Colorado dentist charged with premeditated murder after 'poisoning wife's protein shake' while conducting affair

21 March 2023, 20:26

James Craig and slain wife Angela
James Craig and slain wife Angela had been married for 20 years and shared six children. Picture: Aurora PD/Facebook

By Chay Quinn

A dentist in Colorado drugged his wife and then texted his victim asking about her condition and declaring his love for her, an affidavit following his murder charge has claimed.

James Craig, 45, was arrested in Aurora, Colorado on Sunday and was accused of poisoning his partner Angela with potassium cyanide administered through a protein shake.

In a startling admission in an arrest affidavit, Craig is also accused of drugging his wife before the fatal dose was allegedly administered.

He was conducting an affair with an orthodontist at the time when the alleged murder took place.

The protein shake was made by James and given to Angela on March 6 - precipitating a ten-day deterioration of her health before she lost brain function on March 15.

Text messages contained within the affidavit showed that Angela documented feeling odd after the alleged drugging - asking her husband whether he had tried to poison her again.

Craig allegedly flew his mistress into Colorado while Angela was suffering the effects of the poison in hospital.

Craig has been charged with premeditated murder.

James Craig was charged with premeditated murder in Colorado
James Craig was charged with premeditated murder in Colorado. Picture: Aurora PD

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The alleged murderer lovebombed his wife before the supposed poisoning, saying: "I love you. It was so nice hanging out with you and just watching a show and snuggling".

In a chilling text after the poison had allegedly been applied, Craig wrote: "I'm going to trust that you are just sleeping and not dead somewhere" after his wife did not reply to a text.

As Angela's condition worsened, Craig wrote: "Man, baby, you've got to stop scaring me like this! I love you so much, and I'm not used to all of this excitement!"

Prosecutors say that Craig was texting his wife with sexually-explicit messages while with his mistress.

The screenshots from this time read: "I just work up dreaming about making love to you. I love you and I want you."

When she was discharged, he told her: "I can't WAIT to see you at home in my bed tomorrow!

Angela shut down the talk saying that she wanted to stop vomiting before she could think about sex.

The couple had been married for 20 years and shared six children when Angela died.