about to stand trial for first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Angela Craig. The following day, prosecutors filed the two new charges against him.
According to NBC News, Craig was in jail twice with the man he allegedly sought to have murder the detective, once in May and June 2023 and again in October 2024. The inmate has not been accused of any crimes in connection with the Craig case. Multiple sources familiar with the investigation, it was reported that the detective who was the target of the alleged plot worked on the investigation into Angela Craig's death.
Craig's trial has since been delayed indefinitely. Craig, who has pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge, is scheduled to appear in court with a new lawyer on December 16th.
His wife, Angela, died in March of 2023 of poisoning from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline. The latter is a substance found in over-the-counter eye drops, as noted by the coroner. She first became sick in early March 2023 and was admitted to the hospital on March 15th with a severe headache and dizziness.
Angela later died after experiencing a severe seizure. Authorities have pointed to Craig's internet search history, which showed he sought information on whether arsenic was detectable in an autopsy. They also pointed to his online purchases. Just weeks before his wife's death, Craig ordered potassium cyanide from Amazon and had it delivered to his dental practice.
According to the warrant, when Craig's business partner learned of the purchase, he flagged it as suspicious to a nurse at the hospital where Angela was staying. There was no medical reason to buy cyanide for a dental practice, he told the nurse. The nurse, a mandatory reporter, then contacted the authorities.
At the time of her death, the couple had been married for 23 years and had six children together. Prior to the most recent two charges, Craig was also previously charged with smuggling a letter out of jail with an inmate bonded out by an adult daughter.
According to prosecutors, the letter allegedly asked her to make a fake video of Angela Craig asking Craig to get poisons for her. He is also accused of asking another inmate to plant forged journal entries at the Craig home suggesting that Angela Craig killed herself. That inmate declined to do such a thing.
Craig's original defense team pointed out that the inmate only contacted authorities after an initial hearing to review the evidence in the case, which was widely covered by the media. Prosecutors also allege that Craig tried a more elaborate and convoluted approach to put the blame on his wife. In court documents they said that he asked another former fellow inmate to find attractive women who would agree to testify at his trial that they had affairs with him, and after Angela Craig found out, they had refused to help her frame him.
According to ABC News, prosecutors have filed two new charges against James Craig — solicitation to commit murder and solicitation to commit perjury. The charging documents do not state the name of the person Craig was trying to have killed, but a spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department (APD), Joe Moylan, confirmed that the alleged intended victim was a detective for the department.
As of Thursday, November 28th, online court records did not list an attorney that would be representing Craig. A judge allowed Craig's latest lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, to withdraw from the case on November 21st, after he cited a professional conflict. This happened just as Craig was about to stand trial for first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Angela Craig. The following day, prosecutors filed the two new charges against him.
According to NBC News, Craig was in jail twice with the man he allegedly sought to have murder the detective, once in May and June 2023 and again in October 2024. The inmate has not been accused of any crimes in connection with the Craig case. Multiple sources familiar with the investigation, it was reported that the detective who was the target of the alleged plot worked on the investigation into Angela Craig's death.
Craig's trial has since been delayed indefinitely. Craig, who has pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge, is scheduled to appear in court with a new lawyer on December 16th.
His wife, Angela, died in March of 2023 of poisoning from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline. The latter is a substance found in over-the-counter eye drops, as noted by the coroner. She first became sick in early March 2023 and was admitted to the hospital on March 15th with a severe headache and dizziness.
Angela later died after experiencing a severe seizure. Authorities have pointed to Craig's internet search history, which showed he sought information on whether arsenic was detectable in an autopsy. They also pointed to his online purchases. Just weeks before his wife's death, Craig ordered potassium cyanide from Amazon and had it delivered to his dental practice.
According to the warrant, when Craig's business partner learned of the purchase, he flagged it as suspicious to a nurse at the hospital where Angela was staying. There was no medical reason to buy cyanide for a dental practice, he told the nurse. The nurse, a mandatory reporter, then contacted the authorities.
At the time of her death, the couple had been married for 23 years and had six children together. Prior to the most recent two charges, Craig was also previously charged with smuggling a letter out of jail with an inmate bonded out by an adult daughter.
According to prosecutors, the letter allegedly asked her to make a fake video of Angela Craig asking Craig to get poisons for her. He is also accused of asking another inmate to plant forged journal entries at the Craig home suggesting that Angela Craig killed herself. That inmate declined to do such a thing.
Craig's original defense team pointed out that the inmate only contacted authorities after an initial hearing to review the evidence in the case, which was widely covered by the media. Prosecutors also allege that Craig tried a more elaborate and convoluted approach to put the blame on his wife. In court documents they said that he asked another former fellow inmate to find attractive women who would agree to testify at his trial that they had affairs with him, and after Angela Craig found out, they had refused to help her frame him.
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