A Colorado dentist facing trial for allegedly killing his wife by poisoning her protein shakes is now accused of plotting another chilling crime—hiring someone to kill a detective investigating the case.
Prosecutors have filed two new charges against James Craig: trying to arrange a murder and attempting to get someone to lie under oath. While the official documents don’t directly name the target, police confirmed that the intended victim was a detective from Aurora, Colorado, who was working on the case.
Craig, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife Angela, 43, lost his lawyer just before the trial was set to begin. His attorney, Harvey Steinberg, stepped away from the case, citing a professional conflict. That led the trial to be delayed indefinitely. Now, Craig is expected to be back in court on December 16 with a new lawyer.
Angela Craig’s tragic death in March 2023 shocked her family and community. Authorities say she died from cyanide and another poisonous substance found in eye drops. The couple had been married for 23 years and shared six children.
But the accusations against James Craig don’t stop at murder. Prosecutors allege he smuggled a letter out of jail asking someone to create a fake video in which Angela supposedly admits to asking Craig to get poisons for her. He’s also accused of trying to frame her death as a suicide by asking another inmate to plant fake journal entries at their home. According to court documents, that inmate refused to help.
In a bizarre twist, Craig allegedly even planned to recruit women to testify falsely at his trial. He reportedly wanted them to claim they had affairs with him and that Angela, upon discovering these affairs, had plotted to frame him.
Investigators believe Craig’s actions reveal a “cold, calculated plan” to commit and cover up Angela’s murder.
The tragedy has left a lasting impact on the couple’s six children. Three of them are now living with James Craig’s brother, while the older three are on their own. On Mother’s Day 2023, their daughter Mira shared her grief on social media, writing about the pain of losing her mother and how much they all miss her.
“Two months gone tomorrow,” Mira wrote. “We love you so much, Mama. We miss you every day.”
This haunting case, with its web of alleged lies and schemes, continues to unfold, leaving many waiting for answers and justice.
